HDI Engine won't start -no compression

[mbell666]

just really annoying! I look after the car, service regularly, get things fixed (e.g. DMF). Then you get bad luck like this, make me want to buy a £200 fesita and run it till it stop never bothereing to touch the thing

Hoping its just valves, if its pistons or piston rings then it bye bye engine/car probably! If i was back where i come from this would be less of a problem as i'd be able to get the car towed somewhere where I could work on it or gets mates rates on it (an thrown in a new engine)!

Here I am going to struggle to get the thing 1/4 mile home if the garage doesn't fix it!

[Welly]

I'm amazed that bits of the aux belt have got wrapped around the bottom pulley and into the cam cover, then this has tried to stop the pulley and slipped the belt

I hope it can be fixed without too much trouble matey.

Keep us posted.

[jameslxdt]

if i wasnt so far away i would come over and take the head off for you, its a fairly straightforward job, just depends how they set about doing it, i just hope none of the valves have broken off and damaged the injector nozzles

[mbell666]

if i wasnt so far away i would come over and take the head off for you, its a fairly straightforward job, just depends how they set about doing it,

Many thanks for the offer, very good of you. Garage are taking the head off, thought I would have heard today but haven't. I'll ring them tomorrow and see how things are going (or not).

I just hope none of the valves have broken off and damaged the injector nozzles

that hadn't even crossed my mind! I am just hoping it only damage the valves, I figure as the belt slipped it must have done at least four of them.

If its pistons or injectors then it probably end of the engine (and possibly car). May see about towing in back home (160 miles ish) and put engine in it. I've done it before, think my brother said "never again" but sure he didn't mean it!

[jameslxdt]

highly unlikey to damage pistons as the HDi lump has no swirl chamber and valve protrusion is quite limited so they should only be bent and not cracked, the damage will depend on how much starting was attempted with the timing out, if the timing was 180 degrees out then i would expect all 8 valves to be gone, really you should change all 8 even if only 4 appear to have leakage as they may have made slight contact and may burn out after a few miles

[mbell666]

Just spoke to the garage, no piston damage but needs head skim, head pressure test, all new valves, new camshaft and followers!

Needless to say the bill isn't cheap and is approach the value of the car but going to get it fixed, as the current garage bill is what the car is worth out fixing. At least if its fixed there some difference been repair cost and car value.

I'll probably have to run it for a while now thou!

Really not a good time for this, Xmas.. new place to live (big deposit rent up fron etc...)

[Welly]

Bloody hell fella, sorry to hear that.

I hope it all goes well.

[steve_earwig]

Oh buggery bollocks, sorry mate.

I know it's nothing like rebuilt but what abut a recon head? Just priced the parts on Sevice Box - Jesus H. Christ!

[mbell666]

did ask about a recon head but still need a load of extra bits..... more expensive blah blah blah

If i new the damage to the car when it first happened i wouldn't have even taken it to the garage and would have looked at replacement engine myself (*) or getting it somewhere it could be done with out costing me a fortune.

* done it before with a rover 414 and turned a profit on doing it, did spend 3 days in a cold wet yard changing the engine thou.

Will have to see what it runs like when i get it back, if it runs sweet as i'll probably keep it. If its not so sweet i run it for a few months then get something else (maybe coupe), likely that next year i am going to be doing a hell of a lot less mileage so may be could get something little sportier (V6 ) but if the car is running well then i'll try and get some of my money back by running it for a while!

Just looks like i am going to penny pinching and hitting cash flow problems for a while.....

[mbell666]

Well after 3.5 weeks, 2 valves, 4 followers, a new cam shaft, head skim, rebuild & pressure test, Cam belt kit, fan belt, fan belt roller, oil, oil filter, new coolant I've got the car back and it is running and running quite well!

Garage reckon the fan belt failure was caused by the incorrect fan belt roller (was on the car when i got it and done over 45k with it ) and its bearings being warn. Causes the belt no to run flat over stressing it. They have changed the roller which has removed one of the noises the engines had since i ve had it.

Just got to run it in now for 500 miles, i think i will be gentle with it for quite some time! Booked back in for them to smoke test and plug the comp into it in a couple of weeks.

Now i just need to sort out the oil leak and a few other things.