No apparent damage after (sort of) cam belt failure.

rory_perrett · Unread post by **rory_perrett** » 17 Aug 2008, 22:18

For those that indulged me an read my earlier post

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... highlight=

you will know that for the second time an auxiliary belt failure on my Xantia 2.1td Exclusive caused the cambelt to jump and the engine to cease to function with a stomach churning bang.

Had the fix or scrap dilemma, however after it sat in the works car park for 3 weeks I decided to have it relayed home where it has sat in drive for another 4 or so weeks. Finally got round to having a look at it this weekend. Removing the cam cover reveal not apparent damage, I was expecting a fist full of smashed cam followers at best.

Its at this point the like of us just cannot help ourselves isn’t it? And yes I had the thought that I could just put the timing back right and it might start.

Never realised how difficult shifting the crank pulley bolt is when the engine is cold, manage to smash my 22mm impact socket before it finally shifted. To cut a long story short, debris from the auxiliary belt had completely wrapped itself round the crankshaft toothed wheel preventing the belt from engage with the teeth and allowing it to spin without the belt moving. Anyway, got it all timed right and it runs, just like it did. No nasty noises or vibrations.

Given the noise it made when it died I cannot believe the pistons haven’t hit some of the valves. As I pulled up pretty smartish when I realise what was happened the engine was not under load and probably not much faster than tick over when it went bang, could that be the reason things seem to have survived?

I’d just about talked myself it to stripping it for spares and scrapping the rest but given it appears to be running again….. oh the dilemma! Might need help as to how I can convince the wife that I need TWO Xantias not just one as well as her Xsara (and 2 kit cars).

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 18 Aug 2008, 07:45

Excellent news Rory

Delighted it all came good in the end...

citronut · Unread post by **citronut** » 18 Aug 2008, 07:56

i hope you fitted a new cam belt, also be prepaired for some valves burnning out as its just as likely the valves where clipped by the pistons, you cannot rotate these engines whilst the cranck is not turnning the cam, as the valves will contact the pistons
regards malcolm

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 18 Aug 2008, 10:34

Cor!
They do say theres also a bit of luck involved when the cam belt snaps, and lady luck seems to have shined on you rory!

It would have been a real shame if you had to consign the 2.1 exclusive to the parts bin, i still have yet to see one in the flesh what with the rarity and all.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 18 Aug 2008, 12:19

red_dwarfers wrote: It would have been a real shame if you had to consign the 2.1 exclusive to the parts bin, i still have yet to see one in the flesh what with the rarity and all.

Don't get me started on 2.1s. I love 'em to bits

The 2.1 engine, in common with the 1.9TD, can survive remarkably unscathed due to the valves being at right-angles to the pistons. The pistons strike the pistons square-on and often don't damage them. The victim in all of theis can be the cam and caps on a 1.9 or the rockers (cam followers) on a 2.1.

f00lzz · Unread post by **f00lzz** » 18 Aug 2008, 14:59

You lucky devil!!

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 18 Aug 2008, 15:12

Nasty

Tell us the story please Ian...

jgra1 · Unread post by **jgra1** » 18 Aug 2008, 16:23

right-angles to the pistons. The pistons strike the pistons

you ok Jimbo?

so they have side valve engines or something ?

I am not really together either, managed to throw my poor VFR**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] down the road into a passing Polo this morning.. at this moment I am down to no vehicles and feeling a little battered...

back on thread, well done Rory !

f00lzz · Unread post by **f00lzz** » 18 Aug 2008, 16:55

citrojim wrote:Nasty

Tell us the story please Ian...

I posted this one back in 2005.. don't know if it's still available on the database... if not i'll re-tell (still depresses me)

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 18 Aug 2008, 17:09

jgra1 wrote:
right-angles to the pistons. The pistons strike the pistons
you ok Jimbo?

so they have side valve engines or something ?

Yes, I'm back to full health now in body at least John but my brain seems to be struggling though. Short of oxygen still maybe

I meant to say the pistons hit the valves square-on...

Hope that makes sense now

In Xac's engine you could see perfect imprints of the valves on the piston crowns!

jgra1 wrote:I am not really together either, managed to throw my poor VFR**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] down the road into a passing Polo this morning.. at this moment I am down to no vehicles and feeling a little battered...

Horrible

I trust not too much damage was sustained to either man or machine and you'll be back mobile soon John. Gravel rash was always the worst aspect of dropping a bike for me but leathers help hugely. Hope you had yours on...

f00lzz wrote:I posted this one back in 2005.. don't know if it's still available on the database...

It should be Ian, even if it was orignally posted on the Andyspares Forum. All posts were pulled across when the FCF was built. It looks a depressing tale just from the photo

f00lzz · Unread post by **f00lzz** » 18 Aug 2008, 17:59

Well I can't find it, so here goes an abbreviated version.

Idling at traffic lights, big bang, AA Relay home, Start to strip and found shredded cambelt plus what you can see in these pics.. also found a big blob of melted rubber which I thought was the remains of the cambelt.. until I came to put the new auxillary belt on! Then I realised that the new belt was 'one groove' wider than the old one.. the penny eventually dropped and I became a wiser man. Change the auxillary belt and keep an eye on the tesioner and idle pulley's check that they are not tipped over and check that you have the correct size belt!!! Too tight and you will knacker the bearings in the pulley(s) the belt will come off/or shred, will find a way inside the cambelt cover and Hey Presto!

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i65/z ... res025.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i65/z ... res024.jpg

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i65/z ... XUD004.jpg

oscarloco · Unread post by **oscarloco** » 22 Aug 2008, 15:39

In a word SCARY. No doubt, luck was on your side Rory. I just hope that you don't develop future failure due to this incident.

On the other hand, it gave me the chills watching that picture of your engine f00lzz.