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General => General discussion => Topic started by: Rmachines on 05 April 2012, 22:50

Title: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: Rmachines on 05 April 2012, 22:50
I purchased a 1.4L Ford focus a few days ago for my sister,  put an MOT on it, needed a new bush, which i did first, then serviced it, polished, with a full valet, then i went to do the cambelt.... (did it at work in the workshop where i had all the correct kit)

Timed it all up with the locking pins (has free floating crank pulley) fitted a gates cambelt kit, then refitted the bottom bolt and pulley aux belt pulley with the original bolt (only supposed to be used once), fired her up, lovely all good!  So i remove the bottom pulley again, to fit the covers, this time i use the new bolt which came with the kit,  started it again... spluttered, died, then i cranked it... loss of compression... surly not, couldn't have....  checked it over, timing was spot on as per the marks i made, but when fitting the locking kit blow me, the timing had slipped right out and done every bloody valve!

Turns out the gates kit came with a new bolt which was far to long, i assumed (after confirming it was the correct kit with the supplier and on the sticker on the box) the bolt was longer as the result of a known issue (as the tensioner was also changed due to past issues)  it didn't compress the free floating bottom pulley the thread hit the end of the hole causing it to slip .....destroying the engine

Very very teasey!!!
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: AudiA8Quattro on 05 April 2012, 23:20
Ouch!!
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: Jay on 05 April 2012, 23:29
Are the manufacturer or supplier going to rectify this eeing as it was a known issue?
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: VW BUSH on 05 April 2012, 23:30
ouch
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: danny_p on 05 April 2012, 23:39
automotive parts warranty / come back against manufacture f**kup mistake = myth   

never had an issue with gates as of yet,  last one i had was with BGA who just ignored everything  denied all knowledge of anything and ere general twits
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: Rmachines on 07 April 2012, 09:02
I have always been a big fan of gates, but not so much now, i will see what they say when i kick off about it.
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: dan2252 on 07 April 2012, 09:09
own a few fords now. and done the cambelts on a few. the cams are floating too. and your meant to loosen them off to take the slack out of the belt did you? as the first one i did i ever did and timming jumped 2 teeth luckly didnt bend and valves just missed and poped haha,
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: Rmachines on 07 April 2012, 13:34
Yea it was all done properly, I'm a diagnostic tech for honda, and i did it at work with the proper locking kit,  i have done many floating cams before in the past, and the fact this was running fine with the old bolt, and slipped in the crank with the new longer bolt says it all, the longer bolt leaves about 1mm gap, so it was basically left loose, im awaiting a response from gates now.
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: Mr GTD on 07 April 2012, 15:36
Nasty!!
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: gti gaz on 08 April 2012, 20:06
Ouchhhh
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: Rmachines on 09 April 2012, 12:42
The damage
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/522476_10150777405800342_645275341_11926573_1059581582_n.jpg)

The cause
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/546197_10150777413030342_645275341_11926598_2040236351_n.jpg)
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: justalex81 on 09 April 2012, 13:26
i'm sorry but how can you not notice the difference in length between the 2 bolts?

when replacing parts i always check that the new part is exactly the same as the old one. if it's different then i'd be asking why and proceeding with a large amount of caution.

Also why didn't you crank the engine by hand after you'd removed the pulley and put it back with the new bolt?

I think you are as much to blame as the company that supplied the parts.
Title: Re: Mananged to bend all 16 valves today on a focus.
Post by: Rmachines on 09 April 2012, 14:20
Because the kit came with a upgraded tensioner due to issues they had previously, and in the past ( i do a lot of cam belts) I have had several with different bolts due to known issues with the original parts, so i assumed, knowing it was the correct kit, that it was a larger bolt for a reason.  I mean, gates cam belt kits are good, they do provided revised parts unlike some,  the tensioner was totally different to the one i took off the car (original ford part) i did call the supplier about it and he confirmed the parts were upgraded due to a "known issue  so I did notice it.  :grin:  I did turn it by hand, it was all setup with the locking kit as there are no marks, turned by hand fine, when the engine started, it slipped around, as it was pinched but not  quite enough.