The cambelt failed :doh: on my disco while doing 90 mph on an Italian motorway what kind of damage am I looking at cylinder head wise?

Ciao Dave!
Sorry to hear about your bad news. Regarding the cambelt failure and cylinder head damage. We have had two fail in the past on separate vehicles and no serious head damage. The only things we had to replace were the push rods and the rockers. The rockers come as 4 left and 4 rights. It normally bends the push rods or the ends snap off the rockers. To check the valves are not bent I suggest you unbolt the rocker carrier and remove the push rods. All the valves should be level. Turn the front pulley (with a spanner -not the starter motor) until you know you are on top dead centre with number 1. This will put 2 and 3 at the bottom. Carefully push valves 3,4,5 and 6 down and see if they return freely and they are level across the top.
If that's OK, turn the engine half a turn. Now try valves 1,2,7 and 8. They should now be free and come to the top the same.
If that is OK - no head damage. If not "sono cavoli tuoi!!!"

Is it due to high mileage that your cambelt has gone or is it something else?
When renewing the cambelt I suggest you fit the bottom timing pulley, as this can wear and make the belt slip forward and pick up on the timing notch. Eventually it catches a thread of canvass in the belt and pulls the belt apart.


Let me know how it goes!

Paddocks can ship stuff to Italy, we've had parts sent to us while we've been in Italy before.

Phil

thanks very much.
I will be taking it to bits tomorrow to see whats what hope its not to bad.

Can post you a used enjin if ya need no worries...

Dunno on cost but there is one there..

When you pull the head, as well as looking for bent valves (not always) , you will most likely find bent push rods, the other thing is check for damage to the brass alloy followers that sit on the roller cam followers , they were designed with a sacrificial role, the push rods will split the sides of their cup .
Cam belt failure is quite often not the catastrophe that most people expect JMHO

I have already got a spare engine , the only trouble is its in the uk and Im 1200 miles away !!!
I think Ill have to play it by ear maybe just get the head posted over and then rebuild the old head in my own time (any one know of any performance mods I can do while Im at it)?
Thanks for all the help chaps.

The head is not what you need, maybe a valve or 2 (but unlikely) go for a full set of pushrods , check the followers, and a head gasket . If your head hasnot been off before you can reuse the head bolts . simples

when the belt snapped on my 200tdi i just took the rockers off all was ok, changed the 8 bent pushrods put the old rockers back and put a new belt on. didnt take the head off, its runs fine so im happy

Just had my Cam belt snap.3 rockers 7 pushrods needed changing .easy.But new cam belt tensioner well ,Was sent an original tensioner without the bolt or the spacing washer despite asking for new type ,the washer cost me £8 .destroyed woodruff key getting fan belt pully off .New key then destroyed said pully when pushed back on .Have enjoyed mending it myself though.