Today, I had a tech at work change the timing belt on my wife’s DB1. It ran fine when I drove it to him, but now it idles like shit. I was with him the whole time he worked on it and I was looking at the cams- they just didn’t look right. I asked him about them and he said they were right. He’s the professional, I’ve only changed one, so I didn’t think anything about it.
When we were done, I started it and it feels like it wants to die at idle. At driving speeds, it runs nicely, much better than before (we did other stuff too, including a valve adjustment, water pump, brakes…) He first told me to put an engine cleaner in the tank, but we had already done that when we first bought the car (a few weeks ago) and then he said the throttle body was probably dirty. Why would a dirty throttle body all of a sudden make a difference when it ran fine before?
Now, I don’t mind him working on it because he did it dirt cheap and he’s supposed to know what he’s doing, but from the searches I’ve done, it sounds (and looks like) the intake cam is off. Would the car also run badly at speed or only idle roughly? I know the timing is off because I can hear it knocking when I accelerate, but the timing belt thing is bothering me after reading what everyone else posted. I thought I wouldn’t find shit, but it sounds like a pretty common issue when a timing belt job is done.
It seems to have more power now. The car accelerates better and power is much smoother to 4k RPMs. It’s the idle that is terrible. Do you mean the difference in power would be better or worse?
Resetting the ecu most likely won’t fix it, sounds like the timing is out a tooth like you suspect. Tell your tech to do it right! All those other issues (dirty throttle body etc) wouldn’t crop up right after a timing belt.
count me in Yep there u go the exhaust side is off as the white line doesnt line up evenly across. Now as for the power pick up and all that up to 4k rpm I am not sure and also the valve adjustment if done wrong or not for its correct year spec then ur idle would also goes up and down like 200rpm and not stable but drives fine.
Base off from the pictures u have here and it is all line up correctly by you i would have to say the exhaust side is off a tooth. So pretty much either when he reinstall it he didnt see it slip or he didnt put the belt on tight enough hat when u crank it up it slipped etc… Have the dude get it done right…
I would take pictures to show u also but i just installed a new valve cover gasket and dont want to remove it but i think i might be able to do it still becoz the cam cover is off anyway.
90-91 spec is different to 92-93 valve adjustment specs.
Sometimes book manuals or online dont help as it would say for 90-93. It makes a huge different in idling and all that if u did a 90-91 spec on a 92-93 and vice versa.
Note: The cam seals look beat up did you replace that also? Just incase if u never have. Its the brown looking ring around the camgears
well, he’s working today and i’m off, so i fixed it and now it runs fine. i need the car tomorrow, so i just did it myself. thanks for you guys’ input.
as for the cam seal, it’s a little grungy from workin it on with dirty hands. they’re new.
