My 98 2.1TD Executive

[ddoherty406]

I was shocked reading that this was going to be broken for parts. Hopefully it can be saved as it would be a shame for all that work to go to waste. Anyway more to the point I ment to ask you about the masked headlights, you were telling me about a while back. just a couple of questions....

I have taken a set apart, I was wondering did you just paint the large chrome insert part? Would you recomend a gloss or would satin paint do the job? and... Are they mot legal? does it affect the light in anyway?

[HimBigChief]

It's the front chrome bit that you can remove that you paint. I used gloss black, and it should be MOT legal as the reflector part still works. There wasn't any noticeable difference to the light output, but if there was the aesthetic benefits far outway not being able to see where you're going! That said, I had 100W bulbs in the headlights anyway and if I can save the car cheap enough I'll end up putting HID's in.

[ToddM]

One of the nicest 406s I've seen. What happened to it, HBC? Are you getting it back on the road?

[HimBigChief]

Hello guys, been a while!

Finally managed to get the car back here a little while ago, and me and my mechanic have started to strip the engine down so I could see what the damage was.


Here's what we found:


Every single exhaust valve rocker had broken in exactly the same place. Priced them up from Peugeot and they were about £70 a piece! No thanks very much.


So I've been keeping my eyes open recently and spotted a 2.1 head on eBay minus the cam. Emailed the guy and it came with all the rockers and most of the followers, but I should be able to reuse mine as they don't look damaged. The cost for the entire head including the £280+VAT's worth of required rockers? A whole £15 plus £15 postage! Hopefully that should turn up later this week, so I can get the rockers sorted over the weekend and then order up a cambelt kit, whack it on and see how we get on. Hopefully the car will be running again and I'll then get it back on the road.

While the car's been off the road, I set about a spare set of rear lights I had kicking around for this crystal mod. Looks pretty good when on the car, so I'll get some pics at some point.

[Gary406]

welcome back HBC. can you post some good picys asap on the crystal mod. i'm dying to know how its done

[HimBigChief]

It's really easy actually. Buy a dremel/similar tool, cut through the join betwen the lense and the unit, split them apart, remove the clear bit between lense and unit, silicon back together. They're not strictly MOT legal anymore though as there is now no reflector as that bit is mounted on the bit of plastic which you remove, so you would need to stick 2 other reflectors somewhere on the back the car, or just switch back to standard lights for the MOT.

[Gary406]

i find out day after i smashed a lenz of my spare lights

not to worry

so you plan to get the 406 back in use then ? or fixing to sell on ?

[HimBigChief]

If I can get it running again easily enough, then I'll be keeping it and getting it finished to what I think the 406 should have been. If the cheap fix works, then I may even look into the Bosch pump conversion.

[Doggy]

Good to hear you're hopefully on the way to a solution.

Would you mind asking your mechanic if he knows how to get the injectors out of a 2.2 - he seemed really calm and undaunted by the prospect of sorting the 2.1

[ToddM]

Great to see you're getting her back on the road mate!

[NollingtonHards]

Nice to see you getting your car back on the road. Good luck building the engine again ha

[FarmerPug]

its nice to know your getting it going again, ive to start it all over agian on my zuki.

[steve_earwig]

So the 2.1 was also designed to survive a cam belt disaster?

ive to start it all over agian on my zuki.

Start off by finding out why it did that

[HimBigChief]

Bit of a further update:

Took the timing belt cover off yesterday expecting the belt to be snapped, but no. It's still in one piece and tensioned up. I'm thinking that the pulley on the fan belt has started to go allowing the belt to slide slightly over to the side nearer the engine, a piece has then got caught and has ripped a strip off. My thinking is that this strip has got into the timing belt area, and has somehow caused the timing to be out, meaning that the pistons hit the valves, hence snapping all the valve rockers and not just the odd one.

My thinking is, fit new rockers, check valves open ok, re-time (will try with old belt first then fit new one).

Anyone else got any ideas as to how all exhaust rockers have been broke with the belt staying intact?

[plod]

You say the belt is still in place, but has it stripped some teeth off the belt

Reason I say, is I did a courier job up to Aberdeen airport in a Ford Transit Di, and on way back as I approached Perth the engine died
Upon investigation, the belt had stripped some tteth off, and jumped
Mechanic turned up, took head off, replaced about 3 bent valves, stuck a new belt on, and I drove the 400 odd mile home