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Is it possible to break a timing belt without engine damage? 850 1996

Daughter Susan called me Sunday noon from exit 196 on the Turner Turnpike.
She had broken a timing belt in her NA 96 850 sedan.
She reports that it suddenly lost power and the cruise control tried, but failed
to make the car accelerate. No traumatic sounds, etc
Cranking the engine almost sounded like a starter running free.
AAA took her to the Bristow WalMart Parking lot where I picked her up.
I took off the oil cap and observed the serpentine as she cranked the engine.
It spun very fast and the serpentine accessories were all turning but the cam did not move.
No strange sounds, clanking, etc.
The timing belt was SUPPOSEDLY replaced by a local dealer where we bought the car in 2006,
to the tune of $357.90. The belt, p/n 272327-8 was the only part listed on the invoice.
That has been 38,000 miles back.
Last December Tulsa Volvo told me that the belt looked old and cracked.
Is it possible that we have escaped serious engine damage?
I guess replacing the belt and running a compression test would tell, right?








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Is it possible to break a timing belt without engine damage? 850 1996

Hi George,

I'm sorry to hear about the broken belt. Recently I purchased a 1995 Isuzu Rodeo for $300.00 that had been parked for two years because of a broken timing belt, and got a very good running truck for less than $200.00 in parts by taking a chance on changing the belt and accessories before listening to the conventional wisdom of replacing the motor. Since you did not mention a cloud of blue smoke issuing from the tail pipe, I would think the pistons survived the collision, so there certainly is an outside chance that the 850 might fire and run with a new belt, and they are relatively easy to change(3 hours flat rate labor). If you do have a couple of bent valves, a simple valve job will fix that problem, and the new belt and idlers will already be in place.

http://volvospeed.com/Repair/timingbelt.php

Regards,








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Is it possible to break a timing belt without engine damage? 850 1996

Your engine most surely needs a cylinder head rebuild and maybe piston work also. There's really no use to spend another 4-5 hundred dollars putting a new timing belt in just to do a compression check. You'd be better off just putting that money towards a good used engine if the car's worth it. Seems you were hosed by the dealer. Good luck getting your money back.








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ANSWER Is it possible to break a timing belt without engine damage? 850 1996

It is NOT possible to loose a timing belt and not sustain damage to the valves. There are 5 cylinders and 20 valves, all working at the same time, and the valves are not straight up and down.

Time to get a new engine. Old dealer lied, or a tensioner roller failed. Or both.

I have this great 1998 "R", black with an AC leak...

Klaus

This post has been marked as an answer to the original question.








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Is it possible to break a timing belt without engine damage? 850 1996

Replace the belt, a compression test will point out if damage exists, and a leakdown test will tell you where the damage is.

I'm betting the heads coming off...








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Is it possible to break a timing belt without engine damage? 850 1996

its possible... but unlikely.

a belt and compression check will tell you quickly. good luck!
--
-woodsytf '95 850 wagon 160k








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Is it possible to break a timing belt without engine damage? 850 1996

That fast cranking is a result of no compression. I very much doubt that engine/valve train is not damaged severely.
--
Optimist - half full, Pessimist - half empty, Engineer - The capacity is twice what it needs to be.







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