98 Gt-T Running on 3 cylinders....

[Mr Revhead]

sounds like ya tensioner may have failed

[u4dina]

sounds like ya tensioner may have failed

Yea maybe but i had the whole replaced when had the cambelt done all the bearings and tensioners.....

And the belt felt quite tight so im not to sure really strange...im not a mechanic this is the second time toyota as screwed up my cam belt last time it was on my camry and now this....i thought they knew what they were doing.....

[fivebob]

3 teeth, if it's that loose why would it stop at only jumping 3 teeth, and you'd see the damage to the belt if you looked carefully. Also bear in mind that the TDC indicator can be out, I've seen up to 5° difference between the real TDC and what appears on the crank marker

Which direction is it out by, could you take a photo of the cam gears at TDC?

I'm still inclined to look at the map sensor connection to the manifold, and replace it if it has been tee'd into for a boost gauge. This is what happened to my car not long after I bought it and it had similar symptoms to what you describe.

[Lloyd]

I'd have to say the MAP sensor would have been my first guess too. A leak in that hose would explain the blackness of the plugs as the map sensor would read lower vacuum and put in more fuel than you'd need and foul the plugs. Would also be why you're getting a lower vacuum reading at idle than normal.

And if you've jumped 3 teeth then, as above, why would it jump more? Have you been keeping the servicing up to date? Seen a couple of engines that have started picking up on the cams enough to jump a tooth or 2. I'd be looking for vacuum leaks for a start though, in saying that if its jumped teeth then your vacuum raeding would also be out

The joys of cars aye

[u4dina]

I already did what u suggested five bob inregards to taking of the boost guage i plugged the hose direct as there was enough hosing to go back to the map sensor but made no difference...

It looks like the cam belt as skipped backwards by four gears but im thinking this could be done has i chopped down gears from 4th to 3rd not to sure.....

It looks like the skip was helped by a small stone or something hard looking at the belt it has been damaged by something like that and this might explain why it didn't skip anymore.....i did drive through some roads works just before that anyways i've got my fingers crossed i'll keep all posted.

[Santa'sBoostinSleigh]

and thats what cam covers are for

[u4dina]

and thats what cam covers are for

i did have the cam cover on it...not that crazy actually if u see my car it would be as standard in the engine bay as the day it came out of the factory.....

If you look at the top of the cam belt cover on the top you will see a really small gap where the cover meets the engine i only saw it cos i was trying to get a white butterfly out of there hahahah.....

I guess this was just really bad luck cos its almost impossible for a stone to actually get inside....then again country roads huh...!!!
i might do some mods and try to close of the gap....anyways waiting for the new belt and new bearing etc cos while it off im goin to replace everything again...

[Mr Revhead]

id be having a look inside the covers ofr something amiss....... that seems more likely than a stone

[sergei]

I had a cambelt tensioner locator/pivot (metal ~8mm cylinder arround which tensioner is pivoted) falling out, did a lot of damage to covers (bottom one the most) and left holes in the cam belt about every 1cm in shape of that locator... but the car still ran and the cambelt did not jump teeth, just was little bit noisier then usual (due to extra "ventilation" in the cam belt)...

[u4dina]

Yea i'll have a closer look at it when i get the new belt on to see if its hitting anything, it looks more like a puncture than a graze tho and just in one spot its on the outside of the belt so it shouldn't be to hard to spot if that was the case....
I've ordered new tensioners as well just incase...

[u4dina]

Well got the new cam belt in and had a closer look nothing i could see touching the belt and all running smoothly....

Put the covers etc back in and alternator etc and started the key...sweet..!!!

Just like before.....thanks goodness for that....anyways if anyone else has this problem i hope this forum could be of help....

Took it for a test drive and everything seems to be as god as...

cars sitting in th workshop cos im goin to replace teh factory air filter...

Thanks all for your help and suggestions...