Major probs cam belt snapped (pictures added)

[johno]

Major probs cam belt snapped on me last night on way home from friends wasnt speeding or hammering it car just died on me took off the distibutor cap turned engine rotor arm didnt move at all so i presume it is the cambelt now what i need to know is would it have bent owt valves as i did try to start it 5 or 6 times any info would be great the car is a 325 i 1988 pot thx


ps i hope its just a case of renewing the belt fingers crossed

[bullitt]

Replace the belt and do a compression check first..

If there are no valves bent you will be very lucky!!

[E30Adam]

I can pretty much guarantee that if the car was moving you'll have bent valves, if not smashed pistons.

Valves and pistons are supprisingly weak when it comes to "metal to metal" contact.

The head will need to come off for inspection unfortunately but first check that the cam belt has infact snapped.

[johno]

i had the head skimmed and new belt fitted 1 month ago so thats why i tryied to restart it but upon taking the dissy cap of turned engine over and rotor didnt move so think pretty sure belt is broke

also how do i check the belt ???

[craigieeb]

owch, if the belt has snaped the head will have to come off as adam say's the valve's are realy weak on a metal to metal contact, to check if it is the belt just take off the dizzy cap and you should be able to poke the belt with your finger, if its realy loose then you know you have problems, but if you cant feel any play take off the guard (the cover that the dizzy bolts on to) and you WILL beable to tell if it has snaped matey.

[Turbo-Brown]

I'd suggest that if someone else fitted the belt and it snapped, then they might be liable for the damage to the engine.

There is absolutely no clearance for the valves stopping in the wrong place (certainly on the M20) and also having angled valves means they're not likely to have been simply pushed back up leaving just a snapped rocker or two

Good luck, take some piccies!

[craigieeb]

Good luck, take some piccies!

pervert

[minime1275]

i had the head skimmed and new belt fitted 1 month ago

Hope you still have your receipt for the work. If the belt has snapped, shouldnt it be covered by some kind of workmanship warranty?

Hope it isnt your cam belt tho, mate.

*edit* beat me to it, Turbo Brown

[johno]

ok it seems the belt has not snapped .now the belt turns the crank and all puleys including the cam pulley now the cam does not turn pulley does so looks like some valve damage is for sure anyone had this trouble ??

[Andy_magic]

If I read this right the camshaft pulley is turning so the belt is Ok but the shaft isn't, take the rocker cover off and have a look at how much, if any of the cam is turning. Could be a broken cam or the locating mech that holds the cam pulley to the camshaft itself had broken.

[johno]

i have taken the rocker cover off now the pulley turns and the cam doesnt move at all

[Andy_magic]

It sounds like part 5 shown in the photo below has sheared.

The end result is the same a belt break I'm afraid.

[Brianmoooore]

Part 5 sheared? or not fitted following head assembly after skimming?
I would be carefull about letting the same person who assembled the head the last time do the investigating this time - and giving him the chance to cover his tracks.

[Andy_magic]

I was going to post that Brian but if a fellow zoner had doen the work it would have upset them.

It's far more likely thats its missing.

[johno]

its a friend who hs done the work as he has on all my motors but hey we all can make mistakes just out of interest i had the head done around 2 months ago now if part 5 was missing would it take this long to go ??

[Andy_magic]

It would hold on for as long as it could. I don't think it would last for ever though.

I had a MK4 cortina years ago I got off a mate, he was really bad at spannering so I gave it a good service and found he had left the woodruff key out of the crankshaft pulley and put the pulley on in the wrong place, he managed to time it up to get it working though, he ran iot for a good 18 months before I got hold of it, still running so anythigns possible.

[johno]

thx andy great help will take it to garage tomorrow well ill get me dad to as its not good being seen in a 325i E30 being towed lol

[Brianmoooore]

Mmmm, complicates things a bit if a friend did the work. I just assumed it was a garage did the job. You wouldn't believe the standard of work done on some of the BMWs that come my way. I'm afraid it's the rule rather than the exception, like the E36 with a recent clutch change, and all four of the main bellhousing bolts about to fall out.

[johno]

so now i know i need to replace some valves so which type do ppl recomend standard or maybe a better valve if avalable ???

[craigieeb]

obviously you need to check to see what valve's have gone and how many, iv just recently replaced a valve on mine i just pop'd along to euro car parts and picked one up,

there is a rule i live by

"YOU fcuk it YOU fix it"
i dont know your situation with you'r friend but if it turns out that he's knack'd it im sure he could compensate you for some parts : )

[Brianmoooore]

Bit early to start ordering valves, before the heads off. There's a distinct possibility your engine could be scrap I'm afraid, although you haven't reported any loud bangs from it, so you may be lucky.

[johno]

ok it seems the top gear wheel for timing belt has sheared off from the cam shaft seems to have only bent a couple of valves all pistons are intact and look ok so hopefully have car back on road by thursday for around Ԛ£150 quid

[Andy_magic]

Was it part 5 in the picture above??

Thats not a bad price considering, have you seen the damaged part?

[johno]

im hopeing to get a picture of the broken part on here soon

[johno]

its part 4 thats damaged

[Andy_magic]

When its sorted PLEASE post some pictures of the damage.

[johno]

ok all sorted now cost me 80 quid hope to get pictures off broken part on here tomorrow

[Andy_magic]

80 quid doesn't sound too bad at all.

[johno]

ok now with pictures sorry it took so long

[Andy_magic]

Ouch!

Glad it's all sorted now

[johno]

yea is all sorted now thx andy

[Brianmoooore]

Maybe I'm being a bit dim, but what exactly are we looking at in those photos? Is that the outer part of the cam sprocket sheared from it's centre?
All the M20 cam pulleys I've seen have had a spoked construction, like the one shown on the ETK.

[Andy_magic]

I reckon someone's been clouting the pulley to get it off and fractured it.

I hadn't noticed the lack of spokes till it was mentioned.

[johno]

yes the outer part of the cam sprocket sheared from it's centre and its the pulley that was always on the car as far as i know but hey its an old car so who knows what anyone has done to it