snapped cam chain?

[danjcotta]

My pulsar has died in a major way and at the minute I'm reckoning on it being the cam chain .
Just want to know wether anyone has ever had one break?
Engine was partially rebuilt about 2 yr ago. And at the time they said the chain was in v good cond and didn't need changing. (cars done 65k now) and about 15k since the engine work. Is there a mileage to replace the chain or do you lot reckon it has been tension wrong?

 

[Fast Guy]

Why do you think the chain has snapped?
Take the cam cover off and have a look.
I haven't heard of one snapping yet.

 

[jasegould]

Oh yeah, definately the cam chain, go all the time......definately couldnt be the fuel pump, pump relay or fuse, faulty dizzy, coil, coil supply, immobiliser fault etc etc :roll:

As fastguy said, Ive never seen a cam chain break, on any car , not just the R.

 

[danjcotta]

Well it only happened a short time ago. took the i/cooler off to check down the plug holes and 3 of the 4 have beaten to a pulp and the best description I can come up with for the view dowm the plug hole is a f*%$ing mess!!!!!!!!
as I say only just happened and it was staring to get dark by the time I got it home and checked the plugs, will pull it down further fri as I have the day off from work, so will get a better idea then.
Was just coming on boost when it happened.
Is there anything else that could have happened to cause this kind of damage.
The only thing I can think of at the min is the cam chain or one of the cams.

 

[danjcotta]

Worst thing is I was going to be selling it in a month
Think it must of heard me

 

[jasegould]

Hmmmm.....altho Ive never seen one break doesnt mean that it couldnt've happened, not sure what could mash 3 pistons....apart from repeated detonation :?: Broken camshaft, key on the crank pulley gone??

 

[Fast Guy]

Do you mean plugs 3 &4 or the pistons have been beaten to a pulp?

If it's the plugs, someone had something like that last year, but I don't think we ever found out what caused it. Unless it was some extreme detonation, but I can't realy see that. :?:

I take it it's a non runner? so a compression test is out of the question?

 

[danjcotta]

getting one of the 3 dead plugs out from the head might be an interesting job in itself. the other 2 dead plugs were that beaten up that I could bearly get them out, the other one isn't having any of it, will have to leave that one till I get the head of or I'm gonna destroy the thread removing it.
Not that that really matters because I reckon the head will most deffinatley be brown bread.
Thanks for your help guys. will be back in touch shrotly once I've found more out.
If anyone knows of a relatively cheap engine for sale then please please let me know because I'm suspecting the worst at the moment

 

[charlie]

take the dizzy cap off and turn the engine over a bit, if the rotor arm moves, the cam chains fine

as said, if you been melting plugs, u must have been seriously detting. What boost/fueling mods were u running?

 

[danjcotta]

I've not been melting plugs mate, they've been beaten to death.
there would be no point taking the dizzy off cause the engine won't even turn over.
will find out moro when I take the cam cover off.

 

[Fast Guy]

Any chance of some pix of the plugs you've taken out?

 

[danjcotta]

I would put some pix of the plugs up but for some reason my camera has died.
Found the problem anyway..
The dowel pin in the end of the inlet camshaft that locates the pulley has broken off because the bolt holding the pulley was loose must have been rattling loose for some time (time bomb some would say)...
The last people to touch the engine was a local garage but this was nearly 2 yrs ago so i'm pretty sure I'll have no come back.

Just to give you some idea of the damage so far it has snapped and destroyed all but 1 rocker arm

 

[Fast Guy]

Bugger!! Is that just the inlet rockers?

Yeah, there's no way you'll be able to prove it was their fault after 2 years. Just damn bad luck.

 

[danjcotta]

no mate 7 out of the 8 rockers.
Think I'll be going to the garage anyway and have a couple of words with them (probably won't do anything but atleast it'll make me feel better).
Just wish I'd have done the work myself back when it was bodged up, atleast I'd have known it was right (you always end up triple checking everything when it's on your own car).


Just another question
The 2 oil pipes one front one back of head that spray the cam lobes I take it the back one that passes under the filler cap isn't meant to be missing a 3-4ins section that should spray onto the left hand inlet cam lobe?
Doesn't have a cap on the end, just looks like it has been cut off??????