one more timing belt question...

[324vr4]

so 324 is about put back together and i have a problem i can't figure out. got the timing belt all set and the car was idling for about a 1/2 hour. when we turned off the car, the timing belt was loose, really loose. we called it a night and got back after it this evening. after rotating the crank to get everything timed in preparation of removing the belt, the belt re-tightened itself. i checked the tensionor gap and it fell at .17, well within spec. what gives? is this normal behavior for the tensionor, or is it on it's way out? it's brand new, but not oem (it's napa, i know, i know...) thanks! it would be nice to get the car running again tonight!!!

 

[CP]

OEM only, and it needs to sit for a while after installation, prior to initial startup.

 

[Terry Posten]

Yeah, you need to set it and spin it by hand, then let it sit for a while and re-test everything.

 

[324vr4]

yeah we did that initially and everything checked out fine. it was after it was idling for a bit then turned off that we noticed it was loose. after rotating the motor to get the pulleys timed, it tightened right up again. is this correct and is the tensionor good? does this make sense?

 

[Terry Posten]

It is the cams and the springs that load the belt and unload the belt between the gears.

Mine does not do it, but my cousins car did once. I redid the tension process and it went away.

You may want to redo the process again to be safe.