Club 80-90 Forums

Put the engine back in after couple of years sitting in the garage (both me and the engine). After the faff of getting the diesel pump primed I got it running, pretty soon afterwards the cambelt started smoking. I stopped it, the tensioner felt red hot, figured it was at fault, got new cambelt kit, now I've stripped it down I realise that it's actually the intermediate shaft - I can turn the intermediate shaft with a spanner, it was graunchy ish at first, no play indicating dead bearing,s though I've cleaned its surface in case it had oil on it, retensioned cam belt and it still refuses to drive via the cam belt. I can turn it and it happily slips past the cam belt without a care in the world. Not even a hint of protest.. It's like it's lost its grip or something.

Anyone else experienced this? It's possible it needs more cleaning maybe, bit strange though...

Also how much effort should the intermediate shaft take to turn manually normally? Should it be completely free running, turnable by hand???

Have you taken the oil pump and servo off to see if it still turns freely and to make sure one if these isn't locking it up

Started on the vacuum pump first, bolt is seized and rounded so will take a while I'm sure.. Might end up cutting that off.. Which means of course that the vacuum pump won't be the problem, it'll be the oil pump!

Craftsmans approach, gently tickled the bolt with the surgical grinder till it let go. Vacuum pump is free moving.. So it's not that.. Intermediate shaft is now free moving - hang on a sec..... Not really sure what happened here, I place the vacuum pump back in and it's all still free moving... Confused.. But I'll take the free get out of jail!