EyeInTheSky's Gen 3 Budget Build Thread

[EyeInTheSky]

Finally got the crank pulley bolt off with the little electric impact. Things are not looking good.

The bolt and washer are fused together (I couldn't knock the washer off w/ a hammer):


The pulley itself has been ground down significantly on both sides:


The lower timing sprocket has been ground down pretty significantly:





The lower timing belt cover is CAKED with oily metal particles. I pulled the upper passenger timing belt cover back and found a ton of metal particles in there too. Actually, the entire front of my engine compartment is covered in little shiny pieces of engine:




And finally the worst part: the timing belt ribs are separating from the belt itself along the front side. There's 1/8 to 1/4in where the ridge is not connected to the belt along the outer edge. These photos are the best I could do:




So here we are. To get it back on the road I will need a new lower timing sprocket, a new timing belt, probably a new timing tensioner (not supposed to reuse those, right?), a new crank pulley, crank pulley bolt+washer, and a new crank roll pin.

I couldn't for the life of me get the timing correct before (6+ tries, hours out of my life that I don't have anymore), so I'd end up having a shop do it. I'm guesstimating 1100-1400 in parts and labor; sound about right?

All that is assuming it didn't jump timing and cause valve damage. If that's the case that's another grand, easy.

I think I'm done guys. It's been an interesting ride, but I think I have to call it.

 

[nwoods]

I suspect a few things. I suspect the locator pin at the crank gear has sheared off, and maybe the key fell out the slot also. Sounds for sure like the timing went off, and you’ve quite likely got bent valves. It’s possible you also have piston damage but you’d have to do a leak down test (or camera scope through the spark plug holes) or pull the cylinder heads off to be sure. It doesn’t sound like running it further is advisable for a leak down or compression test. So bummed for you man. I’m also in SoCal and would be quite willing to help with tearing it apart to see what it needs, but I’m also looking for a good motor to put into my own 3rd Gen.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

I suspect a few things. I suspect the locator pin at the crank gear has sheared off, and maybe the key fell out the slot also. Sounds for sure like the timing went off, and you’ve quite likely got bent valves. It’s possible you also have piston damage but you’d have to do a leak down test (or camera scope through the spark plug holes) or pull the cylinder heads off to be sure. It doesn’t sound like running it further is advisable for a leak down or compression test. So bummed for you man. I’m also in SoCal and would be quite willing to help with tearing it apart to see what it needs, but I’m also looking for a good motor to put into my own 3rd Gen.

Spot on. That roll pin is nowhere to be found. Not sure of the Woodruff key at this point.

In your experience, which of the symptoms most indicates jumped timing? I originally thought the P0303 sensor could be the most indicative, but the unbalanced pulley could have messed w/ the reluctor plate and caused the crank sensor to report a misfire. It sounded like it was running rough on the way home, but that could have been the pulley dancing around.

I'm going to try to manually turn the crankshaft here in a few to check on the timing marks.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

Well nwoods, you might be in luck on that motor for your Gen 3. I know of a 6G74 with a year and a half on a top and bottom rebuild that desperately needs a timing belt job, that amazingly seemed to side-step getting the timing knocked off by the crank pulley coming loose!

Just pulled the driver's side timing cover and lined up to the timing mark. The passenger mark looks close, maybe one tooth off (we can go up to 4 teeth before damage, right?). Couldn't find the bottom one with my mirror on a stick, but there is hope the engine isn't shot. Still don't think I want to sink the funds and time into a timing belt replacement, but there's some sunlight on an otherwise dark day.

 

[offthepath]

Sorry, that's a bummer.....

 

[nwoods]

Spot on. That roll pin is nowhere to be found. Not sure of the Woodruff key at this point.

In your experience, which of the symptoms most indicates jumped timing?

It was the "tiny meth head under my hood was shaking a coffee can full of rocks"....followed by a "horrible knocking/clanking" descriptions that sound to me like what I experienced in my Gen 2.5 when I lost compression due to a dropped valve that soon became a bent valve.

 

[nwoods]

The passenger mark looks close, maybe one tooth off (we can go up to 4 teeth before damage, right?)

I've not heard that before. Is that an established fact, or hopeful thinking? I have no knowledge to the contrary, I always just assumed that Bad Things happened with the timing off. Sure you can't see the bottom mark? You have the pulley off it appears? I'm finally reading this thread on a computer and whoa, the metallic debris is very odd indeed. There is a lot of metal in the timing belt, could it be from that ?

 

[nwoods]

.....
I ordered an aftermarket tensioner from Amazon so we'll see how that goes.

Eye, have you taken a look at your tensioner? The Adventure Driven guys are extremely vocal about only using OME tensioners (I know, they are $150!), but they cite multiple reported and personally experienced failures with anything else. Some of your symptoms sound like this could be a culprit....

BTW, that quote was from page 13, in 2017

 

[EyeInTheSky]

.....
I ordered an aftermarket tensioner from Amazon so we'll see how that goes.

Eye, have you taken a look at your tensioner? The Adventure Driven guys are extremely vocal about only using OME tensioners (I know, they are $150!), but they cite multiple reported and personally experienced failures with anything else. Some of your symptoms sound like this could be a culprit....

BTW, that quote was from page 13, in 2017

The tensioner referenced there is the serpentine tensioner, not the TB tensioner (which I used OEM for).

The coffee can metaphor noise was caused by the belt slapping under the hood. Once I put on the other belt no crazy noises until my final 2mi drive.

For the four teeth thing, I ran across that nugget while working on the rebuild. Dont remember exactly where, but most likely a forum post. Grain of salt or two needed, of course.

Also, I believe most of the metal is from the pulley and sprocket grinding. There was a ton of metal ground off both.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[EyeInTheSky]

$1100 over the phone by the dealer though I dont trust that estimate. The service dept pushed it over to the parts guy who pulled four hours labor out of a hat.

Spoke to a local shop and he estimated $1300 but wanted to inspect the crank for damage before anything else.

What do you guys think?

This would be for a full TB job and replacement of the harmonic balancer, reluctor plate, and lower timing sprocket.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[BOPOH]

Sorry to hear that, i wish you luck with either option you go with. I would consider crank repair to be a deciding fact, if it can be repaired - get it done and do TB job yourself. Timing belt job is not hard on these, i've done my friends '02 with ease in one day. Get the pulley from junk yard or order new.

 

[nwoods]

If I ever end up sourcing a new engine for my 2002, I’d be happy to give you the parts off my old one. The parts you need are in good shape on mine. My issues are all internal.

 

[BOPOH]

Just stumbled upon this so i thought maybe you might need it - OEM

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Timing-Bel...-V6-/382195611122?vxp=mtr&hash=item58fca235f2

 

[plh]

Local shop (not dealer) quoted me $700 labor last week for timing belt & water pump refresh for the '05. I'd supply the Aisin kit, OEM tensioner, OEM balancer bolt and washer. I had the Mitsubishi dealer do the last refresh about 5 years ago and it was $1200 they supplied the parts.

 

[nwoods]

Just stumbled upon this so i thought maybe you might need it - OEM

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Timing-Bel...-V6-/382195611122?vxp=mtr&hash=item58fca235f2

I haven't looked at the ebay listing, but just a heads up, I once had to replace a 1998 Gen 2.5 crankshaft timing plate thingie. I borrowed one from an older montero (might have been a 3.5L DOHC version) and they were very different! The borrowed one was about 20 degrees different than the replacement one that fit my 98. The moral of the story is, make sure the part number is specific to your vehicle year! Photos below of the new verses old timing plate thingie: