ST185 possible Cam Belt Snap or other problem ???

[Adydas]

I dont belive this is the case but the tow truck guy that rescued my car went on and on and on about how he was SURE i snapped my cambelt.

So anyone done it and if so what happend when it went?

My situation was Boost, Pop noise allmost the same as high booost and loseing a IC hose, then no electrics.

Is he right.. did my cambelt go snappy snap? or am i right and its more likely the electics ie Coil / Spark plug / rotor ( not plug as car wont go at all )

[Mr Revhead]

no electrics at all? as in even your headlights have stopped?

[Malcolm]

sounds like a power wire shorted out and blew a main fuse or something. Doubt it's a cambelt, if that snapped engine would have stopped immediately and all the warning lights would have come on, like what happens if you stall the car.

[sergei]

when cam belt snaps - I assume your is 3STGE (non interference and assuming no dropped valves), it will result in sudden engine braking (similar to fuel cut), but you still have electrics/power steering (as long as engine still rotating), as electrics should run off battery anyway... maybe your battery shorted itself inside hence pophiss noise and no electrics. Did you smell anything when it happend ("rotorua" smell???)

[Adydas]

sorry, no electrics means no Spark to the motor the dash guages , AVCR etc all work fine.

Just wont start Since the bang.. I dont belive its the cam belt but i took SOME small of what the towy said on board.. I mean he tows 100s of cars a day in various states i assume he must have gained some idea whats wrong with the cars he tows from asking around etc.

But still If its not that.. what else could have gone wrong.. it Felt like hitting boost cut when the Pop noise that sounds like a IC hose popping off happend.. the car died but was roll able to a stop.

[sergei]

arrghh All_Fours, you beat me...

[Adydas]

All i can smell after was oil.. Now theres no smell at all. but it had a recent oil chance to smelling oil - nothing.. As no liquid is visable after or now.

[Adydas]

In short i have NO idea where or what to start replacing in order to fix this.. So car is fux0rdeded untill i know whats wrong.

[sergei]

when you try to turn the starter does it spin unusually fast?
if not it is not snapped cam belt

[Adydas]

well i dont belive it does BUT the towy seemed to think it did. It sounds like a bearing is rattling around for a split second after you stop turning the key.

Sounds like its coming frm the rotor to me....

[Alex B]

How much of a mission is it to take the plastic cover off to have a look?? (not being smart its a bastard on my car)

[sergei]

if it is not spinning unusually fast, does it tries to start ie fires up then dies straight away?

[Malcolm]

it's not a very common problem, but I have heard of camshafts snapping, also the dizzy rotor could have broken. I would suggest removing your distributor cap, and check to see if the rotor turns when the engine is cranked. Then take off the upper cambelt cover to see if the belt is intact. Then see whether it turns when the engine is cranked (sometimes the pin in the crankshaft that goes into the crank pulley for the cambelt comes out or shreds the keyway).

After checking those report back. I could probably come by sometime to have a look if you get stuck.

[sergei]

are you sure it is not just AFM "clicking" back?
did you check for spark?

[Adydas]

wont start at all..

Pyro i havent yet had chance BUT im asking here in order to Perhaps save my from any such labour and just go right to the source.. ie Rotor or the plugs or the leads or something other than attemping to remove what would seem like an easy job of a cam cover from a 3sgte..

[Adydas]

it dont appear to be spark.. Im going to get to work stripping parts out tommorow.. as i said before i just want to attempt some form of saving myself from eccess labour where needed.

[Adydas]

to be fair i am stuck.. What ya up to tomorow?

[Malcolm]

cliff, tomorrow I'm really going to have to get cracking on pulling my engine, but I might be able to come Thursday or Friday. Try those things I suggested and that should give a good indication of what's wrong

[matt dunn]

Can you see the cam in one of those engines if you remove the oil filler?

If so you can look in there when cranking ( get someone else to wind it over) to see if it has broken the belt,

Or as otherwise said, remove the dist cap and see if the rotor turns when you crank it.

They are easy enough for most people to do and will give a good indication of what is or is not the problem.

Matt

[Malcolm]

the only thing you can see if you remove the oil filter is the oil cooler