Timing chain failiure on 1.3 multijet - consequential damage

[GeorgePatson]

Hello everybody,

Last friday the timing chain snapped on my 2008 fiat grande punto. The car has the 1.3 multijet engine (75 horses) and 155000km on the clock.
We've started taking it apart yesterday, and found the chain broken at the bottom.

I wonder if anyone has some experience with the subsequent damage we can expect.
Off course the chain will need replacement, but what damage will there be to the head? Will only the cam followers be damaged, or wull the valves also be bent?
Anyone with experience here?

I hope it would save us from taking the head of in full.

Thanks in advance!

 

[s130]

If the pistons heads hit the valves (interference engine) then then one or more valves may/will most probably be bent.

My advice is:

1) research more if this is and interference engine. I suspect due to it being a multijet and thus high compression ratio then pist/valve contact is probably likely

2) I'm not sure if the 1.3 multijet has "fracture" rocker arms. The 1.9 16V Multijet engines have rocker arms that are designed to break/fracture if/when a piston hits a valve. This of course only works if the valves are 100% vertically inclined to the bore/piston travel

3) You can replace the chain and do a compression test to see if any given cylinder is lacking compression

4) If a valve were to have been bent, then based on rocker arm fracture technology, I doubt there will be any issue with the hydraulic tappets