Harmonic Tensioner Pulley BROKE OFF!

[scheides]

So I'm driving into work today, and run over a small chunk of ice. I loose my power steering, alternator, and a brake light of some sort comes on as well. So I pull off of 394 onto Hopkins Crossroads, and park the car. Pop the hood, and the accessory belt is just sitting there chilling, off the side of the all of the pulleys. I tried to put it back on, but figured I'd need a few basic tools, which I did not have. The Evo has been freaking awesome for reliability so this is the first time I've had to really deal with something like this.

Anyways, I talk to hughes and he foolishly encouraged me to try and just drive straight home w/o headlights, stereo, or anything on. Well that didn't go so hot. It *might* have been fine, but the car started to overheat! The water pump is not driven by teh accessory belt, so I figured I had a fan not working due to the alternator situation. Foolishly, I pressed on. I made it onto hwy 100 where my car promptly died, and I ended up precariously perched in a blind spot for traffic in the right lane and merging traffic from 394 I can honestly say I thought I was going to die today. There was no where to get off of the road far enough and the car was not moving anywhere. On top of that, the battery was dead, so flashers be able to be on either!!!

THANKFULLY I gave her one more go, and got the car to start for a moment, made it up the hill and off on Duluth street. The car ended up at the Sinclair right there, where we used to hang after bee's.

So long story short, I *HAD* to make it to a court appointment at noon to get my tint ticket that I got back in September waived. I got a ride back to my house, grabbed anna's car, and made it to Eden Prairie, took care of some biz and headed straight back out to Mtka for the court appointment. The ticket got waived, so all's good there, but after I left I talked to the guy at the sinclair whom I had begged to just toss my accessory belt back on quicklike. He asked if I knew where the harmonic tensioner pulley was, as it was MISSING!

Anyways, he said it bolts to the crank pulley, and that all four bolts were broken off and would need to be extracted. I told them to go ahead and do it, and now I'm wondering how the HELL a piece of ice could cause this to happen? I did not have my underbelly pan on, because it SUCKS, but anything else that could have caused this? Has it happened to anyone else?

[A//// Guy]

Ouch!! Wow that is pretty bad. Not sure how an piece of Ice could have hit the pulley so hard that the 4 bolts break off.

Maybe the there was too much tension on that belt and it strained all the bolts evenly just snapped?

And you wanted to talk me into an Evo... silly Scheides.

[Halon]

That's real shitty. Did you have some sort of aftermarket one on there, or just the stocker? Can't say I've ever seen one break. Atleast your timing belt hung in there though!

[Kracka]

Holy crap! This is not good

[scheides]

Ya, timing is fine, car runs like a top. This is just the OEM pulley, I have never touched it!

[blageo23]

That sucks Scheides! I cant believe all four bolts broke, thats just crazy.

[TkrPerformance]

wow that realy sucks. time to put on the pan for winter

[scheides]

I'll swing by this afternoon and take pics, I am just trying to figure out how this would have happened.

Maybe I should order me up a new undertray to prevent ice from getting in there again!

[Matt D.]

That sucks, dude. Hopefully this will be an easy fix and you'll never have to worry about it again.

If you ran over a chunk of ice THAT big I don't see how the undertray would have helped at all. Last winter I attempted to straddle a slab of ice that must have fallen off a semi while going 70mph and following a SUV. Needless to say it was just tall enough that it ripped my undertray in two right down the middle and I saw shards of black plastic and the access panel tumbling out from behind the car.

[scheides]

Here's the thing, it was NOT that big at all....maybe the size of your hand, very small piece!

[scheides]

Honestly, has anyone ever heard of this happening ever? What are the chances, only me and my bad luck!

[Pushit2.0]

That is crazy and you are lucky nothing realy bad happend (timing belt wise).

~John

[niterydr]

That sucks Chris!!!

[Matt D.]

Originally Posted by scheides

Here's the thing, it was NOT that big at all....maybe the size of your hand, very small piece!

Was it wedged in your engine bay or how do you know that is what caused it? Yes, I am a skeptic.

[scheides]

Well I straddled this little piece ya know? Just as I went over it is when it happened.

[Speedfreak]

Originally Posted by scheides

Well I straddled this little piece ya know? Just as I went over it is when it happened.

Well thats what you get for: "I straddled this little piece ya know? as I went over it, it happened.".. keep your crazy sex talk to your other forums you like. :P

JK

Sorry to hear, but maybe it was a bit larger then you thought and when you went over it a tire hit an edge and lifted and edge to the pulley? Just a possibility..

[Kevin 1G Drummer]

Originally Posted by scheides

Well I straddled this little piece ya know? Just as I went over it is when it happened.

That sucks Scheides! I can't say I've ever heard of that happening. Even though you're on the bottom, I thought this pic was pretty funny hahaha

[FattyBoomBatty]

Originally Posted by Matt D.

the access panel tumbling out from behind the car.

Sure that wasn't your diamond plate floorboard?

undercarriage trays do help, I bet it would have prevented damage, if that's really what happened.

[JET]

Wow, that really sucks!! I haven't heard of that before and I wouldn't think that little bit of ice would do it. Maybe one of the bolts had a bad spot in it? Glad you made it out of the road ok!

[clean2g]

Sorry to hear man, that sucks. Maybe something else was inside that piece of ice?