Important! : Seized engine.

22nd August 2014, 21:41

Hi folks.

Basically i've got a seized engine in the saxo.Started & ran fine this morning,parked up tried to start it & it misfired badly.Tried again & it's dead,took cambelt covers off & the belt and tensioner are intact,gently tried to rotate engine by hand & it moves a few degrees clockwise then jams.Does the same anti-clockwise.Garage are telling me that the timing is out by about 3 degrees & that the valves are damaged but won't know fully until they take off the head.Head gasket was done this january along with new timing belt kit.

Any ideas thanks?

22nd August 2014, 21:42

are you sure the starter motor hasnt just seized on.

edit- id be very dubious about their diagnosis

22nd August 2014, 21:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackie_2k5

are you sure the starter motor hasnt just seized on.

edit- id be very dubious about their diagnosis

I did mention this because recently when the car is hot & you try to start it the starter sounds like pnuematic drill.But leave it 30mins & it starts fine,the garage are adamant.

22nd August 2014, 21:50

i think theyre pulling your pisser mate

take it elsewhere

for an engine to seize over night is pretty rare..not uncommon, but pretty rare.

edit- just re read im mixing 2 threads lol!

id ask for proof of damage if theyre saying valve damage

22nd August 2014, 22:37

Dear Stevo,
Sorry to hear the grim news, I know when I did Nats cambelt I found it was possible to put the cambelt on one tooth too retarded and also one tooth too advanced and the engine would still start and run pretty well without bending any valves Steve.
I hope this helps.
Vince.

22nd August 2014, 23:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo67

Hi folks.

Basically i've got a seized engine in the saxo.Started & ran fine this morning,parked up tried to start it & it misfired badly.Tried again & it's dead,took cambelt covers off & the belt and tensioner are intact,gently tried to rotate engine by hand & it moves a few degrees clockwise then jams.Does the same anti-clockwise.Garage are telling me that the timing is out by about 3 degrees & that the valves are damaged but won't know fully until they take off the head.Head gasket was done this january along with new timing belt kit.

Any ideas thanks?

I'll bet you, the teeth are worn on the belt, and it's slipped a few teeth at the crank end

Usually happens when you start the car and the belt has lost a little bit of tension over time, or a belt that wasn't tensioned correctly. (this includes cheap ebay belts or belts fitted the wrong rotation)

I mean, if you're turning it by hand and it's locking up in both directions, you can be fucking sure it's hitting valves.

Valves are most likely bent. 100% agree with the garage. The head has to come off.

23rd August 2014, 00:04

Yeah I had big timing trouble not so long ago and when mine wasn't set right it would turn a few degrees and jam and if you did it quite quickly you could hear them hit.
But i don't think if it was 3 degrees out then it would hit the valves.ive got an adjustable pulley and when I've been playing about with my timing, I've been able to go 2 or 3 degrees each way and it's been fine.

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23rd August 2014, 10:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by MartinObviously

I'll bet you, the teeth are worn on the belt, and it's slipped a few teeth at the crank end

Usually happens when you start the car and the belt has lost a little bit of tension over time, or a belt that wasn't tensioned correctly. (this includes cheap ebay belts or belts fitted the wrong rotation)

I mean, if you're turning it by hand and it's locking up in both directions, you can be fucking sure it's hitting valves.

Valves are most likely bent. 100% agree with the garage. The head has to come off.

RAC recovery mentioned to me that sometimes the crank pulley gets worn,causing the belt to slip?

23rd August 2014, 13:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevo67

RAC recovery mentioned to me that sometimes the crank pulley gets worn,causing the belt to slip?

No, the crank pulley will almost never wear, unless it has a ridiculous amount of miles on the engine or a lot of starts.

It'll be the belt that's worn out. I don't think it has been tensioned properly.

23rd August 2014, 13:27

Update,got a call from the garage been down & had a look.The belt & tensioner are fine as are the valves.Somehow a metal fixing/nut had got down & is resting on the crown of the piston(but not damaged it)So new hg kit +cambelt kit & i'll have back next week,luckily the engine didn't jam when I was actually driving it.

23rd August 2014, 13:51

I've had timing slip out and valves contact pistons, did it once and just clunk when turning over. Pulled the head off and no damage - I was very lucky

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24th August 2014, 17:12

Result

Didn't think it would be valve damage

The bolt has probably been in there since the last time the head was off and has been bashed into the head

Then come free and jammed

24th August 2014, 20:03

Dear Stevo,
Glad to hear the great news Steve

it looks as like someone/thing has dropped a nut through the sparkplug holes then

Nice result though

Vince.