re: V-6 Timing Belt Burning Smell

[Joe Elliott <jee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 5:01 PM +0000 4/15/03, alfa-digest wrote:
> Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 00:01:21 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Dio Genio <diogenio@domain.elided>
> Subject: V-6 Timing Belt Burning Smell?
>
> I am new owner of a Milano Platinum and am just
> getting used to my first V-6. I've noticed the
> distinctive, unmistakable smell of burning rubber only
> when I'm accelerating and RPMs go over 4,000. It
> appears to be coming from the engine compartment, but
> it is difficult to tell since the car needs to be
> under load.
>
> At first I thought it might be the fan belts, but they
> all seem plenty tight. Can a timing belt make this
> smell when it is either worn, too tight or too loose?
> The belt is over 30k old and the tensioner has been
> replaced with a "164" style, which I believe has an
> internal spring to compensate for engine temperature.
>
> Or, can the Guibos make this kind of rubbery smell if
> they are starting to self-destruct? Any thoughts?
>
> Thaks,
>
> DENNIS
I'm surprised this hasn't been said yet--if your belt has over 30k on 
it, change it ASAP unless you want to pay for a valve job in the 
immediate future.

As for the burning rubber smell, my GTV-6 does the same thing, and 
I've concluded that it's not actually rubber at all, but rather oil 
that oozes out of the engine (only at 4k+ RPM and accelerating--drips 
on the floor overnight would be too easy to diagnose) and burns off 
the hot exhaust downpipes right under my swiss cheese floorpans.

Joe Elliott
'82 GTV-6
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