Scratching my head thinking "why has this happened?"

Disco Moneypit · Aug 19, 2009

Changed the altinator / water pump belt and tensioner a few months and a few thousand miles ago. All was fine and dandy.

Then on Sunday the belt pinged off the tensioner and punctured my rad. Any ideas as to why this would happen with no warning signs such as screaching from the tensioner bearings or fraying of the belt?

Yours,

Paul D · Aug 19, 2009

Something the belt runs over is loose?

Loose pipe/other engine component fell off and freak accident?

Stone/summat else picked up off the road/track, into engine bay and freak accident?

If everything else is 'normal' I can't see any good reason why this should happen. If all looks well and checks out as being nice, tight and working properly then I'd replace the belt and see if it happens again ....

Disco Moneypit · Aug 19, 2009

Just got back in from taking things to bits and investigating.

Seems the tensioner is well fooked. It's as loose as a whore fanny. doesn't even seem to be any bearings left in it.

New tensioner and rad ordered from Paddocks. New belt ordered from LR main dealer.

Paul D · Aug 19, 2009

Disco Moneypit said:
Seems the tensioner is well fooked. It's as loose as a whore fanny. doesn't even seem to be any bearings left in it.

Hey, maybe it was that which caused the belt to fall off??

:doh:

hughesy · Aug 19, 2009

Was it a britpart one by any chance?

Disco Moneypit · Aug 19, 2009

hughesy said:
Was it a britpart one by any chance?

Not sure who made it TBH. I bought it from an indy LR parts supplier in Chesterfield.

Lets see if the one from Paddacks lasts any longer. If it's a ****Part one then I will knock it back and have to fork out for a £106 one from the main dealers.

I wonder what the outcome would have been if this had happened with a cambelt tensioner? The only reason why I am not super ****ed off is because my rad was knackered anyway. All this has done is speed up the rads replacement by a couple of months.

Paul D · Aug 20, 2009

Sounds like it's an easy fix at least. As you say, if it was the cam tensioner then it might have been a different story!

kooky_guy · Aug 20, 2009

Same thing happened to me on my Vectra V6. It didn't break the rad, but that was about the only thing it didn't break.

It smashed the timing cover, damaged the cam belt and knocked the valve timing out (luckily not by much), broke the water pump, damaged the alternator etc etc.

never did work out why it pinged off, but cost a fortune to sort it.

Was almost at the end of a 230 mile run back from Wales when it happened. Had been running sweet as a nut up to then.

Just one of them things I spose.

Guy

Scratching my head thinking "why has this happened?"

Disco Moneypit

New Member

Paul D

Old, nackered 'n broke, but the Landy is fine . :)

Disco Moneypit

New Member

Paul D

Old, nackered 'n broke, but the Landy is fine . :)

hughesy

Well-Known Member

Disco Moneypit

New Member

Paul D

Old, nackered 'n broke, but the Landy is fine . :)

kooky_guy

Well-Known Member

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