E30 Zone

As soon as i started the car (325i 1991) it heard a snap sound and new it was the timming belt. i removed the cassing and the pully's and discovered that the belt broke. I have bought a new belt and i am now trying to put everything back together. Can someone please give me details as to how i can get the crankshaft and camshaft timing right. the workshop mannual i have says to align the arrow stamped on the pully with the mark on the cylinder head. after inspecting my pully i do not see any mark on it. can someone help please.

also could the belt breaking have caused any other damage to the engine. when the belt broke i was not driving the car. i started the car and it then broke withing 5 seconds.

It's unlikely to be as simple as putting a new belt on, I'm afraid. Pistons will almost certainly have hit valves, and the minimum damage is likely to be a few bent valves - if you're lucky.
Timing marks are there if you look carefully. There are threads in the archives with pics.
Put a new belt on and do a compression test if you like. At least it will give some idea of how much damage there is.

sorry to hear it Jazz..its like the insurance companies say...'an act of g-d'..but look on the bright side ..you will get your head rebuilt and it might go better!..and did you cure that idle problem?

DaveD wrote:its like the insurance companies say...'an act of g-d'

No deities involved - simply lack of maintenence!

just out of interest do you know when the timing belt was last changed and has it been messed about with since I.e has the head been off and the old belt re tensioned?

the cars done 95k and the belt was changed at 60k.

Not excessive.
Any oil contamination? Any damage to the idler? Has the belt been rubbing the front cover, and worn away?

i all ways change my belt every 36,000 mile or every 3 years, i tend to find oil seapage from cam shaft oil seal but the cam is a bit worn where the oil seal rub's the cam shaft