t4 just went bang!

Oh well, after a year problem free my 2.5 tdi caravelle made a noise like I had just driven over a road sign, and roared growled flapped and rattled to a halt, now will not start again!? checked the first thing that came to mind ie cambelt, all intact, engine will turn over on key but not fire, when being towed back, if put in gear and clutch lifted, sounds like a box of spanners so quickly stopped..but would a buggered clutch-gearbox stop it from starting out of gear? damn bugger it! Help!!!!

John.

Oops,
Certainly sounds like cambelt. Cambelts rarely break, generally strip off teeth. Check cam is still turning with engine. Then check cam position with engine at TDC on flywheel.
Doesn't sound good.
John

Did You Find Out What It Was...sounds Like Something Stupid
Alternator Belt Snapped And Jammed Up ,,,, Happend To Me And It Broke Alternator Pivot Point ,,,snapped Bracket ...HELL OF A NOISE FLAPPING ABOUT...

I have the same problem, sounds in my case that the valves are out of phase, cam belt is over due for change but is in tacked. How do you assess what the valve position should be in elation to TDC at the flywheel and how do you reset the valve timing?

If I can do that the engine may restart but the head would need to come off (I'm about to undo the cylinderhead bolts at this time) and new valves obtained and ground in, if thats the only problem.

When the sump was attemted to be removed one bolt was hidden, preventing removal. Is it easy to remove this.

Hiya all! Lucky me... it was only the tensioner for the fuel pump belt blew up, throwing pump timing way out..hence no go. but lucky that the garage that fixed it also found my cam belt tensioner knackered as well, and the cambelt 'like a **** in a sock' to quote his colourful term!
Could have been a lot worse I guess..

Cheers for all the suggestions though..

Swampy.

Hi,
Initial visual check by seeing if No 1 cam lobes are equal position facing up or down depending on which stroke engine is on. Checking valve position properly requires injector pump cog removed from cam. There is an offcentre slot in end of cam. A locking plate is easily made to centre this slot and lock the cam parallel with head. With engine TDC on flywheel and all cambelt and tensioner settings correct cambelt cog is half tightened, locking plate removed, engine rotated a few times to settle belt, then rechecked before final tension. Thats the easy bit. Sorting the injector pump timing is the time consuming bit, requiring Dial Guage and lots of patience.
Hidden sump bolt is just below block above R/h Drive shaft housing screwing into gearbox housing. 6mm allen socket, no sweat.
Cheers
John

Another ting that tends to go on the 2.5's is the dual mass crank pulley.

the rubber separating the 2 parts shreds leaving the assembly making a hell of a noise that is often mistaken for cam belt.