Hi all,
Before I received the title from the dealer (Santa Fe Center LLC), the car overheats and fails to start again. I shut down the motor (while rolling at 55mph, dangerous) when the temp gauge was climbing to the red zone. I pulled off top cover to distributor and found this...Is this fixable (ie, no internal engine damage)?

Its a 92 SC400 with 107,223 miles and had it for over a month. The dealer just said I was SOL, which was the worst thing I ever heard from any seller. He didn't even want to pay for half the repair, no less a full refund.

I've changed a timing chain on a Toyota 22RE, but none like this V8 timing belt.

I just had the exhaust done and got staggered 18" Lexus wheels too. Crud!
Thanks. DJ

 

So, what's the problem?




j/k what are all those shavings from? The timing belt? So, your saying the car has overheated to the point of shutdown, and has done this multiple times?

 

that pick is hard to tell what is going on. It the rubber the grooves from the belt so it is just splipping now? Or is some of that the rubber on the spark plug wires?

 

Even tho that looks screwed up i doubt that is the cause of your overheating problem.

Honestly you should have really spend that rim/exhaust money on general maintenance first.

 

Thanks for the responses. If I had known of possible maintenance issues, believe me, that would've been priority.
The vehicle began to overheat, turned it off, checked coolant level (ok) and let it sit in the shade for 30 minutes. Fired it up with temp gauge showing cooler than normal operating temp and slowly proceeded. Vehicle misfired, stalled and never started again. It turns over like it wants to start but won't.
The shavings are rubber, which appear to be from the timing belt. Thx

 

i am not sure how the two are related. The car overheating is not a timing issue. The timing belt has most likely jumped a tooth - could be the reason for the rubber shavings or the belt itself has jumped a pulley is riding the edge which would cause the timing to be off as well.

The overheating you need to look at but it could be thermo or the HG. I bet you will figure it all out as you will have to take it all off to do the timing belt. You might as well do HGs, thermo, waterpump, tensioner, inspect pulleys, etc. Or call up scotturnot and see if he still has that spare engine and drop that in for cheap.

with the V8 i think i would buy a spare engine and do the maintenance and then just drop it in. That would be a lot quicker - especially if you drive it daily.

 

your water pump might have failed and caused the timing belt to shred. or the tensioner for the belt is going causing the belt to slip on the water pump pulley. but anyhow....

at this point, its time to do the required maintenance for timing belt/water pump job. since youll have to get in there anyway to replace the belt. do it all, water pump, timing belt, idlers, cam seals, distributor caps, rotors, wires, whatever else is in there.

 

Umm if it overheated that bad that it won't stay on you are lucky if it's just a bhg. You might have warped head or something expensive like that. Might be cheaper to buy a used long block.

 

Sounds like water pump failed. Looks like you need a new timing belt too. A compression test will prolly tell you if you got a bad head gasket but I doubt thats your problem. Time to do the water pump/timing belt dance. Maybe price a new engine vs the parts & labor(or ur time).

edit:
check the thermostat as well.

also if you think its possible its been overheating a lot Id be even more inclined to start with a different engine.

 

Thanks for your inputs. The oil is not "milky", which is a common symptom of a bad hd...but was wondering if that will show up when I replace the parts and fire it up. I just want to get it driveable, so I can sell it. Plan is timing belt, waterpump, t-stat, gasket. Thx again!

 

Look you definitely have a timing belt issue. No doubt. The question is why, and or how bad. If indeed the water pump "went", that could be the reason you overheated and why the timing belt jumped. But if the timing belt failed all by itself, which it looks like it did, then you've got much bigger problems. Most likely head gasket overheat issues due to extermely out of time engine issues. Or even valve damage if it is an interference motor, which I can't recall off the top of my head.

and compared to the 22RE it's a much bigger endeavor...