Xsara cambelt broken!

[Roen]

Well I know now why I got an error code 0341 after the ancillary belt broke - so did the cambelt!
Now I am not sure if any serious damage has been done to the engine/valves etc
The engine turns over ok but not sure that means much as the cambelt would not have moved anything else.
Or am I making an assumption?
What is the next best step?

[ekjdm14]

Not sure if your engine is an interference type or not but even if it is, It's possible that you could have "got away" with it, although turning the engine over isn't a good idea with a broken cambelt (assuming you did this before you knew it had broken).

If the engine is an interference type then you'll usually end up with between half/all of the valves bent when the cam loses time with the crankshaft, although it is *possible* in some cases for the cam to fluke a position where no valves get hit by a piston.

I suppose if it happened to me what I would do is buy a cheap cambelt from ebay (or even grab a "free" one off a scrapper with the same engine if I was feeling extra-cheap!), time the engine up, fit the belt & give it a whirl. If it runs well then all is good and you can move onto buying a decent quality cambelt kit, if not then I'd continue with a compression test to see how many cylinders were affected as that would make my decision whether to replace just a couple of valves (& maybe guides) or fit a complete recon head.

[RichardW]

Not good news, but it is what I feared!

On the up side, the 8V HDi engine is relatively 'safe' against cambelt breakage - the valves survive, it just breaks the rockers. So get the rocker cover off and see how many are broken. Remove the cam shaft, fit new rockers as required (OK, they are not cheap...) recover all the loose needle bearings, refit camshaft, time it up, new cambelt and away you go.

[Roen]

Hi RichardW
At least that sounds a little more promising.
Sounds like I've got my work cut out then
Off with tools again asap...

[chinkostu]

It turns over with a broken belt? Is that possible?

[citronut]

it doesn't make any difference cranking it over if the belt has completely snapped, as it aint going to open/shut any more valves,

now if its just stripped some teeth thats a different matter, as the belt can move the cam further round

so what engine is this??????

[Roen]

It's a 2.0hdi
So far 2 rocker arms have broken but clean breaks and no small pieces floating about.
However I only managed to find one of the smaller pieces.
The arm in questions was one in from the end and thinking it may have gone into the chamber at the end and down
Would that have fallen into the sump?

[chinkostu]

if it has it won't get past the oil pump anyway as they have a gauze over them.

if you're really unsure flush it out with some cheap oil/flush and change the oil afterwards

[citronut]

It's a 2.0hdi
So far 2 rocker arms have broken but clean breaks and no small pieces floating about.
However I only managed to find one of the smaller pieces.
The arm in questions was one in from the end and thinking it may have gone into the chamber at the end and down
Would that have fallen into the sump?

are the rockers magnetic, if so try and find a small enough magnet on a stick and go fishing,

i wouldnt like bits of metal floating around in unknown place's, if its got as far down as the sump it should be easy enough to drop the sump and retrieve it,

at least being the 2.0 HDI i think the only damage from the belt going will be the rockers, so you can just replace any broken ones and cam belt ( check tensioners and water pump ) whilst your in there

[Roen]

They do cling to a magnet and will see how well I can tie-up/super glue the magnet safely on a nylon cord so that doesn't get lost in there too! Wondering if I could drill a small hole in it. Never tried drilling through a magnet before
Dropping the sump option, plus oil & filter change while I am at can't be bad.
Have a new belt and water pump on order plus cambelt setting tools, rockers going on order later.
Thanks guys, your help is much appreciated, not feeling so glum about the car today

[citronut]

you dont need locking tool kit,

i use three 8mm ( shank diameter ) bolts and a length of kunifer ( copper nickle ) brake pipe long enough to shape and poke up behind the starter and through the hole in the crank casae into the flywheel ) ,

although your car being a HDI you dont lock the fuel pump as its not timed up at the pump

[Roen]

Thanks Citronut, my problem is living in the middle of nowhere and in Central France.
So even getting an 8mm bolt is an epic adventure without a car.
Most of my friends here are busy working and have limited time to run me about so I am ordering online, but have a friend coming over soon from the UK where I am ordering from and having delivered. He is working all hours so unlikely he can go shopping for odd bits. So I guess I am stuck with buying certain items online.
The setting tools are £38 which I would be happy not to buy but...
Cost here to get a cambelt and water pump changed here by a garage is about 500€ so it's still working out cheaper thankfully.

[sparksie]

Thanks Citronut, my problem is living in the middle of nowhere and in Central France.
So even getting an 8mm bolt is an epic adventure without a car.

But you have a European car that doesn't drive, so just borrow a couple of bolts from that. Anything with a 12, or 13mm head will almost certainly be right

[citronut]

Thanks Citronut, my problem is living in the middle of nowhere and in Central France.
So even getting an 8mm bolt is an epic adventure without a car.

But you have a European car that doesn't drive, so just borrow a couple of bolts from that. Anything with a 12, or 13mm head will almost certainly be right

and for the crank locking tool cut/borrow a length of the cars metal brake pipe out

only kidding
i'll get me coat

[old-un77]

You have no allen keys?

drill bits?

Bob