[DOM!]

OK, a while back my timing belt stripped while getting off the highway. Here's how it happened: I put the clutch in and the motor died. I tried to restart and it had that not so good sound. I never heard metal to metal contact but..

So I have started to disassemble the engine. Do you think I should just pull it for ease? I think I will. Directions and tips would be nice to make this painless, thanks.

Anyone ever see a motor that didn't sustain damage? I guy can hope right?

TIA,
DOM!

 

[JoeCab]

I heard of a few cases where the T-belt slipped only a few teeth and did not damage the valves, but this doesn't sound like your situtation.

You could always put a new T-belt on and do a compression/leakdown test to verify the condition of the internals. Maybe you will get lucky and find no damage or damage to only one head.

 

[DOM!]

Well I am definiately going to pull the heads at a minimum if after watching the lifters and they don't seem to work right.

BTW- A good 1/8 to 1/4 of the belt was stripped..

As much as I want to drive her I want a little more HP!

Thanks,
Dom

 

[nizam]

Well, I'd hate to say this, but when you tried to restart the motor, you probably caused more damage than what was already done.

Happened to my friend Karl in his 164L one day. Just driving along in town, and he went to put in the clutch and the engine died. We were on some railroad tracks (that we knew were active) so we had to get it off the tracks. We didn't initially think it was the belt, but after the first restart, we did hear some unusual clacking. Larry, who was with us, immediately told him to stop cranking. It was too late.

We pushed the car off the tracks and into a parking lot, and popped off the cam sprocket covers. Larry told me to watch the sprocket while he touched the key, just to make it turn a smidge. It didn't. Belt was broken somewhere.

Upon dismantling the engine a week later, only a few valves missed certain death. The rest were history.

A used motor from APE put the car back on the road the following week.

 

[DOM!]

That's what i figure on seeing, plenty of bent valves.. What's the deal with the pistons? How do they fair in the collision?

So should I just pull the motor?

 

[nizam]

I think the pistons survived to be used as core for another motor. Don't know what happened to them in the end, though.

 

[magista]

I had a timing belt jump a few teeth on my first Milano years ago. It was because I had parked it on a steep incline nose up and left it in gear. The car rolled back about an inch and this put some slack in the timing belt.

I got in the car and turned it over. CKKKLLLAAANLNLKK CUH CUH CUHC UC CUH CUHC UCH CHU CUH!!!

You get the picture.

I had just successfully toasted the entire left bank of exhaust valves. Schweet. They were nice and bent. The pistons usually come out alright as long as they aren't too dinged up you should be fine.

Moral of the Story: ALWAYS USE YOUR E-BREAK!!!

The last time we had an earthquake up here (Seattle) this guy I know had his Milano parked in a parking garage on a flat surface. He left it in gear. The earthquake jostled the car around so when he turned it over...KUHKLANK! Timing belt jumped and toasted his valves.

If your belt stripped out a bunch of teeth...oof, you did some serious damage internally. I can't see how you wouldn't. I'm surprised you did hear that horrific sound of piston on valve.

Nothing like a chain driven Alfa four.

 

[DOM!]

I'll be lazy and take off the passenger side for right now, but it has been 5-10 degrees here in good ole CT so work shall shift to the Vespas in the garage till it warms up slightly...

 

[DOM!]

Update

OKIE DOKIE:

I got some work done last week (wife was away and it warmed up.)

Got the intake plenum off but in the process of pulling off the stinking injectors' electrical connectors half of them were so brittle that no matter how much care I took they broke.

I have a couple new ones (from VW) but they are stupid expensive. Any other sources?

The passenger side head is very close to coming off. I still have to take off the ABS for the driver's side head to come off. When I took off the passenger side valve cover there was nice antifreeze sitting in the oil sooo it was time for head gaskets..

DOM!

 

[DOM!]

OK, I was inspired to get my *** in gear and resume work on the verde.

I got the passenger side head off and of course there are two exhaust valves that got shellacked.

QUESTION: Should there be divots in the pistons, they seem to be machine in there and not like they shouldn't be there. I assume they are cut outs for the valves.

I would have gotten the the other head off if it wasn't for the f-ing cotter pin under the dash that holds the shaft on the brake pedal.. I had to stop because I was getting impatient.

Pics to come...

 

[Milanoverde]

Been, there, done that. The cotter pin is a *****. Too late for me or you, but I've been told we could have disconnected the drivers side engine mount, jacked up that side of the engine and removed the head without touching the MC!
Re the pistons, yeah there are relief areas cut into the tops of the pistons!

Tony Brucia

 

[75evo]

Tony,

You are correct about tipping the engine. I was told the A/C compressor may have to be undone too, to accomodate for the engine tilt.

 

[DOM!]

Should I bother to get 164S pistons while I am in there?

I do get that thunk thunk thunk from the rod bearings..

 

[Milanoverde]

I did the S pistons. It added torque and power that it didnt have with the regular pistons

 

[DOM!]

OK! Last night I got both heads finally off. The only damage seems to be to the passenger side head with two valves hit.

There is a nice amount of anti-freeze in the channel of the V so this all works out! New head gaskets and redone heads!

Has anyone done pistons with the block still in the car? Now I wonder if I should have just pulled the stinking thing.. It doesn't look too bad to do with it in the car though.

Just to reiterate, I hate that stinking cotter pin holding the rod to the brake pedal!!

Anyone selling 164S pistons?

 

[AlfaRacer75]

Dom,

It's so easy to just pull the motor out that I wouldn't bother trying to remove the pistons with the block in the car. Just take out the driveshaft, disconnect all the wires, exhaust, & engine mounts and yank that sucker out!

I also vote for the S pistons.

 

[DOM!]

You know I replied to this before and now that reply is gone..

Anyways..

I suppose I will do the 164s pistons. I would like to have the engine together ASAP but with all the extra parts I will probably take my time now.

DOM!

 

[DOM!]

Oh To respond to you Chip-

I have already taken both heads off and all the wires are pretty much off. The exhaust is disconnected. It is just a matter of find a place to hook on to to pull the motor seeing the heads are off.

 

[161qv]

hello all
Sounds like dom in a world of hurt. I replaced my timming belt about 6 months ago and
found that the detentioner bearing had stuck solid. Lucky I caught that in time, or I would be doing what your doing.

As it is I have to pull out the heater to fix the top heater hose, its leaking in side the heater box. Any quick fixes you know of?

Do the 2 pipes that go to the heater core come out of the heater box itself?

Cheers and good luck.

Shane