I just replaced the timing belt on a 1995 Toyota Camry I4, and the car ran fine around town. When me and a friend fired it up to wrap up the coolant flush tonight, we heard a flapping sound from the timing belt cover and then some knocking. I disabled spark, and we cranked the engine over - the oil pump pulley is spinning, and I hear the knock from the top end. I know the timing belt loosened up and I had to retension it. Could this knock be caused by the engine being out of time or oil starvation - he was a quart low when I checked the oil and I topped it off when we test drove the car.
Top end knock after TB replacement?
- Thread starter nthach
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Maybe the low quart created an "air bubble" in the system temporarily?
Originally Posted By: dishdude
Is the sound coming from the timing belt or the head?
The head it seems. I'm going to pull the valve cover off and drain the oil this weekend to check for metal shavings.
Is the sound coming from the timing belt or the head?
The head it seems. I'm going to pull the valve cover off and drain the oil this weekend to check for metal shavings.
Here's the weird part - if it was rod knock, I wouldn't hear knocking noises until the engine was running? I unplugged the distributor to disable spark and I had someone crank the engine and the knocking/tapping noise seemed to come from the head. The 3 possibilities I have are rod knock, spun crank bearing or out of time/valvetrain issue. And it's a sludge monster as well.
Apparently the engine is non interference so you lucked out running the engine out of time.....
Given this info I suspect a faulty tensioner if you did indeed correctly set timing marks and tensioner.
Did you replace all timing belt parts? Belt, WP, idler, tensioner?
Given this info I suspect a faulty tensioner if you did indeed correctly set timing marks and tensioner.
Did you replace all timing belt parts? Belt, WP, idler, tensioner?
TB tensioner +1
if it idles poorly you are probably one tooth off.
Interesting timing on the timing belt problems.
Good thing it happened in a shop and not on the road!
Good thing it happened in a shop and not on the road!
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Interesting timing on the timing belt problems.
Good thing it happened in a shop and not on the road!
It was all DIY in my parent's driveway
The car ran fine for 20-30 miles, we fired it up in front of my friend's house to do the last of 4 water flushes. We heard a flutter and then a knocking/tapping. I took off the upper timing belt cover and the belt was loose - I was able to snug it back up. We fired it up again and the knocking/tapping noise was still there.
So I disconnected the distributor - and the knock/tap was still there when we cranked the engine but quieter. I plan on pulling the valve cover and draining the oil this weekend to check for glimmer. I prodded my friend about his maintenance habits and he says it's been serviced by the local quick lube and I also asked him if he ever checked his oil since I checked it out of curiousity last weekend and the dipstick was bone dry - I topped it off. He said no.
I installed a new Aisin timing belt kit with all OEM supplier parts. I also replaced the oil pump O-ring and shaft seal and rebuilt the power steering pump.
Interesting timing on the timing belt problems.
Good thing it happened in a shop and not on the road!
It was all DIY in my parent's driveway
The car ran fine for 20-30 miles, we fired it up in front of my friend's house to do the last of 4 water flushes. We heard a flutter and then a knocking/tapping. I took off the upper timing belt cover and the belt was loose - I was able to snug it back up. We fired it up again and the knocking/tapping noise was still there.
So I disconnected the distributor - and the knock/tap was still there when we cranked the engine but quieter. I plan on pulling the valve cover and draining the oil this weekend to check for glimmer. I prodded my friend about his maintenance habits and he says it's been serviced by the local quick lube and I also asked him if he ever checked his oil since I checked it out of curiousity last weekend and the dipstick was bone dry - I topped it off. He said no.
I installed a new Aisin timing belt kit with all OEM supplier parts. I also replaced the oil pump O-ring and shaft seal and rebuilt the power steering pump.
Last edited:
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
It's a Camry, how could something go wrong!?
How sure are you it isn't a tooth off?
How sure are you it isn't a tooth off?
Originally Posted By: nthach
I also asked him if he ever checked his oil since I checked it out of curiousity last weekend and the dipstick was BONE DRY.
Your friend sounds like a real winner
I also asked him if he ever checked his oil since I checked it out of curiousity last weekend and the dipstick was BONE DRY.
Your friend sounds like a real winner
Originally Posted By: nthach
Here's the weird part - if it was rod knock, I wouldn't hear knocking noises until the engine was running? I unplugged the distributor to disable spark and I had someone crank the engine and the knocking/tapping noise seemed to come from the head. The 3 possibilities I have are rod knock, spun crank bearing or out of time/valvetrain issue. And it's a sludge monster as well.
Cross the first 2 possibilities off your list. You basically never hear a bearing make noise when you're cranking the engine over- and if you do, it'll be making so much noise when the engine is running that you will get the overwhelming urge to run away before you get clobbered with flying debris.
Here's the weird part - if it was rod knock, I wouldn't hear knocking noises until the engine was running? I unplugged the distributor to disable spark and I had someone crank the engine and the knocking/tapping noise seemed to come from the head. The 3 possibilities I have are rod knock, spun crank bearing or out of time/valvetrain issue. And it's a sludge monster as well.
Cross the first 2 possibilities off your list. You basically never hear a bearing make noise when you're cranking the engine over- and if you do, it'll be making so much noise when the engine is running that you will get the overwhelming urge to run away before you get clobbered with flying debris.
Originally Posted By: Brybo86
Originally Posted By: nthach
I also asked him if he ever checked his oil since I checked it out of curiousity last weekend and the dipstick was BONE DRY.
Your friend sounds like a real winner
So I'm a bit confused- in your original post you state the engine was a quart low. Now you're saying that the dipstick was bone dry.
What am I missing?
Originally Posted By: nthach
I also asked him if he ever checked his oil since I checked it out of curiousity last weekend and the dipstick was BONE DRY.
Your friend sounds like a real winner
So I'm a bit confused- in your original post you state the engine was a quart low. Now you're saying that the dipstick was bone dry.
What am I missing?
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
did you replace the timing belt tensioner or not? if not, that is your culprit, its 20 years old cant take the stress of a fresh belt.
Everything timing belt related was replaced with fresh parts.
did you replace the timing belt tensioner or not? if not, that is your culprit, its 20 years old cant take the stress of a fresh belt.
Everything timing belt related was replaced with fresh parts.
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