Advice anybody please!!! Fixed Guide Pulley

[redcan76]

Had my Brava for about a year - its a p reg. had a couple of problems but not beyond the purse strings so far until now!... The car conked out outside my house (which is lucky I suppose) i got about 3 doors away ten it stopped nd wouldn't start again making thsi grinding noise. Got it pushed back to mine and made a few phone calls! garages and mechanics all said it was the timing belt and it'll cost £700 cause the 'pistons' will be shot! One mechanic has been out to look at it and he says that it'll cost £350 - which is alot better than the £700 but i just wanted a second opinion.

The timing belt hasn't snapped its the 'fixed guide pulley' has gone. SO my question is... Will I REALLY definately need the pistons doing? cause the new guide pulley is about £40 apparetnly and the other money is for the labour and the piston re-aligning! Help me if you can. Thanxs

 

[redcan76]

Fixed Guide pulley - bit I forgot to tell you dont kow if its important!

Its a 1.6 sx - if anyone has an opinion on wether to scrap it or fix it that'll be good! Thanxs

 

[Ash]

pistons cant go out of alignment!

you will have ben valves! it could be just 2 or it could be all 16.

either way you will need a new cambelt, tensioner, pully, sone valves, head gasket and possible head skimming. its a 2day job of a good mechanic.

£350-400 all in is a bloody good price but 600-700 sounds more realistic

a replacement engine would be a cheeper option

 

[Anonymous]

Sorry for my stupidity - you are right, that is what he said not pistons but my question is - will it definately need doing? is there any way of telling if they are all cocked up without taking off the 'head'?!? or is that something that needs to be done regardless, if anything at all goes wrong in the timing belt bit.

Sorry for my non-mechanical talk i'm no good with engines.

Any ideas for a good price for a new/recon engine? and how difficult is it to fit a new engine? and it may be a stupid question but i only got the clutch 2 months ago will the new engine have one or can i use my one (sorry sorry sorry - dont know how engines work!)

Thanks for your time

 

[Tom]

99% chance the engine is damaged.

A set of valves will cost less than a replacement engine. Time to get the head taken off.

 

[Ash]

the head will have to come off regardless. chances are if you are lucky only 8 valves will be bent. it depends how fast the engine was running at the point of failure.

if you swoped the engine you could use ur clutch on the new engine. be aware that mk1 and mk2 engines are different. one is plastic on top and the other metal. there are other differences but this is the easiest way to identify.

mk2 engines with a bit of work can be converted to run in a mk1 car but a mk1 engine into a mk2 car is a lot more difficult because a mk1 engine is missing a vital knock sensor on the crank.

the easy option if all the valves are bent is to find a new head with valves fitted as it should cost around the 150-200 mark.

engine swop on the 1.6 is a 6hour job for someone that has done it before and a 10hour for a first timer.

head off is around a 6hour job also. if you are taking the head off you will need the camshaft locking tools to time the engine back up again and they cost around £100 (but leave the mechanic to worry about that )

 

[redcan76]

Thanks for you time - appreciate it - some decisions need to be made!!!!

 

[Ash]

get the head off and make the decisions once you know the level of damage.