Walking timing belt.

[Stevien1]

My 2.5 turbo has had a nasty belt squeak for the past few months, which I narrowed down to the timing belt. I ran it with the covers off and noticed that the timing belt tensioner was "wobbly", so I replaced it and the belt. It's quiet right now, but the belt walks side-to-side on the cam sprocket (like it used to).

The new tensioner runs true, along with the crank and aux shaft sprocket. Maybe it's just me, but the cam sprocket appears to be "bent". When looking straight on, I can see the sprocket "wobble" just like the worn out timing belt tensioner used to. These sprockets are pretty beefy, has anyone else had one not run true?

-Chuck James

[GLHSKEN]

Pull it and pop a new one on... If you need one, LMK

[Stevien1]

Finally found a spare, swapped it in and the timing belt still walks. The spare seems to be true, but the belt still walks on the cam, crank, and aux sprockets. I played around with different tensions, with no effect. The belt rides against the outer edge of the tensioner, leave maybe 1/16'' gap between the belt and inside edge.

This particular van has had more problems with belts than any other vehicle I've owned. I had a bent P/S pulley, alt pulley out of alignment, and now this timing belt issue. :(

-Chuck James

[The S is Silent]

My van has had alternator and ps belt issues...but nothing like bent pulleys. Mine were all because I didn't tension them the right way, or the alternator came loose and it caused the belt to die.

The only way I can see pullies being bent like that is if the engine was pulled out of a car that was hit on the front passenger side. They would appear bent and wobble like that if they aren't on tight...you might wwant to check that.

[5sp. mini]

I just replaced the belt on my van / was not tight enough and jumped when it got cold / frist time used a diff. tensioner then it walk off the pulley/ so swaped the old one back on. now it rides on the outer eage but no rubbing on the tensioner. it.s a 88 2.2 motor. but the 2.5 na motor in the shed has the belt haft the why off.? i wounder if you turn the belt around if it will walk the other way. i used a mopar belt. AL

[John B]

If the belt is too tight it will ride the outboard edge of the gear, too loose it will be on the inside edge closest to the valve cover. When my engine is cold it is on the outboard edge but rides the center when it warms up.

[MiniMopar]

Sounds like the camshaft might be bent...

[Stevien1]

I left my dial indicator at work, I was going to check the cam- doh! The thing that has me baffled is that it rides right against the outside lip of the tensioner. That combined with the fact that it walks on the three sprockets but not on the tensioner makes me think that the tensioner is not inline with the crank and cam sprocket???? I'm going to try to shim the tensioner out with a large fender washer and see what happens. If that isn't it, I'll start checking out the cam.

-Chuck James