Brammo Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 (edited) I was driving down the road today around 50 mph coming up to a junction. I started to slow down and selected 3rd gear heard a high pitch grinding noise but was difficult to distinguish as I had music playing. I assumed the car was struggling to engage the gear so I put it in to neutral and tried again. Then I noticed the car had cut-out. I pulled over turned down the music and tried to start the engine. All I could hear was the battery operating the starter motor well this was my best guess anyway. After turning the key a few times and listening to the noise I was sure that the starter motor was not engaging correctly with the gearbox and the engine just wasn't turning over. So I decided to give it a bump start. So I got it rolling selected 2nd gear and disengaged the clutch all I got was a whine from the gear box almost as if the the input shaft from the gear box to the engine had snapped or my engine literally had no compression what so ever. At this point I thought better get a tow home. When I got home it hit me I thought check the timing belt so I popped the plastic cover off to see if it had snapped. The belt was in tact BUT extremely loose so I think this is where my problem is. What do you think I should do? My thoughts are to re time the engine up and see if it will run although I am not holding out much hope and at best I will have probably bent my valves up. What is confusing me though is that it seems the belt was tight enough to maybe turn the cam pulley but I can't say anything for sure. One thing I can say is that I officially dislike motoring and wish I could magic it all away!If you feel sorry for me throughout reading this story please don't hesitate to give me a million pounds.Thank you, Luke. Edited September 24, 2011 by Brammo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brammo Posted September 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 (edited) Ok so I set about stripping the belts off and I couldn't believe what had happened. The bolt that holds the tensioner for the main belt to the block has completely sheared off leaving half an inch behind. Like a fool I didn't use genuine parts, I used Gates which I thought would be fine as they are a reputable company. All of it is made in China which should have been enough to never of put them on in the first place. Here are the pictures.So I went and bought another kit praying that the engine wasn't ruined. I put it on today and timed it all up. I turned the key and it just span at the speed of the starter motor, didn't fire up, didn't even sound like it was trying to fire up. So I don't know what to do. I am so stuck, I have no money and I am going back to Uni in a week and I need my car to commute to University and work without it I am screwed. I was wondering if there was a safety element built in to the engine? if the belt snaps something pulls the valves out the way. I know on high end and newer engine there is some fail safe but I don't know if the Lupo has one and there is something I need to do get the engine working? I think to be honest I am just wishfully thinking. If any one has any suggestions at all I am all ears but I think I will probably be on the look out for a new engine. Life is **** sometimes. Edited September 24, 2011 by Brammo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted September 24, 2011 Report Share Posted September 24, 2011 There's no fail safe.You're having a bad day.Buy a new engine with that first term student loan, go to TPS or LupoBoz on here, buy a genuine timing kit. Fit it to the new engine before you chuck it in.Install engine.Have a sober few months, actually do some work.get hammered next semester and undo all your good work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brammo Posted September 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2011 (edited) Stripped the engine down to the block today and all the valves are bent (every single one). Luckily I have managed to get a new engine so I am going to swap over the top end over as I have little time until the term starts. Then when I get time I am going to recondition the old head with new valves etc. and re-condition the bottom end of my new (second hand) engine then swap it when my current engine goes crappy. Luckily it has only scratched the tops of my pistons I was expecting to see some holes but fortunately not. Edited September 25, 2011 by Brammo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted September 25, 2011 Report Share Posted September 25, 2011 surely it'd be easier to just stick the whole new engine in ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brammo Posted September 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 25, 2011 Not really because I am borrowing my Uncles garage and it's not fair to keep his cars out the garage. My engine block is still completely inside the car, gearbox attached, front end still on and everything, I would prefer to jam the whole engine in but my Uncle won't be to pleased if I take up his garage for much longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bickerton Posted September 27, 2011 Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 All valves are bent but pistons are okay? Mine snapped a few months ago, wasn't fun sorting it out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brammo Posted September 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 27, 2011 You snapped a valve? Yeah I thing the valves took the brunt of it. There is some scuffing on the pistons but it should be fine there is no major denting and they respond perfectly when I turn the crank which suggests no play. I am going to put it all back together tomorrow and give it a whirl I need to find someone near me with vag-com as I have cleaned all my intake,egr and throttle body. Also The pipe that goes from what I believe is the fuel pressure regulator to the bottom of the intake manifold has come off at the intake manifold, I was getting some faults before all this happened and I think this is the cause. So hopefully all will be well. I have take a few pictures that I will have to upload. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bickerton Posted September 28, 2011 Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 No, for me the belt snappef and 2 valves hit each other so was reasonably lucky. My progress thread is full of pics of when it happened. Make sure all the tappits are free and you fill the the holes they go into with oil before putting em back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defcon5 Posted September 28, 2011 Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 How long ago did you change the belt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brammo Posted September 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 28, 2011 I changes it 10-15k miles ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.