does a loose timing belt do anything bad?

pathogen is gonna put on a new timing belt tensioner someday, but im wondering if a lose belt is causing my car to drop in idle to 500rpm and shut off when i first start my car in the morning

also, does it effect my performance when i hit like 10+ psi because my car sorted lags after that on the freeway (i havn't been driving my car hard because of that)

If your timing belt is loose it could jump a tooth or more...and it's all bad from there.

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More Boost!!
'87 turbocoupe almost done!

Originally posted by turbobob:
If your timing belt is loose it could jump a tooth or more...and it's all bad from there.

hahahaha that wouldn't be good
what would happen?

If the belt jumps a tooth or 2, it will run like total crap, or not at all. Jumping one tooth = runs poor but drivable. Jumping 2 teeth = runs like total crap. More than 2 teeth = not run at all. At least the 2.3T (with the stock cam at least) is not an interference engine, you wont bend valves, crack pistons, etc if the belt jumps.

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 20 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0 (original owner): intake, exhaust, valvetrain mods, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 00 Windstar (wifes vehicle)

if your car only runs bad in the morning, it probably has nothing to do with the timing belt. pull your codes! the problem you're having sounds like a weak fuel pump, or bad ECT sensor. just my $0.02

oh, my money's on the fuel pump because it sounds like the engine isnt getting enough fuel when its first started, thus causing it to die. it could also be causing the bad response above 10 psi, because again the engine isnt getting enough fuel.

the cause was a big hole/gash in the lower intercooler hose, which sounds like the car wasn't getting enough air when it first started.....but the car would start just fine if I were driving it around and had started it again

but the i/c hose explains the bog after 10psi because after i fixed it the turbo spooled nicely