A scary timing belt incident and solution

A scary timing belt incident happened. While using a 13mm socket to re-attach the left side intake manifold, the socket got stuck on a bolt. I reached to remove the socket and it shot off bounced around and landed deep inside the left half cam belt housing. When I heard that socket hitting the inside of the belt housing I wanted to vomit. Obviously if I were to start the TR engine it would self distruct! An engine removal seemed to be the only option. Fortunatly I had a $200 bore scope inspection camera handy and I accessed the small camshaft cover opening just under the alternator. Deep inside the inspection camera located the 13mm socket resting on the teeth of a timing belt. I fabricated a tool using powerful Neodymium magnets attached to a flexible steel cable and wrapped it with industrial Teflon tape. After about an hour of careful attempts to capture the socket it finally stuck to the magnet tool. Sweating and heart racing, I spent the next 10 minutes slowly pulling the magnet tool upward. When I removed that socket I let out a big scream of excitement. What a relief!

To prevent this from happening again, I made a custom metal screen mesh for covering
the camshaft opening just under the alternator. If I ever need to remove the right side
manifold I will make a protective screen there as well. The metal screen passes heat so it will allow air circulation but stops objects from falling inside.

Be careful when working on your TR as it's easy for tools and hardware to fall inside the air vents at the top side of the cam belt housings. I'm sure some TR engines were lost due to debris falling in these cam belt housings and breaking the timing belts.

All the best,

David

 

Unfortunatlely I did not take photos of the protective metal shield I fitted to cover the top air vent on the cam cover housing. It was just made from a sheet of screen metal that I cut to shape. It was cut to about a foot long and ended up looking somewhat like an "L" shape. It fit right under the alternator area. I also fitted a bolt through it to secure it into place.

At the time I was replacing the left airflow meter assembly because it had broken contacts in the potentiometer vane so the left intake manifold had to be removed. I tried to take photos after everything was assembled but now the custom shield is hidded from view.
The shield was easy to make. You can use aluminum or steel screen from any hardware store. I can only recommend installing custom cam cover shields if you have a project that requires the removal of the intake manifolds and any parts near the cam cover air vent openings.

The horrible helpless feeling I had from the socket lost inside the timing belt housing is something that no TR owner should ever have to experience!

 

Ew that is just nauseating! Who knows how long the timing belt would have lasted but we do know where it would break! I'm glad you caught it with routine maintenance.

Yes the cam covers need a screen for protection. That pebble was probably cast upward
from a semi truck and it eventually landed bouncing around on top of your engine and ended up inside the cam cover. If that stone had been any bigger you would have been stranded and down many tens of thousands. In other words one very pissed off TR owner!