Time flies, it recently dawned on me that my "recent" cambelt change was in fact 2019! The car had only done around 3,000 miles since then, but a recent check with the Kricket showed a slack belt and a check on my service notes confirmed the horrible truth.
I got a new belt and tensioner fitted over the weekend, and I was very pleasantly surprised at the difference it has made to how the car sounds and drives. Engine note is crisper/sharper, and the car picks up significantly better.
It's easy to miss this over time, it's a gradual process, but the belt must stretch enough over the years to throw the timing off quite a bit. Maybe in addition to the risk of the belt jumping a cog or snapping, Lotus knew that after a couple of years an aging belt would affect the timing?
John
Overdue cambelt change
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