----- Original Message -----
From: andrew poulter
To:
Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2001 9:06 AM
Subject: Rover VVC Camshaft sprockets.
> Dear Sir
> I read with interest the article "Brass in Sprocket" in the telegraph of 24th Feb. I currently own a 1998 (R) Rover 218 VVC coupe and have had a similar experience to that of PH from wargrave. I am the vehicles second owner the first being Rover group themselves and purchased the vehicle from them at one year old but with only 300 miles on the clock as the vehicle had been in storeage for the previous year. At 21000 miles the engine suffered a failure of the woodruff key that locates the upper camshaft drive sprocket, with subsequent damage to valve guides, stems and to the cylinder head. The car was taken to my local Rover dealer who almost immediately asked if the car had had the key replaced under a recall. I could not answer this as obviously Rover had been the previous owner.
> Subsequently Rover admitted that the car had missed the recall and paid the whole repair cost (Approx £1500).
> Whilst writing i would like to highlight the excellent service i recieved from the dealer "Bristol Street Rover" in Poole, who progressed my claim and provided me with a courtesy vehicle for the 3 weeks it took to get my car back, even though my car was out of warranty.
> I would suggest that any VVC owners check that they have had the recall done as mine and P.H.'s example prove this can be a costly failure.
>
> Yours Sincerely
>
> Mr A Poulter
> Ringwood
> Hants.
DEAR ANDREW,
MANY THANKS. THIS IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. I AM GOING TO POST IT IN THE BACKROOM AT www.honestjohn.co.uk SO THAT MG CLUB MEMBERS AND ANYONE ELSE CAN EASILY ACCESS IT AND RESPOND.
HJ
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My VVC MGF is registered May 1998 R-reg. Did the recall apply to cars later than this. Mine was recalled for a seatbelt problem but there's no record of a sprocket recall.
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Honest John,
I read this e-mail with interest as I own a 1997 R Rover 218 coupe (like Andrew Poulter) which has done 46000 miles and in March I asked Hartwells of Bath to check on its service history regarding the VVC mechanism. They told me a recall which involved re-torqueing of bolt(s) was required. According to their records this had not been carried out while Hartwells Coalpit Heath were servicing the vehicle for its previous owner. The recall action was subsequently carried out by Hartwells at Bath on 30th March. However on Good Friday, the drive to the cylinder 3 & 4 inlet camshaft failed. (This is at the opposite end of the engine from the main timing belt.) The precise nature of the failure was not established by the AA man at the time, but the car has been recovered to Hartwells in Bath and I await to hear the cause of the problem.
It is not clear which end of the engine the Woodruff key is so, I'm wondering if mine is the same failure as that reported by Andrew and or is it perhaps associated with the recall action taken by Hartwells. It is very strange that this failure should occur so quickly after the recall was done and do not know what bolt(s) would they have re-torqued.
Based on failure experienced by Andrew, I assume that significant engine damage is likely to have occured to my car too and the cost of the repair will be similar. If you think Rover or Hartwells can be held in any way responsible, any advice regarding how to minimise the cost to me would be appreciated.
Yours Sincerely,
John Ingle
honestjohn wrote:
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: andrew poulter
> To:
> Sent: Sunday, February 25, 2001 9:06 AM
> Subject: Rover VVC Camshaft sprockets.
>
>
> > Dear Sir
> > I read with interest the article "Brass in Sprocket" in
> the telegraph of 24th Feb. I currently own a 1998 (R) Rover
> 218 VVC coupe and have had a similar experience to that of PH
> from wargrave. I am the vehicles second owner the first
> being Rover group themselves and purchased the vehicle from
> them at one year old but with only 300 miles on the clock as
> the vehicle had been in storeage for the previous year. At
> 21000 miles the engine suffered a failure of the woodruff key
> that locates the upper camshaft drive sprocket, with
> subsequent damage to valve guides, stems and to the cylinder
> head. The car was taken to my local Rover dealer who almost
> immediately asked if the car had had the key replaced under a
> recall. I could not answer this as obviously Rover had been
> the previous owner.
> > Subsequently Rover admitted that the car had missed the
> recall and paid the whole repair cost (Approx £1500).
> > Whilst writing i would like to highlight the excellent
> service i recieved from the dealer "Bristol Street Rover" in
> Poole, who progressed my claim and provided me with a
> courtesy vehicle for the 3 weeks it took to get my car back,
> even though my car was out of warranty.
> > I would suggest that any VVC owners check that they have
> had the recall done as mine and P.H.'s example prove this can
> be a costly failure.
> >
> > Yours Sincerely
> >
> > Mr A Poulter
> > Ringwood
> > Hants.
>
> DEAR ANDREW,
>
> MANY THANKS. THIS IS WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR. I AM GOING TO
> POST IT IN THE BACKROOM AT www.honestjohn.co.uk SO THAT MG
> CLUB MEMBERS AND ANYONE ELSE CAN EASILY ACCESS IT AND RESPOND.
>
> HJ
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