XUD9/T cambelt
Discussion
Asking this one on behalf of the parents... Their 1996 ZX TD cut out a couple of days ago & wouldn't start. Well known recovery service were called out & diagnosed a cambelt failure, but didn't take the belt cover off or do anything to actually verify fault. The Haynes book (1993) we've got suggests that the cambelt cover is in 3 parts & one should be easily removable, but the 1996 car appears to have a single piece cover. I can't see any way to get the cover off without removing the offside engine mounting bracket and the Haynes book says that to do that, you need to support the engine with either a crane (ideally) or a trolley jack. Is there any way I can physically inspect the belt & confirm this is the fault before writing the car off?
Also, is this a non-interference engine or am I likely to be looking at umpteen bent valves if the breakdown bloke is right?
Any help gratefully received.
Also, is this a non-interference engine or am I likely to be looking at umpteen bent valves if the breakdown bloke is right?
Any help gratefully received.
Its in three bits.If you remove the small bolt in the top cover nearest the front,you should be able to carefully lever the cover back and see the belt? remember its plastic.There is another bolt half way down.
If the belt HAS failed the cylinder head will be destroyed.After contact with the pistons the valves go straight up,the camshaft will be in two or three pieces,and the caps securing the camshaft will be broken.These caps are line bored and part of the cylinder head.
There are many firms out there advertising reconditioned heads ready to fit.Mind you,as you say,its more likely a write off.
If the belt HAS failed the cylinder head will be destroyed.After contact with the pistons the valves go straight up,the camshaft will be in two or three pieces,and the caps securing the camshaft will be broken.These caps are line bored and part of the cylinder head.
There are many firms out there advertising reconditioned heads ready to fit.Mind you,as you say,its more likely a write off.
Edited by Old Merc on Friday 27th November 14:47
Sorry for the slow reply - not checked this forum for a few days.
That's the weird thing - the Haynes manual suggests it's in 3 bits, possibly with no covering over the part that's under the offside engine mounting bracket, but looking at the car (remember it's a 1996 model), it looks like it's a single piece cover. Did they possibly change the cover design at some point? As far as I can see, the cover appears to be continuous under the mounting bracket.
Your description of the aftermath is pretty much what I feared. Apparently there were no sounds of mechanical doom when it happened, the engine just stopped dead. It cranks ok on the starter, no sounds of metal hitting metal, but recovery bloke was adamant that the cambelt has gone - does this sound right?
That's the weird thing - the Haynes manual suggests it's in 3 bits, possibly with no covering over the part that's under the offside engine mounting bracket, but looking at the car (remember it's a 1996 model), it looks like it's a single piece cover. Did they possibly change the cover design at some point? As far as I can see, the cover appears to be continuous under the mounting bracket.
Your description of the aftermath is pretty much what I feared. Apparently there were no sounds of mechanical doom when it happened, the engine just stopped dead. It cranks ok on the starter, no sounds of metal hitting metal, but recovery bloke was adamant that the cambelt has gone - does this sound right?
Stop cranking it!
I dimly recall a change in design of the timing cover so could be single piece. Getting engine mount off isn't hard but first support engine with a trolley jack and a piece of wood to spread the weight (IE, don't just stick the jack straight under the sump!)
Is the aux belt still on and intact?
I dimly recall a change in design of the timing cover so could be single piece. Getting engine mount off isn't hard but first support engine with a trolley jack and a piece of wood to spread the weight (IE, don't just stick the jack straight under the sump!)
Is the aux belt still on and intact?
Edited by StoatInACoat on Tuesday 8th December 14:15
alangla said:
Your description of the aftermath is pretty much what I feared. Apparently there were no sounds of mechanical doom when it happened, the engine just stopped dead. It cranks ok on the starter, no sounds of metal hitting metal, but recovery bloke was adamant that the cambelt has gone - does this sound right?
An experienced mechanic can tell just by listening.When a belt fails it all goes "pop" in a second,the engine will just spin like a turbine on the starter because it has no compressions.Do as suggested,support the engine,remove the top engine bracket and then the top timing cover.If the belt has failed remove the cam cover and see if the camshaft is in bits.
Thanks - will have a go. It had been cranked a couple of times before I even got there so whatever damage was going to be done has been done - the description of spinning with no compression was exactly what breakdown bloke said after he asked for it to be cranked over. Yes - Aux belt seems OK.
Also, it didn't occur to us initially that the cambelt could possibly have gone - we initially started by thinking the engine run/stop solenoid had failed in the stop position.
Either way, this all sounds like it's fatal - I'll try to get the cambelt cover off, but I think it's only confirming the inevitable. RIP ZX 1996 - 2015
Thanks for all the help & advice - very much appreciated.
Also, it didn't occur to us initially that the cambelt could possibly have gone - we initially started by thinking the engine run/stop solenoid had failed in the stop position.
Either way, this all sounds like it's fatal - I'll try to get the cambelt cover off, but I think it's only confirming the inevitable. RIP ZX 1996 - 2015
Thanks for all the help & advice - very much appreciated.
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