Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Now the DAMN Timing Belt Slap !!!!!

After installing a new timing belt, tensioner, guides and water pump the timing belt in my '95 Zetec is slaping the cover until the engine warms up.

I read someone's description of how to properly tension my new timing belt, but after a while I remembered that the proceedure is exactly what I did when I installed the new one.

I put everything in place with the tensioner bolt loose and cranked the engine a few revolutions to let the belt and tensioner settle in before tightening the bolt to spec. (25 to 30 ft. lbs.)

I'm mystified about what the spring is supposed to do since at that amount of torque, the tensioner can't move. I guess that I could pull the tensioner tighter and then tighten down the bolt, but then what is the point of the spring? In fact, the tensioner becomes another guide at that point!

Recall that when I dis-assembled my engine there WAS NOT A SPRING OR STUD FOR IT! It was built without it!

Does anyone have any ideas?

The timing is correct because the car runs perfect now that replaced the coilpack and installed the correct (AZFS-22PP) plugs!

The only other thing I can think of is that the intake cam's pulley might need to be adjusted (rotated) a bit counterclockwise. This would tighten the belt between the two cam pulleys and the tensioner could take up the slack. I'd have to put the steel piece in the alignment slots of the camshafts to make sure they stayed in place. I really don't want to remove my valve cover and ruin another $29.00 gasket. Then again... this may be my only option!

Danny Brown

you are correct the engine was build without the spring and stud. The factory must have had some tool to tension the timing belt so there was no need for them. But to replace the belt you do need the spring and stud to prperly tension the belt.

now to me it seems to make sense that the belt might stretch some. I haven't heard anything from mine since I replaced the timing belt. I do know mine was hitting the cover for the longest time and the belt only showed a little wear from it.

I would say either get the revised cover, which is a bit taller, or use washers to raise you current cover and that will remove the noise.

you could also just remove the cover but I don't personally like that idea

I didn't know that there even was a revised cover!

I put some washers under the cover when the car was at about 40K because the slap sounded so bad.

I couldn't ask for the car to run better than it is after I put in the new coilpack tonight. I could almost ignore the slap!

MAN!!!! I'm gonna' put washers in it!

It can't be "wrong" timing wise because it runs too good now!

Danny Brown