Omega - cam belt - engine destroyed - any come-back?

What about quietness? I presume a belt will sound less that a chain?

yup 1.6 petrol. then some bastard nicked it a week after getting back, gits put all the leads back on under the hood as i removed them at night. Best condition ever seen, all electric, on purposed smashed into another car, such a waste even for a pensioner mobile.

had that trouble on a Toyota 21R engine, PITA

it was my uncle, found out trust familes less than you would a stranger!

Only had it a week, no squel of metal, guess it wouldnt tho in this case.

The message from "JULIAN HALES" contains these words:

Just managed it - with the wife standing on the brake pedal in 5th gear with strict instructions not to pump the pedal up and down 'cos there's no spare vacuum. Went with such a bang I thought I'd broken something. I'd shelled out an extortionate amount of money for a good quality long

1/2" extension 'cos I have a habit of making the cheap ones look like corkscrews - or snapping 'em.

Hello,

If the car has been serviced in accordance with the main dealers guidelines and by the main dealer - they are liable for not changing something they should. Take it back and see them, if you can get it there.

However, the sounds of a well designed chain drive are probably a pleasant addition to the other engine noises.

There are things that although part of a service schedule still require approval from the owner before being done - on some makes at least.

I thought perhaps it was related to the increased use of dohc designs, and perhaps other driven accessories. The tortuous path that can be observed on schematic diagrams would certainly make a more flexible belt an easier option.

The belt on my Honda is supposed to be replaced at 72K or 6 years. I may chicken out and have it done at the next (60K) service, especially as the

72K one is expensive enough as it is.

Someone suggested all engines should be non-interference designs. I imagine this might be difficult to factor in with high compression ratios, swirl heads, and all the other paraphernalia needed for what passes for acceptable specific power outputs these days. My Mk3 Cavalier had a non-interference design which I was grateful for when something snapped on the motorway one day. However, it was the camshaft not the belt so I can't claim belts are inherently crap...

The deal went behind my crankshaft pulley some years ago, had to crank the engine to release it, Toyota wanted like 14.xx pounds for a new one, i went to a seal place in Sheffield and got it for about 1.47, same code # etc.

True, but the dealer should still have recommended it be done.

Peter

Heh heh. BMW changed *back* to chains with the introduction of their 24 valve DOHC designs.

Yes. But that then becomes just one word against another. If it's in the service schedule without option, you'd have a stronger case.

That would be a straight 6? Does anyone know of any v6s with 4 cams which use a chain?

Our car club is mainly straight 6's with the "last forever" chain, loads have snapped! Vx don't have a recommended change time but 100k miles is a good figure in my opinion. Infract I don't think the chains break because of the chains per say I think the tensioner wears allowing the chain to wear the sprocket teeth, allowing the jump to jump then it snaps (just IMHO).

Do BMW recommend a chain change at any mileage? Do they ever snap?

Will

I had two 3-series in the days when they had chains(*), and skipped the belt era. Now I just skip BMWs altogether :-)

(*) One got to 140K, iirc there was no fixed replacement suggestion, just an advisory check on chain condition and tension at inspection services.

The 2.9-litre 4-cam 24V Ford "Cosworth" V6 [from the mid-1990s Granadas/Scorpios] uses a chain. It's a very long one and has a reputation for letting-go after 60-90,000 miles - causing severe wallet-trauma as a result.

No, but I know of a V4 with gear driven cams.

That's obviously the best solution.

Will Reeve ( snipped-for-privacy@reeve.org.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

The Maserati quad-cam 2.7/2.9 v6 used in the Merak and Citroen SM. It's a sawn-off v8, though.

But aren't they notorious for stripping the gears - made of fibre or something? Always changed for steel on competition versions?