RE: [E30Group] timing belt slipping off?

["Fadeev, Alex" <alex.fadeev@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

jun lim [mailto:jslim22@domain.elided] wrote:
> 
> I changed the timing belt on my car, an '89 325iX, a few months ago.
> Recently the the engine was making a racket.  While checking for 
> problems I noticed the cracked distributor cap.  When I took off the
> cap and peeked into the timing belt sprocket, the belt seems 
> to be very far forward.  

Jun,
Please define 'far forward'. Is it protruding past the pulley or has it just
centered itself on the pulley further forward then you had originally
installed it? 
The former would be a very bad thing and you should probably go back in to
see what's wrong (was tensioner replaced/installed correctly?). The latter
would be normal.

> Is it possible that the belt is slipping forward and thus caused the
> cracked cap?  

Nope. 
Timing belt can not break your distributor cap, though it will kill your
engine if it goes. Thus the urgency in making sure it was installed
correctly.
As far as the distributor goes, when was the last time it was replaced? If
never, then after 10 years (and I am guessing 150+K miles) it was well over
due.

alex f

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