finished rebuilding the ford puma 1.7 vct today after the cambelt failed at only 52k (not scheduled until 100k or 10 yrs) this has to be one of the worst designed set ups i have come across, the tensioner is flimsy to say the least relying on a (weak) sprung loaded mechanism to keep the belt tight and an even more flimsy plate to prevent the belt working loose on over-run. the fact that this engine has a sprung loaded variable cam timing inlet sprocket means that during over-run the initial straight section of the belt from the crankshaft sprocket can become very slack and lead to slipping of the belt and ultimate failure, something i have been hearing more and more of recently. to combat this poor design ford decided to place a small metal plate adjacent to the crakshaft sprocket in order to prevent the belt from jumping, (they call it a "belt retainer") i think another pulley wheel would have been more apropriate, however because of this retainer the belt actually rubs a solid metal plate, clearly evident on a used belt. the car has now been delivered to its owner but i have to say i am less than confident that it will last another 52k miles never mind 100k miles. Bring back the chain.
- posted
20 years ago