I unfortunately own a scenic, which has badly dented pistons (at top) following cam belt failure. Garage is unsure of whether pistons will be damaged further down but to find out will further increase repair cost - Already expensive!
Any hints / tips / cheap recon engine websites?
Thanks
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Jon
I'm afraid it's not my turn for the crystal ball tonight; so you're going to have to tell us the engine size and type youself.
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Sorry about dodgy details! 1600cc engine, year 2000, scenic 16v Alize......
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see my post engines uk
its fair to assume your short block is scrap
a s/h engine from a known source will probably cost out at the same cost or less if your belt went
screwloose is right by the way its a 100 dolla question
sit down work out all the odds
then decide
ie
is the car now scrap?
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Jon
Very unlikely to cause a problem. Hundreds of cars have broken cambelts and I've only ever seen [or heard] of one engine type [inevitably a Vauxhall] that gives piston problems afterwards.
16-valve engines have small valves, with thin stems, arranged at an angle to the piston face. It's very easy for a piston to mash them out of it's way - although it does often leave some impressive marks in the piston's hot crown...
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I would say that the 16V engine would not neccesarily damage the pistons beyond marks on the piston crown. If it was me, I would repair or get a recon head & valves and run with it. I dont think the drama of scrapping the whole block is neccesary.
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I have seen a few reports (on alfas) of people having problems with the bearings after doing a top end repair following cam belt failure.
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Damaged piston crowns after cam belt failure!
I wouldn't even entertain attempt repair. Another block will be best option long term.
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I'd agree with screwloose - the valves in multivalve engines are relatively puny and tend to be 'sacrificial' when the cambelt goes.
I had the opportunity to see this on a Passat 1.8 20V engine - twice!! Once through 'pushing my luck' with the replacement interval - it's not 125,000 miles BTW. Result - all twenty valves bent. The second was through forgetting to tighten a bolt securing the plastic timing belt cover on repairing said damage. Bolt worked itself loose within a couple of days, dropped onto cambelt, was ejected forcibly through cover, shredded belt in process. Result - strangely - just the inlet valves got it.
Despite such trauma, the bottom end was quite unharmed and the engine ran very sweetly on its second rebuild - not forgetting to threadlock that bolt.... :-)
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