I am new here but have a problem. I just finished a timing belt on a 2003 Montero sport with the 3.0L. They truck started up fine but there is a ticking noise. Could I have the timing off a hair and causeing this? The only other thing I can think of is when replacing the belt and installing the new one. When trying to tension the new timing belt the belt slacke and the cam on the right (passanger side) rotated. I rotated the cam back but could this have caused a valve to bend? I am not sure if there is enough force to do that. Maybe I am off a tooth on timing. The engine seems to run fine just noisey. I idn't drive it yet. Any suggestions. Thanks.

 

Maybe the ticking is due to the car not being run long enough for the motor oil to make it to the top of the block? How long did you run it? Do you think its normal valve clacking on a motor that sat for a while?

When you did the timing belt job, did you have all the alignment marks lined up on the cams and crankshaft?

If unsure, best thing to do is rip everything apart (remember its easier the 2nd time around) and verify that the alignment marks are where they should be.

As far as the cam rotating, it happened to me too on my 03 3.8L monty. I believe thats normal I doubt you bent anything. The belt should have been tight - it wasnt loose right?

Safest thing to do is check your work if the ticking does not go away after start-up.

 

Thanks for the reply. I didn't let it run to long. It was late and I said I would deal with it tonight. I was working on it for a few days so maybe the oil didn't make its way up there yet.

When the cam rotated over I was in the process of tensiong the belt and the belt slipped since it had some slack and the cam rotated. I rotated it back to the correct spot.

I will probably check the timming marks again. I thought I had them lined up correctly. I even rotated the engine by hand a few turns to double check everything. Maybe I will let the engine warm up some and if not start to take it apart again.

 

The "purge valve" makes a ticking noise. Are you sure the noise is not from the purge valve? Sometimes after a job like this you can imagine that the noise is new, when it was actually there all along.

Since you rotated the engine a few turns to check the marks on the belt, it is probably OK.

Same questions I like to ask everyone;

1. How did you hold the crank pulley when you removed and reinstalled the crank bolt?
2. How did you adjust the tension on the pulley with the two little holes in it?
3. How did you compress the tensioner.

There are lots of different ways to do these tasks and I am always curious as to how people do it.

 

This is how I got the crankbolt pulley off without damaging the groove where the belt rides...

 

1. How did you hold the crank pulley when you removed and reinstalled the crank bolt?
2. How did you adjust the tension on the pulley with the two little holes in it?
3. How did you compress the tensioner.

There are lots of different ways to do these tasks and I am always curious as to how people do it.
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The noise sounds like a valvetrain noise. I am going to try again tonight and try to let it warm up a little and see if it goes away. If not I will be checkin my marks again.

1. I used an impact to get the crank bolt off.
2. I was able to use a regular socket to tension the belt since the bolt was offset I just had to get the tension in the right spot first and tighten the bolt and then I was able to use a socket on the bolt to adjust it. kind of hard to explain. Unless I didn't tension it right. maybe the tensioner is flapping around.
3. I compressed with a large clamp slowly then I pinned it.

 

Well After I got home I turned the truck on and it seemed a lot quiter then last night. After listening for alittle. I think the noises were there all along. I was just paranoid I screwed something up. The truck is my girlfriends so not my daily driver and since it had some noise before from exhasut manifold crack and noisy belts it seemed lound. I took it for a spin and it sounds fine and drive fine. So I guess I had no problem all along. But thanks for all the help guys.