Vibration when accelerating following cambelt change

[SJLucky]

Ever since changing my cambelt I’ve noticed a vibration in the steering wheel when the car is under power once my speed is 65mph+. For example if I’m driving along a hilly section of road with the cruise set at 70mph as I go down a hill the vibration subsides, as I climb back up again it comes back, then once I’m on the level it is still there but not as bad as the section when the car was climbing.

I done some searching on this forum for possible causes, I checked my top engine bush and the rubber is torn but I also read that if it is just the flashing part I don’t need to worry. The other posts I’ve read point towards a drive shaft being faulty, but I can’t see the connection between this and the cambelt change. I tried holding it in lower gears to check the vibration is not a function of engine speed and it isn’t.

Does anyone know of any other checks I can do to narrow down the problem?

[oldironsights]

SJLucky, in order to find the problem, you must find where the problem is not.
Back track what you did.
Did the harmonic balancer / vibration damper remove easily? Did it install easily? Was any prying or beating done to remove or install?
Are all bolts tight?
Can you easily shift or shake the engine within its mounts? Hear any clunking of metal on metal?
Did you remove the tire/wheel to gain access? Was wheel installed in same spot? Wheel bolts tight?
Do you notice any pulley or damper wobbling when the engine is running?
See where I am going with this?
Could be engine vibration transmitted through a worn engine mount. there are more mounts below the engine & transmission.
Good luck with it.

[Cees Klumper]

My guess is the vibration issue is unrelated to the cambelt change. Just coincidence. I suspect the intermediate bearing on one of the driveshafts.

[chrism]

What you are describing, vibration under throttle load, really sounds like a wobbly CV joint.

This is a stretch, I know......

Maybe when you jacked up the car to do the belt, and the wheel was dangling to the lower extreme of the suspension, the CV joint on that side got extended to a point that it's never been before and it did something to the inside of it.

[SJLucky]

It looks like my top mount is knackered, so I will try a new one and report back.

[SJLucky]

I changed the mount and the vibration is still there

This weekend I'm going have a look inside the inner CV joint boots, try and check for wear and repack them with grease.

The new mount is the square type

[SJLucky]

I've still got an oil leak at the top of the engine and a small intermittent coolant leak that occasionally drips in the LH foot well. I think the oil leak is due to a partially blocked PCV system, even though it checks out fine doing the idle tests. I've ordered a UV leak detection kit for the coolant, hopefully this will show where the leak is. I'm assuming it's from the pipes going into the heater matrix but given sometimes the droplets are in the middle of the foot well rather than the right hand side where the matrix is. I'm wondering if maybe the bulk head connections could be leaking and it is dripping down the pipes.

[SJLucky]

Yesterday I took the Volvo to the garage, to get new tyres fitted. I’m trying Goodride SA-37 Sport tyres from https://www.tyreleader.co.uk they’re the first Chinese tyres to get a decent review:

https://translate.google.co.uk/translat ... rev=search

The mechanic raised it up on the ramp so I could give the underside a good look over.

[SJLucky]

It looks pretty good considering it’s 15 years old, only problems found were a torn bush in the front OS wishbone and a worn drag link at the back.

[SJLucky]

Clean!