Suspected Chain Slip ... Damage?

laflin1987

Hi All,

After driving home with no issue my Signam wouldnt start the following morning. After spending £300 on a reccommended on starter it is now suspected that the Cam chain has slipped. As all pullies etc rotate.

After removing the covers it is apparant that the chain is loose but hasnt snapped. When i was trying to start there was no obvious grinding noises so im not suspecting any valve damage etc. However could anyone tell me if this damage could still be possible, as the engine wasnt running when problems occured so would damage still be possible? Could i just get a cam chain kit, then re-tme?

Any advise would be appriciated.

Thanks

si_c1978

i would take the cover off and try and turn the engine by habd if you can get a spanner down to the pulley,
it sounds suspiciously like when mine went the chain may slide over the sprocket.

laflin1987

The car is sat outside a friends house at the moment, with a fresh shiney starting motor :twisted:

When i originally went to start everything turns as normal, but it just wouldnt fire up. i will pop round and try turn crank by hand when this rain stops.

vocky

I suspect the valves might well be bent, but the only way to find out is to replace the chain and see what happens

a compression test with the correct cam timing will show any problems

laflin1987

i have just taken the cover off and noticed that all the cam follwers (bracket with wheel, attached to hydrallic lifters), they have ALL snapped and 1 hydralic lifter has snapped too.

Would you suspected valve damage? Im thinking that there most likely will be. Or do you think that these snapped before the valves had a chance to damage?

astra22bertoneauto

You may be lucky to get away with just the cam followers etc but you can either do 1 of two things. 1) do as Vocky says and get all bits replaced then do a compression test or 2) just take the head off anyway. If you take the head off at least you can check for visual damage and give it a clean up in the process.

laflin1987

yes thanks for advice. It seems like a rite mission to take the head off. Is there a guide on here so i dont just go lossening bolts randomly, the manifolds look pretty rusted on to me. :x

The weird thing is that the chain looks like its been kept well oiled, just the tensioner has gone.

astra22bertoneauto

I can find any guides on here for head removal but there are a few people on here who know how to and could point you in the right direction. The "Doc" (AtomX) replaced my head last week and there was a lot to remove before you can remove the head.

laflin1987

Hi all, Took head off today and found that there are some bent valves. The pistons are fine, as yet unsure about the guides...

How do you acually remove the valves? Do they simply prise off?

BURT150

No they dont prise off.

Youl need a valve spring compressor to remove them and also get a machine shop to look over it. dont take any chances and get it done properly.

Thing like this cost alot of money so you dont want to be doing it again.

Get yourself a haynes manual :thumbup: It'l be 20quid well spent.

vocky

bent valve = cracked guide on the z22se head

normally hard to spot, but once the head has been chemically cleaned they stand out like a sore thumb :thumbdown:

cavaddict

To give you an idea of cost...the place i use charges £200 to replace all 16 guides and cut the valves in too. You may be better off seeing if Atom X has any heads up for sale as depending on how many valves have crunched, it may be more cost effective to simply change the head.