Hello, and good god.. HELP

ASSISTANCE Stock Engine-Bay Components
1

I’ve long been a fan of this site, and as an original owner I reference it often to keep the 16 year affection I have with this car strong. All you guys and gals gave me the courage to attempt maintenance and upgrade jobs that I never thought I was capable of; gotta hand it to you all - there is some real creative and skilled talent that contributes to these pages.

But now I wonder if I skrewed things up royal. Yesterday I set the valve lash for the first time, a real feel good DIY job I thought. Rode well for me for a few miles but then horrible sreeching under the valve cover, timing belt side. Limped her home, opened the top and saw that the plastic guard on the motor side of the timing belt sort of melted into the timing belt teeth, both intake and exhaust sides. Also noticed that the #4 spark plug connector was oil stained. Could a bad head seal causing oil to douse that plug generate heat to distort that plastic? Also installed a new alternator at the same time; could that have generated excess heat with a too tight belt or something. I’m lost, July 4th travel plans hosed - please help.

2

I don’t think that the timing belt cover, the oil stained plug, and the alternator are related at all. That plastic cover can take quite a bit of heat, after all it sits almost up against the block which probably reaches temperatures that are higher than the oil temp itself. I think you may have just jarred the cover loose somehow when you had the valve cover off and it worked its way into your cam gears. Push it back into place, make sure the bolts that hold it in place are snug, put your valve cover back on and start it back up. My lower cover sits so close to the crank pully that you would swear its rubbing, but its not. If it stops making that noise, get a new valve cover gasket kit (which will have your plug grommets in it) and install it to stop that oil on your plugs and wires. My 2 cents.