Hi,

Best thing is to complete the timing belt fitment and start the engine. You will soon find out if you have bent any valves by the bad misfire. If you have then its a head off job.

Hope this helps

Robin the Technician - I fix, therefore I am

The TDC location pin is not designed for holding the engine whilst tightening the pulley bolt, its only for locating TDC.

If it is still strait all that appears possible to me is a piece of the crank web has broken off allowing the bolt to pass the intended stop position cast into the crank. However, this would surprise me, the crank is normally much stonger than the TDC pin but if you used a HT10mm bolt the bolt could well have won.

If this has happened running the engine is not a good idea. The metal fragments could cause havoc and the carnk will be weakened. You really need to get the sump off and examine the crank in the area where the pin rests for damage. Unfortunately for you a damaged crank really means a replacement engine. This "Sigma" engine is not really designed to be rebuilt and there are very few service parts available (but there are probably more now than there were 6 or so years ago when i last looked).

Best of luck.

Is this the engine that has no keyway on the crank pulley? Are you sure that the timing hasn't slipped on the crank?

Correct, thinking about earlier Zetec's with keyways not the later Sigma.

Ignore the timing mark on the crank pulley (surprised it has one) and find TDC using the pin (making sure No 1 is on TDC and not No 4). Ste cams up using the slots in the back and your tining is set and you are good to go once you have set the belt tensioner.

But do not use the TDC bolt to hold the crank or the cam setting bars to hold the cams while you are tightening any bolts.