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M reg Metro's / cambelts

Not sure what the score is with them, but the neighbours' daughter broke down about 40 miles away tonight... no breakdown cover, and called me to ask wtf to do :-} (hint: why call me, i`m not a mechanic...)

Anyway... got them a number for the RAC, they rang up, paid up to join, but didn`t tell them they wouldn`t tow her home until she`d been a member for 24 hours... Alternative tow arranged, as the RAC couldn`t get it going again and it couldn`t be left at the side of a motorway, with vague mutterings about cam / cambelt.

Are metros of this vintage fitted with a cambelt (or chain ?) and if it is that that`s gone, is it one of those "interference" (?) cylinder heads where the entire guts of the engine gets chomped as it breaks ?

Time to visit the big scrapyard in the sky ?

Reply to
Colin Wilson
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The message from Colin Wilson contains these words:

If it's a manual it's got a K-series engine at that age and is belt driven. It's an interference engine - chances are there's a few bent valves.

If it's an automatic then it may be an A-series, there were still some around at that stage, the CVT box was a late starter. A-series are chain driven.

Reply to
Guy King

Yup, its manual afaik, so its probably just worth taking it straight to the scrappy :-(

Thanks for the reply - at least they know what they`re up against now :-}

Reply to
Colin Wilson

Why not just stick your head under the bonnet and have a look? - it'll be quite obvious what engine is there and whether theres a cambelt or not.

Reply to
R. Murphy

I wouldn`t know a K series from a Honda lump, and thought cambelts were usually under some sort of cover ?!?

Reply to
Colin Wilson

An A series doesn't have an obvious cam drive cover as it is on OHV engine with pushrods. If it has a rounded tin rocker cover retained by two bolts on the top, it's an A series. Mike.

Reply to
Mike G

The message from Colin Wilson contains these words:

This is an A-series engine...

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This is a K-series engine...
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In general if the car has square headlights it's an A-series and if the headlights' inner top corner is rounded it's a K-series.

Reply to
Guy King

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