snapped timing belt?

Well I was driving my pride and joy landy 90 with a 200 TDI disco engine yesterday and all of a sudden I heard a funny tapping noise the only way i can describe it is it sounded like a radiator fan hitting something. I pulled over and turned the engine off and looked under the bonnet and couldn't see anything obvious. I went to start it again and it wouldn't start but turned over a lot faster than usual. I took the oil filler cap off and turned the engine over and nothing is moving

I just thought I got it all sorted after spending a fortune on it and then this happens devastated doesn't come close. What's more annoying is I only had the engine fitted 6 months ago and the garage that fitted it supposedly built me this engine with new head gasket and timing belt and it has only some 7k miles since!

Does the above description sound like a snapped timing belt?

Many thanks

Tom.

Take the cover off and see. If it is its a shame you tried to start it again but nevermind. You may be lucky and just have to replace a few pushrods and whatnot though

the_wolf said:

Take the cover off and see. If it is its a shame you tried to start it again but nevermind. You may be lucky and just have to replace a few pushrods and whatnot though

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I know, I honestly thought fan was tapping something and I turned it off via the key and it sounded fine when I turned it off and not making the tapping noise!

Look up through the wading plug hole with torch? Should be able to see if belt is not there or is off the pulley.

Alternatively take rocker cover off, remove rocker shaft and turn engine by hand. Might as well check if any of the pushrods are bent as well

Thanks for the replays guys much appreciated. Iv took rocker cover and rocker off and if got 3 slightly bent pushrods. I not got timing cover off yet as waiting for my bro to bring braker bar for crank bolt.

With the 3 pushrods been slightly bent do you recon I could have got away with any other damage? Could the things that the pushrods sit on be damaged too? (Apologies for my pants description I not done this before)

Cheers

Tom.

pushrods sit on the cam, so unlikely, rods bend and somtimes the rockers snap.

Sounds like you've got lucky there. Check rocker shaft studs are still firmly in the head.

It is possible to bend conrods, but I would expect much more damage to pushrods before anything like that happened.

Either way, it's ridiculous that has happened 7K miles after the belt was changed. I'm sure an adult will be along with more knowledge on the matter, but I would be having word with the garage

I would imagine it should be fairly obvious when you get the belt out if it was particularly new or not.

You've not been driving through mud etc with the wading plugs out have you?

How often do you guys change your timing belt and how difficult is it? 300tdi

Every 5 years or 60,000 miles

gse1986 said:

I would imagine it should be fairly obvious when you get the belt out if it was particularly new or not.

You've not been driving through mud etc with the wading plugs out have you?

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Hi, no driving in mud with no wading plug. When I took all the bolts out they where solid! Not been out in a long time!. The belt was also perished and had ridden off the pulley what looks like for a long time! The timing casing was full of rubber dust from wearing on the side. I'd say it wasn't done!

timtheenchanteruk said:

pushrods sit on the cam, so unlikely, rods bend and somtimes the rockers snap.

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Thanks for that, I climbed up with a torch and looked down the pushrod holes and thank god they look intact. I got a full new set of pushrods and fitted them and put it all back together so fingers crossed that parts done surprising how tough the 200 TDI engine is!

jackmac said:

Sounds like you've got lucky there. Check rocker shaft studs are still firmly in the head.

It is possible to bend conrods, but I would expect much more damage to pushrods before anything like that happened.

Either way, it's ridiculous that has happened 7K miles after the belt was changed. I'm sure an adult will be along with more knowledge on the matter, but I would be having word with the garage

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I know! Its a long story and I won't name and shame but I baught what I thought was an engine built for me with new timing belt and head gasket with new rear krank seal.

He had my landy for a month leaving me car-less and kept telling me it will be ready every week and I booked 2 seperate days off work and then told on that day it not ready!

Then on the final day he said it was ready I went to collect it and he told be I can't take it because its running hot! I told him to take thermostat out so I could take it home and sort it myself - then I worked out myself the gauge and sender went matched and the engine wasn't running hot! And I'm not a mechanic!

The price rose 350 pounds from the initial price he told me

The rear crank seal leaks oil like mad and when I rang and told him he got really funny and said its gearbox oil :crazy: witch its not!

The intercooler pipes he fitted kept popping off

It smoked like fook

And then 7k miles later the bloody timing belt snapped

Umberlievable eh!

All this because he said bottom end on my old 2.5 TD was knackered after I took it to him for a dripping rear krank seal. After it was repaired I went to fill it up with diesel and had a look under it to check for drips only to see half my engines oil on a pool on the floor!

Never even had any reimbursement for that job and I'm beginning to think that could have been a good engine! Insurance was only £120 a year with that engine too and now its £760 with 200 TDI

I'm livid :mad2:

It sounds like you've had a bad experience with this guy.

Just my opinion, but I would have thought that if a new belt was fitted and there was an issue with the quality of the belt or the way it had been fitted, that it would fail rapidly, not after thousands of miles, so your assessment that a new belt was not fitted is probably correct. Also, how clean was the timing chest? That's also an indication.

When I did mine, there was very light oil soiling to the bottom of the case and a handful of shavings.

It sounds like you have the skills to do this job properly yourself, so why not sort it yourself, then you know it's been done properly. There are some good guides online.

Rear crank seal is a pain as it's engine or gearbox out. How much oil is it leaking?

toms3 said:

Hi, no driving in mud with no wading plug. When I took all the bolts out they where solid! Not been out in a long time!. The belt was also perished anprofessional ridden off the pulley what looks like for a long time! The timing casing was full of rubber dust from wearing on the side. I'd say it wasn't done!

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Looks like our fears of the complete con man who did the engine conversation was right he is a total scammer I dont know how people like that sleep at night and he was supose to be a professional makes you wonder what else he done or not done he should be named and shamed in my opinion.
The belt was very old even perished It had been failing for a while
fingers crossed we will get there tom

Plus the grand he charged for engine + a aparant overhall . Total and utter scum that man

where's a fanny when you need one

trax said:

where's a fanny when you need one

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Behind you

sp00k said:

It sounds like you've had a bad experience with this guy.

Just my opinion, but I would have thought that if a new belt was fitted and there was an issue with the quality of the belt or the way it had been fitted, that it would fail rapidly, not after thousands of miles, so your assessment that a new belt was not fitted is probably correct. Also, how clean was the timing chest? That's also an indication.

When I did mine, there was very light oil soiling to the bottom of the case and a handful of shavings.

It sounds like you have the skills to do this job properly yourself, so why not sort it yourself, then you know it's been done properly. There are some good guides online.

Rear crank seal is a pain as it's engine or gearbox out. How much oil is it leaking?

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Hi spook

Yes it was a bad experience! You would expect more from a land rover specialist too!

The casing was black and filthy with timing belt dust and muck but no oil at all

I will be fixing this at home with the help of my brother d90matt. The pushrods where only £1.99 each so fit a full set and put it back together.

We took belts ect off and timing cover then took out failed belt and cleaned out the crank case and got ready to fit the timing kit tommorow so we will take our time and do a good job then fingers crossed will be running again!

The oil leak from the rear main is fair few drips each night, I got a drip tray for that and can live with it until it gets worse


So far its cost £35 for the dayco timing belt kit with gaskets and £16 for the push rods. If it all works out I'll be one happy chappy! Was expecting this to be a new engine job and i nearly had a heart attack when it happened as iI don't have 2 pennies to rub together lol.
Cheers

Tom.

trax said:

where's a fanny when you need one

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What