Cambelt snapped...
Discussion
Woe is me. I think the cambelt has let go on my bangernomics Volvo.

Was just gently pulling away at no more than 1500rpm when it spluttered and cut out. Tried to restart immediately and engine spinning freely.
The internet seems pretty divided on whether the engine is an interference one or not with tales of belts being replaced with no valve damage, so I have bought a new belt for £10. I intend to encourage my spanner wielding mate to help by plying him with beers so we shall see!
On the plus side engine speed and load was very low when it happened, and I certainly didn't hear the valves being smashed to smithereens by the pistons, but would you expect to?
If it won't run nicely with the new belt then I shall bid it farewell via the medium of ebay.
And probably buy another one
Was just gently pulling away at no more than 1500rpm when it spluttered and cut out. Tried to restart immediately and engine spinning freely.
The internet seems pretty divided on whether the engine is an interference one or not with tales of belts being replaced with no valve damage, so I have bought a new belt for £10. I intend to encourage my spanner wielding mate to help by plying him with beers so we shall see!
On the plus side engine speed and load was very low when it happened, and I certainly didn't hear the valves being smashed to smithereens by the pistons, but would you expect to?
If it won't run nicely with the new belt then I shall bid it farewell via the medium of ebay.
And probably buy another one
Do you mean look for damage on the top of the pistons? Hadn't thought of that. Was just going to chuck the new belt on, time it up and start it.
The thing has been fantastically reliable and great fun, and cost absolute buttons to buy and run. Its only recently been MOT'd and been treated to some new tyres so would be nice to keep on trucking in the old beast.
The thing has been fantastically reliable and great fun, and cost absolute buttons to buy and run. Its only recently been MOT'd and been treated to some new tyres so would be nice to keep on trucking in the old beast.
The Gates catalogue, if I've selected the correct engine seems to say 'interference':
http://navigates.gates.com/Parts.aspx?Year=1993&am...
http://navigates.gates.com/Parts.aspx?Year=1993&am...
Yeah, most of the literature seems to suggest they are interference, however there are a fair few people who have seemingly 'got away with it'.
Has anyone ever had a cambelt go? I would have thought that valves being pummeled into submission by the pistons would sound pretty catastrophic?
Has anyone ever had a cambelt go? I would have thought that valves being pummeled into submission by the pistons would sound pretty catastrophic?
carinaman said:
The Gates catalogue, if I've selected the correct engine seems to say 'interference':
http://navigates.gates.com/Parts.aspx?Year=1993&am...
Nearly right. Mine is the 2.0' turbo, AKA B200ft.http://navigates.gates.com/Parts.aspx?Year=1993&am...
Boobonman said:
carinaman said:
The Gates catalogue, if I've selected the correct engine seems to say 'interference':
http://navigates.gates.com/Parts.aspx?Year=1993&am...
Nearly right. Mine is the 2.0' turbo, AKA B200ft.http://navigates.gates.com/Parts.aspx?Year=1993&am...
I got lucky after a camshaft pulley bolt unwound itself on my Rallye - I was only doing 1500-ish RPM as well, it seems the pistons simply punted the valves around. I took the head off, checked the valves for sealing etc (all fine) and put the engine back together; ran sweet as a nut until the car got written off.
Boobonman said:
Nearly right. Mine is the 2.0' turbo, AKA B200ft.
Is your engine on the Gates catalogue? I used to have their PDF catalogue on my computer but now they want those downloading it to register.Nice photo, sorry to learn it's broken. Hopefully it didn't suffer valves hitting pistons.

Boobonman said:
Has anyone ever had a cambelt go? I would have thought that valves being pummeled into submission by the pistons would sound pretty catastrophic?
Not always. Had a clio cambelt go while idling in a queue of traffic, it just sounded like the engine had been turned off with the key, no clattering, no horrible metal sounds. It turns out all 16 valves were bent quite badly.The belt in mine jumped three cogs while driving normally at 35-40mph, the engine spluttered three times and died and wouldn't start again. A compression test, a new belt and a new water pump and it runs like a dream again.
This on a somewhat more delicate C70 T5, so yours should be fine too.
This on a somewhat more delicate C70 T5, so yours should be fine too.
Finlandia said:
The belt in mine jumped three cogs while driving normally at 35-40mph, the engine spluttered three times and died and wouldn't start again. A compression test, a new belt and a new water pump and it runs like a dream again.
This on a somewhat more delicate C70 T5, so yours should be fine too.
Jumping three teeth is quite different to shredding the belt entirely. If the OP doesn't have bent valves he should probably go and buy a lottery ticket. This on a somewhat more delicate C70 T5, so yours should be fine too.
HustleRussell said:
Jumping three teeth is quite different to shredding the belt entirely. If the OP doesn't have bent valves he should probably go and buy a lottery ticket.
Yes, but so is the old school B20 in comparison to the rather more delicate T5 
AFAIK (and from a quick look at the Swedish Volvo enthusiast sites) the B200 is the same engine as the B230 with a smaller bore, and that would mean that it's non-interference. There seems to be information saying otherwise as well though, confusing...
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t am I supposed to be looking at?