Cam Belt Broken

[Ivar]

Hi All

1997 Astra 1.6 8 valve.
Cam belt broke while doing high speed. Will this engine suffer any internal damage or will a new cam belt fix the problem?
Hoping for the latter.

Thanks

Ivar

 

[mikeFNB]

it will prob be cheaper to fit a new lump.
rod pistons valves will prob all be bent/damaged and if something has scraped any cylinder even a rebore will not sort it. you migt be lucky, but at a high speed as you say i very much doubt it there would have been a lot of kenectic energy to get rid of. and quick each revolution of the motor after the belt went would of cause untold damage. even the inspection will prob cost more than the lump is worth

mike

 

[Mike (archive)]

Unless you are going to fit a fresh engine yourself its probably more economical to scrap the car. Sad, I know, but these things happen.

Mike

BTW the 1.6 is definately an interference engine.

 

[me140]

I recently bought a 1.6 16valve Astra with a snapped cambelt. Pistons were hardly marked and no bore damage at all. Got a 2nd hand head with valves and all gaskets were genuine Vauxhall - cost of repair - £138. Bargain. I admit my labour is free but it is well worth taking the head off for a look before you think about anything else - heads on 8 valves are easy to get off so even if you use a garage it won't cost a lot to get an idea of where you are going.

 

[Guest]

Hi All

1997 Astra 1.6 8 valve.
Cam belt broke while doing high speed. Will this engine suffer any internal damage or will a new cam belt fix the problem?
Hoping for the latter.

Thanks

Ivar

I thought the 8 valve engines would survive a cambelt breaking? It might be worth fitting a belt (after getting advice from someone who knows these things) and tryng it.
Dave

 

[adder1969]

I thought the 8 valve engines would survive a cambelt breaking? It might be worth fitting a belt (after getting advice from someone who knows these things) and tryng it.
Dave

I've had cambelts go on a number of earlier 8v 1.6 and 2.0 engines and all were fine with a new belt.

 

[Ivar]

I've had cambelts go on a number of earlier 8v 1.6 and 2.0 engines and

all were fine with a new belt.

Hi.
Are you saying you have experiance of this and a new belt will fix it. That means there is conflicting answers. The car is worth a new belt but not really worth a new head. I'll do the belt if it's fairly curtian that this type of engine will survive a cam belt breakage.

Ivar

 

[Guest]

Hi.
Are you saying you have experiance of this and a new belt will fix it. That means there is conflicting answers. The car is worth a new belt but not really worth a new head. I'll do the belt if it's fairly curtian that this type of engine will survive a cam belt breakage.

Ivar

For the cost of a belt it would be worth a try.
Check your water pump. I've had a belt break on an old Astra 8v diesel that was caused by a knackerd water pump. This engine survived because the rockers broke as they were designed to do.
Dave

 

[mikeFNB]

you indicated you were at speed, thats my worry
if you were above 40-50 and still accelerating then i would doubt it will be ok

the revs and the kenectic energy from the road wheels through the [still] connected gearbox at that kind of speed will do it in for sure.

the energy has to go somewhere!

more often than not, low speed/revs, ie pulling away, which seems to be a fav time for the belt to go, seem to favour most parts surviving.

its your choice, but remember, this is a pertol engine anyhow, so a cambelt is a pig even to change on a working one! let along when you dont even know if things are in the right place in terms of alignment/engine cycle to even refit a cambelt.

mike

 

[adder1969]

you indicated you were at speed, thats my worry
if you were above 40-50 and still accelerating then i would doubt it will be ok

its your choice, but remember, this is a pertol engine anyhow, so a cambelt is a pig even to change on a working one! let along when you dont even know if things are in the right place in terms of alignment/engine cycle to even refit a cambelt.

I've done several cambelt replacements on older 8v vauxhalls and could do them in about 30 minutes on a good day. Getting to the waterpump bolts is a bit fiddly. I've had one go at 90 on a motorway and still no internal damage. The key thing here is is this an interference engine or not? If not then you're laughing.