Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 Cam Belt

My first belt failed at 4000 mls
New one was fitted with no venting and didn't apear to wear. Venting kit was fitted at around 7500 mls when having new chassis fitted. I have done 11000 mls now with no wear apparent. I have been told that belt handling and storage is very important. I think the problem was poor installation at the S and S factory.
It has been stated that S and S are recomending. 3000ml belt change. This has to be nonsense. A check maybe. I believe the service life is meant to be 30,000

Thanks Charles
I'm just south of you in Berks
We ought to meet up sometime

Attatched

Hummmmm
Why is there rust on this part?

The section in the sprocket with the notch becomes loose on the cam shaft. Perhaps rust is the wrong word. It is not my part but a freind's. He had to get it replaced. I have no doubt that water and moisture in the cam belt region is too much of a risk. You canmot see with the human eye that it has failed as the tolerances here are micrometers. The slightest damage to the sprocket section and it gets worse and worse quickly.

Hi,
I just ordered a spare cambelt 'just in case' not to be grounded for two weeks.
If replacing, do the pulleys have to be turned in a certain position or are there markings to preserve the timing from the engine before fitting on the new belt?
Does it worth it to fit the 4 fitting screws from the crank cover on 2mm cashers having an airflow gap between engine and cover? Does it harm the pulleys and cambelt system if open ( vented)...or does it really increase the cambelt lifetime?

Thanks for helping
Smaug

you have to turn the engine crankshaft sprocket to the mark to match the molded den on the timing cover, and put a 5mm diameter drill in the timing gears that must be centered with blind holes in the housing distribution.

Have been watching this thread. Today my cambelt decided to end itself after 13,500 miles. I spent more time on the phone convincing the Autoclub that they CAN pick up this vehicle. I am only too pleased to show them how!

A great deal of debris inside the case.

As soon as it happened I knew just what it was due to this forum. Thanks to the Internet, I emailed my dealer while on the road with a picture of the inside of the case and received a reply that it would be ordered first thing Monday morning.

Locating pins are 3/16" if you have an imperial set.
Note that all m3w engine work is imperial tools. While the rest of the vehicle is metric. (If you dont have the locating pins then you have to take the rockers off and turn the drive shaft and sproclets making the job very challenging.) This is risky as the bolts can fall down the con rod holes into the engine. So in short; CARRY 3 LOCATING PINS with you when you get the new belt. That is one for each cam shaft sprocket.

After removing the cover.
Remove the pulleys while putting the belt on.
On each sprocket is a notch indicator. (You can see them on my photos I added earlier in this thread.) The belt has 3 indicators which you line up with the sprockets while the locating lins are holding the sprockets in place. Orientation of the cam belt must be such that the Writing on the cam belt (gates) can be read.
I would avoid washers until the aforementioned sprocket interface issue is resolved.

Thanks GLLOQ and charlestkirby for the detailed explanations...that was the missing link to change the cambelt ...ok I leave aside the washers until more is sayed on this forum.

I have to say that this forum is so helpfull technically as well morally
for resolving nearly all problems on the early M3W's...So just to say a big THANK YOU to all the helpfull people on this forum!!!

Cheers
Smaug