Moff88 Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Just been driving down the A1 in the Westy and heard a minor bang. Pulled off next exit and the main belt has come off the zetec. Lost almost all the coolant as well. Now waiting for the yellow van of shame. Likely implications anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobC Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 do you mean the cam belt....? if so.. likely bent valves and possibly damaged head and pistons. Either way it will be a head off inspection to make sure everything is ok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterg Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 As RobC says cambelt? if so, expect some bent valves..... fanbelt? (which would explain the overheating and loss of coolant) then headgasket could have gone.... You might be lucky but an minor bang would have me stopping on the hard shoulder not carrying on to the next exit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I assume alternator belt. Should be OK if you pulled up quick enough and didnt overheat the engine excessively Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterg Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Sorry, John is correct, it should be termed the alternator belt rather than fanbelt but then I am considerably older than him actually thinking more about it maybe more accurately in this case should be termed the water pump belt.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Wouldn't have thought it's the cam belt, that would have stopped the engine immediately. As to damage, depends how badly anything overheated. As John said, if you were quick enough, probably OK. That said, I had a serpentine belt go on a five series once, and the remains of the belt tangled round the waterpump pulley so badly, it actually pulled the pulley and the spindle it was mounted on part out of the pump, destroying the pump in the process. So I'm afraid it'll be a case of checking over for secondary damage from the debris. Chances are you should be OK. Fingers crossed for you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moff88 Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 Aye it's the alternator belt. The next exit was a few hundred metres so by the time I got across the lanes I was pretty much there. Alternator bolt has sheared and sent the alternator wobbly with the subsequent loss of belt. AA man has turned up and gone to get some bolts and a new belt, seeing as the old one now has a chunk missing. Just hoping the temperature has been ok, the car was still running when I stopped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Don't worry, I've seen cars driven mils with no alternator/fan/water pump to the point of boiling dry and no long term damage done. A few hundred yards isn't going to harm the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moff88 Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 I love your reassuring words Norm. I have a footwell of coolant now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Get a straw, it's expensive stuff these days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moff88 Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 I'll stick to red wine thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I'm just about to open a bottle. Nursey's been and removed the stitches in my finger. Only the first one hurt and then she realised it's best to cut the stitch before pulling it. No pain now at all, it's better than before. But in case it starts hurting I have my anesthetic ready. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Don't worry, I've seen cars driven mils with no alternator/fan/water pump to the point of boiling dry and no long term damage done. That's a bit of a sweeping statement Norman. (Though I agree, in this case he'll probably be fine). But for anyone else reading this, DO NOT assume you will be fine, stop immediately it's safe to do so. (I've got personal experience of just how quickly you can cook an XE head without even boiling dry. In three quarters of a mile, the head went from OK to porous on the central oil way, after the fan fuse blew in heavy traffic in extremely hot weather a few years back. Temps had hit about 110 degrees C and started boiling over before i could get off the dual carriageway) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moff88 Posted July 22, 2013 Author Share Posted July 22, 2013 I was at a good speed at the time so hppefully got some good air cooling! Interesting info though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Dave, I have had cars in our workshops as described. If the car has been driven a few hundred yards (as implied) rather than boiled dry it's very unlikely to have done any permanent damage. Especially as the driver would not be canning the life out of it, would you Moff. If I remember correctly there was a batch of faulty heads on the Calibras which were recalled. Yours may have been one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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