Technical Camshafts again

[EvoX]

My car broke down again with the same problem in less than a year. Either the cambelt snapped, stripped it's teeth or cam timing jumped a few teeth.

The first time the teeth stripped and all 16 valves were bent. I had it fixed and a month later the exhaust cam jumped a tooth or two and all eight exhaust valves were bent. My car started idling very roughly and lumpily last week and fouled sparkplugs were said to be at fault. I arranged to have the car serviced today, but Saturday night while driving I heard a clattering from the engine and immediately switched it off. It seems the cambelt snapped or the camshafts jumped again.

I'll only know what happened when we strip it, but has anyone else had the same experience as I have? Three times in less than a year, it's ridiculous.

 

[Ffoxy]

Yes that is ridiculous!

When the head was rebuilt & a new cambelt fitted, were the idler / tensioner & waterpump also replaced, & was the belt correctly tensioned?

Failure to do any / all the above could cause repeated failure of the cambelt...

Of course I assume here that all lubrication services have been done & the camshafts themselves are not partially seizing due to old oil or oil starvation.

 

[EvoX]

I'm not sure about the tensioner, but the second time it happened the bloody mechanic didn't tighten the exhaust properly. He fixed it as his expense.

I'm towing the car o a colleague's friend tonight, who said he'll fix it. He is a mechanic, so he should be able to do it.

He told me that aftermarket cambelts are thinner than OEM Fiat items, so they stretch/break easily. Is this correct?

 

[Ffoxy]

Not in my experience. I had a Gates kit fitted to my Grande Punto at 52,000 miles & it was all fine. Use decent stuff & you wont have a problem if fitted correctly by a competent Mechanic.

 

[EvoX]

I'll hopefully be present when he strips and reassembles the damn thing, since he'll have to do it after hours.

 

[EvoX]

So we checked the car out yesterday and it seems as if the idler pulley is the culprit. Half it's ballbearings are gone and the plastic cover disintegrated.

We'll fit a new kit tomorrow.

What dioes the idler pulley to? Would it have an effect on my car's idle if it is broken?

 

[Ffoxy]

As per my Post #2, it keeps the belt running in an orderly fashion, if it breaks the valves hit the pistons on a 16 valve engine. Should always be replaced with the cambelt, tensioner & waterpump.

 

[EvoX]

I bought a cambelt kit from Fiat SA (R1800/163 Pounds).

The idler pulley is still there, only half the ballbearings escaped and that's what making the rattling sound. I'm holding thumbs.