cambelt has snapped

[seymour beaver]

Hi Guys im new here hope you can help.AA towed us home today ive a x reg standard 306, 1600cc the cambelt snapped aa man said its scrap.What damage has been done and is the fix more than our cars worth? Its done 60k in rather good shape or it was!!

[bettyswollocks]

Had the same happen my 306 years back , sorry to say £500 then.

[chopper1192]

The car's a nice low miler...if it's otherwise in good order then the repair is probably viable - you'd be hard pressed to find another low mileage car in good nick for the money the repair would cost, especially since scrappage warped the low price market by reducing supply.

You need a garage to get the head off - with any luck the carnage might not be bad. If it were mine I'd be getting it fixed (or doing it myself).

[pug-306]

You will need a new belt any way if you intend to repair it so just stick the new belt on, lining up the marks. if you are really lucky it will fire up, if not you have lost nothing and go ahead and take the head off.

[chopper1192]

Except that if it doesn't work he's wasted a new belt cos you're not supposed to reuse them when they've been tensioned, then taken out of tension again. Either way is a gamble I guess.

[pug-306]

Originally Posted by chopper1192

Except that if it doesn't work he's wasted a new belt cos you're not supposed to reuse them when they've been tensioned, then taken out of tension again. Either way is a gamble I guess.

Fair point I suppose, mabye cheaper visiting a scrappy and get a used one for testing purposes.

[chopper1192]

Good idea, or a cheapo QH belt.

[alex306]

This happened to me,

I got a practically brand new engine delivered to my door from a scrappy and got a mechanic to change the engines over for just under 500 quid all together, its an expensive repair but far cheaper then buying another car and then you can still keep your baby.

[derv306]

Originally Posted by seymour beaver

Hi Guys im new here hope you can help.AA towed us home today ive a x reg standard 306, 1600cc the cambelt snapped aa man said its scrap.What damage has been done and is the fix more than our cars worth? Its done 60k in rather good shape or it was!!

I would think the valves are probably bent, then there's the possibility of damage to the valve guides, pistons, valve seats. If I were you mate, i'd find a decent second hand engine, they are the same in the 306, xsara, picasso. There are plenty around, oh and if you do get another engine fit a new timing belt kit before you put it back on the road.

[roy_newell]

Rather than fire it up with the belt on, could you not just turn it over by hand by the crank bolt. I'm sure you'd notice if a piston hit a valve whilst you were turning it and that way you'd limit any further damage