I think I have a broken timing chain. If I give you all the symptoms can you help me asses the extent of the damage? Please? Thanks.

I drove my 88 GT 2.8 to work Friday morning and again at lunch, drove great. I went to crank it up to go home and it fired up like it always does, but barley out of the parking lot it starts to sound like it's running on half the cylinders and shakes the car when I rev the engine also it started squeaking (like a belt slipping, but louder.). So I turn around and get back to the parking lot and park it. It chokes down, but I can fire it back up, only I have to gas it like crazy, it still sounds awful and shakes and squeaks when I rev, I look at the engine, no smoke, no drips. But it chokes off without reving the engine. Then it dies and won't crank back up. It turns over, but won't fire.

I towed it to my shop and parked it, too frustrated to go look at it yet. (I just repaired a cracked radiator and replaced a broken belt, now this. All in a two week period.)

Can anyone tell me if it sounds like I broke the timing chain or what it could be? I haven't been back to pull the distributor to check yet, I'm just obsessing over it while I'm at work. Any clue? Any Advice?

+'s for help

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____________________Marty
The Pearl White GT Build Up

If you had a broken timing chain, the car would have died right away. You might have a collapsed lifter or two. When I lost a lifter in my V-6, it sounded like I had a chunk of metal banging around in one of the cylinders and the engine would shake and barely run.

To make sure the timing chain is okay, pull off the oil fill cap and have someone crank the engine. If you can see the valves move, the timing chain is okay. If not, then pull off the distributor cap and remove the primary (smaller) wires off the coil. Crank the engine and see if you can see the rotor spin. If it spins, the timing chain is okay. If not, then you have a problem with the timing chain and/or distribtor gear.

My 87 Duke is doing & sounding the same. Mechanic replaced a broken rocker now 1 week later doing the same with the same noises & symptons. Wonder if something caused the 1st rocker to break & if it is doing it again.

yeah, I'm with Steve - had the timing chain broke, the motor stops. thats it, just stops. To check - take the dist cap off, then crank the motor (preferably, by hand/wrench, not by starter). if the rotor turns, the timing chain is intact. the chain turns the cam, which turns the distributer. if it happen very suddenly, I'd look at the igntion system first - cracked cap, broken post, bad spark plug wires, broken spark plug.

Thanks for the replies so far. I forgot to mention I tried to do a computer check and my check engine light did not come on, meaning I have to fix the problem before it can give me any codes.

I agree with Steve and Pyrthian. If the timing chain broke then the engine would die, also the distributor has a hex rod that turns the oil pump, so you would not have any oil pressure. It may be the timing chain is so worn it slipped a tooth and threw the timing way off. Turn engine clockwise with dist. cap off, when rotor moves, turn counterclockwise and see how many degrees of slack you have..........Paul

Make sure you're water pump and alternator are turning free, since you mentioned a squeal. If it recranked it can't be the timing chain broken. Try to find the location of the noise.

My first thought was a vacuum hose, but the squeaking is what is throwing me. I don't think plugs/wires would do that. than again I have been wrong before, recently in fact.

Plus, when I turn it over the belt moves freely and has the correct tension.

[This message has been edited by achawkins (edited 02-01-2005).]

Well, it's choking out and making a loud squealing noise.

My first thought was the ignition module going south. Or maybe a bad fuel pump. The way it's running, those could be it, but I don't know what to say about the squeaking sound. One of your pulleys might be siezed or have a bearing going bad (alternator, water pump, AC).

Another thought is a bad ground. Those can make a car do crazy things.

Dave

Another possibility is that your timing chain could have skipped a tooth or two. This can happen when the chain gets streched out from wear.