Cam Belt Broken

Hi All

1997 Astra 1.6 8 valve.
Cam belt broke while doing high speed. Will this engine suffer any internal
damage or will a new cam belt fix the problem?
Hoping for the latter.

Thanks

Ivar

 

it will prob be cheaper to fit a new lump.
rod pistons valves will prob all be bent/damaged and if something has
scraped any cylinder even a rebore will not sort it.
you migt be lucky, but at a high speed as you say i very much doubt it
there would have been a lot of kenectic energy to get rid of. and quick
each revolution of the motor after the belt went would of cause untold
damage.
even the inspection will prob cost more than the lump is worth

mike

 

Unless you are going to fit a fresh engine yourself its probably more
economical to scrap the car. Sad, I know, but these things happen.

Mike

BTW the 1.6 is definately an interference engine.

 

I recently bought a 1.6 16valve Astra with a snapped cambelt. Pistons were
hardly marked and no bore damage at all. Got a 2nd hand head with valves and
all gaskets were genuine Vauxhall - cost of repair - £138. Bargain. I admit
my labour is free but it is well worth taking the head off for a look before
you think about anything else - heads on 8 valves are easy to get off so
even if you use a garage it won't cost a lot to get an idea of where you are
going.

 

I thought the 8 valve engines would survive a cambelt breaking?
It might be worth fitting a belt (after getting advice from someone who
knows these things) and tryng it.
Dave

 

I've had cambelts go on a number of earlier 8v 1.6 and 2.0 engines and
all were fine with a new belt.

 

I've had cambelts go on a number of earlier 8v 1.6 and 2.0 engines and

Hi.
Are you saying you have experiance of this and a new belt will fix it.
That means there is conflicting answers. The car is worth a new belt but not
really worth a new head. I'll do the belt if it's fairly curtian that this
type of engine will survive a cam belt breakage.

Ivar

 

For the cost of a belt it would be worth a try.
Check your water pump. I've had a belt break on an old Astra 8v diesel
that was caused by a knackerd water pump. This engine survived because
the rockers broke as they were designed to do.
Dave

 

you indicated you were at speed, thats my worry
if you were above 40-50 and still accelerating then i would doubt it will be
ok

the revs and the kenectic energy from the road wheels through the [still]
connected gearbox at that kind of speed will do it in for sure.

the energy has to go somewhere!

more often than not, low speed/revs, ie pulling away, which seems to be a
fav time for the belt to go, seem to favour most parts surviving.

its your choice, but remember, this is a pertol engine anyhow, so a cambelt
is a pig even to change on a working one!
let along when you dont even know if things are in the right place in terms
of alignment/engine cycle to even refit a cambelt.

mike

 

I've done several cambelt replacements on older 8v vauxhalls and could
do them in about 30 minutes on a good day. Getting to the waterpump
bolts is a bit fiddly. I've had one go at 90 on a motorway and still
no internal damage. The key thing here is is this an interference
engine or not? If not then you're laughing.