Well it's been fun...

[TheBig-D]

My BX has finally died..

Driving home last night and the whole engine started to rattle & splutter then shake like hell... Also sounds like theres no exaust..

When i came to have a look the Fan belt had snapped and ended up flying into the engine.. It was spinning round with the cam belt & shreddid to bits.. Cam belt was half off the top pully but still all in tack (lucky)...

Was towed home and brought a new Fan belt.. Fitted it (rather easy )

The BX started fine but runs like complete sh*t only drove it less than a mile up the road and it over heated pi*sed all its water onto the road out of the raditor filler cap..

Plus theres no power.... Sounds like theres no exaust (suspect cracked exaust manifold) jumps like a kangaroo in 1st & 2nd gear.. The water pump is also leaking.. (i've been told) & Smoking like theres no tommorow (jet black smoke)

Tried to start it this morning but nothing just ended up draining the battery... Tried jumping it but still nothing it wont even turn over..

I think i have killed it..

Nevermind though i've owned it for 4 months and have had my moneys worth out of it....

I don't plan on getting it fixed i will weigh it in for what ever it's worth.. Really must get my other car on the road.. Vx zafira 1.6 witch failed it's mot on the emmisions test..

Wish me luck..

[jonathan_dyane]

Surely before you condemn the old girl it's worth timing it up and fitting a new cambelt?

You may be lucky...

[mountainmanUK]

Yep.....I agree with Jonathan here.

With a bit of luck, the cambelt may have only "jumped" a couple of teeth, when the shredded alternator belt got snagged-up with it.
Reset the timing, and a new cambelt (to be on the safe side) and you might discover that all is still well!

Good luck.
Dave

[TheBig-D]

Well i got some1 to look at her seeing that i'm useless..

Been told 'I've blown the big ends' What ever that is?.... Probablly down to my driving style..

[stuart_hedges]

The guys are right - my Snoopy survived a busted cambelt that way.

Your car doesn't have big ends. Get a new mechanic.

[jonathan_dyane]

Well i got some1 to look at her seeing that i'm useless..

Been told 'I've blown the big ends' What ever that is?.... Probablly down to my driving style..

A load of bollocks, that's what that is; if this is the same guy who's coming to look at it tell him not to bother...

All that has happened is that part of the broken alternator belt as got pulled through the timing belt and made it skip teeth. It *may* have caused some valve bendage, or may be just fine with a new and retimed belt.

[TheBig-D]

Okay then folks..

What are the 'big ends' anyway and if my car hasn't got them what has it got..

[jonathan_dyane]

As with all piston engines your BX does has big ends. Simply put, the piston is attached to the crankshaft by what is known as a conrod (connecting rod) and the crankshaft end has a large bearing and the piston end a rather smaller one, they are therefore known respectively as 'big' and 'little' ends.

Although your car has them, they have not 'gone' in this instance, they seldom fail (in the XUD engine your car has) unless you've done a massive mileage, never change the oil, or you have run out of oil or suffered failure of the oil pump (rare).

[Brian]

Hi Dan,

I am slightly confused here...

The Bx does not have a fan belt, but is does have alternator and hydraulic pump belts.

I assume it was the alternator belt that failed and some how got caught under the timing belt pulley.

This is most unfortunate, were the timing belt covers in place ?...

[DavidRutherford]

Been told 'I've blown the big ends'

Go back to this mechanic, and when he's least expecting it, swing a crowbar into his face. Repeatedly. Until you break the crowbar.

The Cambelt has almost certainly skipped a number of teeth. The engine now has no power at all as the injection pump timing (driven by the cambelt) is about eleventy miles out. The engine has overheated as I suspect the water pump has either siezed, or the belt (cambelt again) has come completely off it.

Do the following:
Remove the alternator belt you fitted.
Remove all the plastic covers on that side of the engine. (held on with metal spring clips and a couple of nuts)
Take a photo of what lurks beneath, and post it up here.

If you are lucky (as people have already mentioned) you may simply be able to fit a new Cambelt, and the engine will run as normal. If not, then BX 1.9D engines are plentiful, and it would be worth getting a replacement one slung in.

[mat_fenwick]

BX 1.9D engines are plentiful, and it would be worth getting a replacement one slung in.

If you're really lucky, you may find someone willing to drive hundreds of miles to deliver one to your door, all for £50...

[docchevron]

Been told 'I've blown the big ends'

Go back to this mechanic, and when he's least expecting it, swing a crowbar into his face. Repeatedly. Until you break the crowbar.

OR if you're really lazy like me, hire a wreckikng ball on a crane and do the same thing.
All pf the carnage / fun, none of the effort!

Everything else as David said.

Even if the engine is toast. If you have the ability to change one, then there's a 1.9D in the Stroud area, running, that is taking up space I could fill with other crap.

[DavidRutherford]

BX 1.9D engines are plentiful, and it would be worth getting a replacement one slung in.

If you're really lucky, you may find someone willing to drive hundreds of miles to deliver one to your door, all for £50...

Disturbingly, I do have another 1.9D engine from a BX available, and I do need to get rid of it fairly soon as it's one of the things my landlord is grumbling about being on the driveway.

My standard price for a delivered engine. £50.

Also, don't bin the old engine immediately. There are a number of things of value from it. Most obvious is the N/A drive-a-pulley-type camshaft, but it's always worth keeping the alternator, starter motor, valve shims, switches and senders etc.

[mountainmanUK]

Interestingly....and probably as a direct result of "tempting fate" by posting in this thread.....Monica decided to spit out her alternator drivebelt about an hour ago!

Fortunately, I was sat sitting in a queue of traffic at the time, and the whole thing was over in around 5 seconds of 'ticking' then 'flapping' noises, then silence as the shredded remains of the belt fell to earth.
I just carried on driving, with a small diversion to my local frioendly autospares man, who fixed me up with a new one for £4-90. Then proceeded to drive home and fit the thing in around 15 minutes.

All before teatime!

(Thank my lucky stars that I had my timing covers fitted, and it didnt interfere with MY cambelt! That would have been just TOO much!)

A (still) happy BX owner

Dave

[CitroXim]

It *may* have caused some valve bendage, or may be just fine with a new and retimed belt.

Unlikely as the valves are a 90 degrees to the pistons. They rarely bend but the sudden upward pressure as the pistons push up the valves can smash the camshaft and cam bearing caps. Always very prudent just to slip off the cam cover and have a gander in there and check all is well.

The fact that it ran again, albeit like a dog, suggests the cam is OK and it has indeed just skipped a few teeth.

It's gotta be worth a go and if it is brown bread, an engine swap is not the most difficult job in the world given an engine hoist.