Cam Belt Fail

[malagabob]

My sons 53 Vauxhall Vectra developed a loud rattle from the engine, before it broke down. Would you get a rattle prior to a belt fail?
After getting his recovery to get him home Its been found to have a snapped cam/timing belt
Would/could a comppresion test by means of turning the engine over by a spanner show up any valve damage.
I advised him to have a new belt which he had done,when he bought the car 2-3 years ago Looks like the garage took the money and didnt do the job.

[bhg481]

If you had a genuine Vauxhall belt fitted I'd get in touch with Vauxhall.

[RATTER15]

If you talk to Vauxhall, they will tell you whether such damage usually occurs with a snapped belt, it isn't really a matter of chance, the valves are either going to hit the piston on this type of car or the arent, if they hit the piston, damage has occurred. I don't think you will get an accurate compression test by turning the engine with a spanner.

[Slapshot]

53 petrol engine???

Assuming it is it's likely to have had piston/valve collision damage hence the rattles and breakdown. It's not a particularly cheap fix either, cheaper to get a refurb engine installed

[RATTER15]

Agree with Slapshot, get a recon engine.

[Slapshot]

oops.. didn't mean to hit submit.

Cam belts can break, no matter how old they are or how new, more and more manufacturers are reducing the replacement times on belts, where it might have been 50,000 miles before you're now looking at 35,000 in many cases. I generally try to make sure ours are changed every 35000 or so, though mine as a dielsel has a timing chain rather than belts.

[TWR]

You have said that the Belt had been changed 2 years ago, have you got proof of this? if you have contact the garage that done the job, this job 2 If it was done right" would not have caused the belt to go.

[sddsddean]

In the good old days, I had a Vauxhall Victor (M reg the first time round!!) which apparently was one of the first cars to have a rubber timing belt. At least when it stripped, all I had to do was re time it and put a new belt on as it was designed so that the valves/pistons didn't crunch. Surely it can't be that hard to design modern engines in the same way, or are the manufacturers in collusion with the garages ?!

[Hymie]

In relation to the OP, it might be difficult to prove the job was never done, even if the state of the belt would support this, together with a marked belt manufacture date (if such exists).

In defence of designers of engines employing an overhead cam, driven by a belt – to achieve the required compression together adequate opening of the inlet and exhaust valves, inevitably results in one or both valves falling within the operating volume of the piston.
Unless of course you want an engine with the performance of an M reg Vauxhall Victor.

[TWR]

There is a way to prove it Hymie, believe me. a Local Vauxhall Garage in our town tried it on with my Daughters friend a few years ago, they sais the Job was going to cost this girl £500, That WAS Untill I got involved!!

[EcclesCake]

It may be more helpful to malagabob if you expanded on your claim TWR....

[TWR]

If he / she was interested do you not think he / She would have asked Eccles?

[Slapshot]

I'm interested TWR... go on

[EcclesCake]

You are claiming to have a silver bullet and have been invited to share it to help the OP, why are you being so recalcitrant TWR?

[TWR]

Bob, I will try & help you if I can, DO NOT TURN THE ENGINE although the damage has now been done, I don't know if your son is aware of what's involved with a belt changed? the Adjuster should show signs of being new ( If they changed it as it's behind a cover with a different part No to the Original one) lso the belt should have the ID Numbers if it was a new one, they should still be present & to be seen, the indication of Sludge / Dirt /Grit / removal in & around the Block / Rocker Cover / Hoses & their Clips, If you have the Receipts bob, there is a lot you can do, but on saying that, how many miles has the car done since the belt was changed in the 2 years as you state

[TWR]

Do posters get badges for fancy words?

[derekpara]

Aren't we all assuming that the belt actually snapped ? If one of the pulleys failed then the belt would come loose with the same devastating results.

Was the water pump changed - and other pulleys changed ?

Hope my words aren't too 'fancy' TWR.

[TWR]

IF the belt HAD been changed Derek, I should think ( But it has happened) the pulley being new ( If they had changed it & again if the job was done as stated, this should not have happened, my view, he has been conned. Yes, you are very good I can understand your wording lol

[sddsddean]

Don't knock my old Victor hymie. It was an estate with a vinyl roof and my first car! Nicknamed 'The Tank', you could pull out in front of anything and they would slam the anchors on! I took everything to University in it...including a desk almost the size of Rajs' in 'The Big Bang Theory'. It was dead easy to work on and never let me down...until some berk who doesn't know how to drive in snow went into me head on. Still sold it for £400 of spares to a scrapy!

[derekpara]

Victor v Vector, SDD. Same vintage ?

[tonyav]

Those 2.3 engines were ok. Better in a Viva though.