Broken Timing Belt

[cattledog]

That last post was for rjaywhit, sorry about not being clearer. Maybe rjaywhit should start a fresh thread.

[cmblackburn]

Wouldn't the amount of piston damage vary directly on the speed the engine was running at when the belt snapped? Like if you were merging at 5000 rpms and your belt shot off, then yes, your engine would probably be done for, with possibly bent rods, cracked pistons and severely bent valves. But if you just started the car and it's sitting at idle chances are the internal engine damage is much less severe with little to no damage to the pistons and easily replaceable valves that aren't smashed against the chambers. Just think about how fast the engine is revolving when the belt snaps.
That's how the scenario plays out in my head. Your thoughts may vary.

[rspi]

The damage is severe if you have to pull just 1 head bolt.

[precopster]

Bear in mind guys that the posts you're answering are over 2 years old.......

[ATmarine]

I have just experienced a T belt failure on my T5. I suspect the tensioner gave way and the belt slipped. The belt looks good still, but is loose. Car has 220k and was within the service interval. I can turn the engine over by hand. Anyone want to comment on how long it took them to remove the head? I've already had the intake and exhaust manifold off this before. And finally where is a good source for valves and stem seals? Thx

[erikv11]

Takes me 2 full days to remove the head. I'm fairy slow and careful and label everything.

Shop around for valves, eBay or fcp or the Volvo dealer (tascaparts.com or waltrip volvo online). I don't trust a generic parts store to supply the right ones. I bought stem seals from waltrip but anyone who sells victor reinz seals.

I can't tell from your post, are you actually sure there is valve damage? How many teeth did the belt skip?

[ATmarine]

Yes the belt tensioner failed and the engine stalled. I was driving, about 70 mph, and 2500-3000 rpm. I pulled the timing cover off and the belt is loose. The belt was replaced 50K ago by previous owner. I am uncertain if the tensioner and idle pulley were replaced. I have not pulled the head yet. Can anybody speculate what I will find?

[ATmarine]

Bump

[Ozark Lee]

Yes the belt tensioner failed and the engine stalled. I was driving, about 70 mph, and 2500-3000 rpm. I pulled the timing cover off and the belt is loose. The belt was replaced 50K ago by previous owner. I am uncertain if the tensioner and idle pulley were replaced. I have not pulled the head yet. Can anybody speculate what I will find?

Pulling a head is like unwrapping a Christmas present - you never really know what you find until you actually unwrap it.

Assuming you don't have any broken pistons your next stop really should be the machine shop. I bought a '99 V70 XC thinking it needed a head gasket and once my son and I pulled the head I was marveling at how good the head looked. About then my son said, "Uhh Dad, you might want to look at this" and there were two broken pistons and the cylinder walls were trashed. It took several months to find but at that point I went with a used engine out of a local wreck for $700.00, loaded in my Suburban, with all of the accessories still on it.

At any rate the machine shop will clean up, pressure test, and evaluate the head, typically for under $100.00, and they should credit the evaluation cost back if they wind up re-working the head. It is always a good idea to shop around when dealing with machine shops, their prices will vary wildly.

...Lee

[rspi]

As usual, I have questions... was the white tip on the tensioner? Are the rollers still in good shape?

My first and only head removal only took me 4-1/2 hours. I was writing instructions while doing it so I'm sure that slowed me down which added to my already slow working speed. If you're a fast worker and have good instructions I think you could get it off in 3 hours.

http://atthetipwebs.com/technologyinstr ... gasket.htm