Dropped car in for yearly check up and service et all etc… C Service. en route home Battery light came on thus thinking must be alternator - heard a loud metal on metal sound so once I found a semi safe place to stop I pulled over. Open hatch - looked down and the crank pulley wheel was hanging off and the belt was sitting on bottom of engine O. Waited for engine to cool down and the bolt was only just holding it on - it has taken chunks out of the engine mount + needless to say belt has had it - AA saved the day again ))
Does anyone know if this would do any long lasting damage to the engine valves, pistons etc…etc…?
I’d say you are lucky not to have shed your cambelt. Take the opportunity to replace the cambelt at the same time. Check the static timing of the cams before replacing the belt to ensure that nothing untoward has happened.
OOops
If the cam belt fell off as well and the loud metallic noises you heard are from inside the engine, yes, expensive bill follows.
Don’t worry, the garage that did the service for you will have to face the bill, as they were the ones fiddling with it just before it happened.
It would seem they forgot to tighten a very important bolt there…
Sorry to hear about another K falling in the hands of dimwit mechanics…
As mentioned above, as long as the cambelt didn’t move or jump teeth then engine internals should be okay but your service garage should check and restore everything properly at their cost… dobbers…
Yeah you were lucky matey. I did a track day at Castle Combe and the only thing that over took me all day was my bottom pulley!!!
I braked into Quarry, heard a bang underneath like I had gone over a stone or something. Managed another 6 laps before the cam belt fell off. lol
People at Quarry said they saw something fly off the car and onto the grass. I bent four valves and broke two valve guides, so got away very lightly!!
My bottom pulley had never been touched before that point as the car had only done about 12,000 miles at that stage. I would recomend everyone to get the bolt checked when ever it goes into a garage.
Thanks Chaps - Just spoke to garage - all sorted. took it apart and replaced crank pulley, belts etc…etc… - cam belt hadnt moved as I stopped about 1/2 mile after it happened…lucky I did - they checked everything out and engine alignment + tested car on drive and then stripped down and rebuilt and tested again just to make sure. Car only done just over 7k but now nearly 5 years old so went for a cam belt change - I strongly agree that everyone should check the bolt on the crank pulley as a matter of course!