My bird has been running great since I bought it 2 months ago. Yesterday I let it warm up for +/-10 minutes before I left from work. I get about 1/2 a mile away and the engine starts idling erratically (I was at a stop light). Before the light changes green, my car died. I finally get it started back up, and it seems very crippled. When I try to throttle up, it spits, sputters, and starts backfiring. I limp to the closest service station and take a look under the hood. Low and behold my belt is off (??). I get out my tools and put the belt back on thinking maybe that was the problem. No dice. So I put some gas in the tank (it only had about an eighth) and go to start it up. It cranks fairly easily. At idle it seems to be skipping now. I whip out the tools and remove the distributor cap and check for moisture, etc. (it had been raining heavily all day) and found nothing. I do have some plugged vacuum lines, but they have been that way since I bought it with no problems. I removed my #1 and #2 plugs and found nothing out of the ordinary. Oh. And my belt was off again. Before I put the belt back on, I checked all my pulleys and everything seems fine. I get it started again (with a bit more trouble this time), and it will not idle. It runs smoothly at about 3000 RPM, but when you let it drop and then try to throttle back up, it will stumble, shudder and backfire until it hits about 3 grand. I'm not sure where to start my search for the problem. Any suggestions? My father-in-law seems to think it may have jumped timing (it has approx 180,000miles). Thanks in advance for any help!

 

I agree with your father-inlaw. had that issue when I first bought my car.

 

imho, if it jumped time it wouldn't run... i'm sure it's pretty loose though

 

The engine WILL run if it has jumped time, but not well, if the cam has retarded. Generally, the chain will only jump a single tooth on its gears, enough to make you but not enough to really do damage. Replace the chain and the water pump at the same time, since you have to take both off anyways and a lifetime w/p is like $16... You'll feel better about it later.

:edit: Oh, and replace and adjust that belt before things get worse with that issue as well.

 

adjust the tensioner .. or replace it sounds like its going bad if u are throwing belts..