herbie3rd ( snipped-for-privacy@no-mx.forums.yourdomain.com.au) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :
The cam belt snapped on my 1997 Xantia TD yesterday, after the belt was
> replaced it sounded like a rough tractor, garage have said that it could
> be a serious prob especially in a diesel engine.
First thing to check is that they've got the belt timing spot on - with a diesel, the injection pump is often timed via the same belt (although I think a '97 Xant might be an electronic pump, so that might not apply) as well as the cam timing.
Not being mechanically minded I wondered if anyone knows anything about
> this and how big a job it will be to fix it?
It depends what the problem really is. If it's just badly timed, then it's simple. If one or more cylinders isn't firing because of a lack of compression, then it's head off and replace valves - at the minimum. It may be a replacement head. It may even be a replacement engine.
I have been told that it is bad if it is an interference engine, I am
> assuming this model of Xantia is!:(
You'll be hard pressed to find any diesel that isn't.