Stranded after timing belt snapped

[meerkatmag]

Hey all,
I'm in deep trouble here! In the middle of nowhere in Norway and my timing belt has broken. I've taken it off and it looks like the crankshaft pulley has ripped all the teeth off. I'm going to try to source a new belt here but have the following questions if anyone can help:

1. My Bosch VE pump pulley has play in and out, like the whole pulley moves into the pump and out a few mils, is this normal? It was very tight to turn when I first tried but it's now spinning freely. Wondering if the pump seized and this caused the belt failure. Anything I can check?

2. I have timed the engine up with no belt on, managed to pin the cam shaft and pump and crank. How will I know if the camshaft is 180 degrees off? The crank was free spinning so I've no idea where it should be. Is there any trick to this? I don't really want to put belt on then have to shift round 180degrees it as I can't loosen the tensioner without damaging the belt, unless there's a trick I'm missing?

3. What's the most likely culprit for this to happen, is it likely the IP is worn and seizing? If so am I screwed? Still hoping no pushrods are bent, didn't sound like it when it was turning over.

[dumper]

If you have pined it the correct hole in the flywheel think there’s two holes you can get a pin in the wrong one is shallow pinning the camshaft will be correct it’s the cam that dictates what stroke the engine is on if all pins in it’s got to be correct. I would remove the rocker cover and check for snapped rockers if push rods bent you can straighten them not sure on pump end float

[MinorMatt]

If its pinned the timing is correct. If its pinned it cannot be wrong.

The crank rotates twice for every rotation of pump and camshaft. As long as its pinned in postition at TDC it doesn't matter whether it used to be on the compression or the exhaust stroke - its in exactly the same place and doesn't care.

A bosch pump should be fairly stiff to turn in 4 places, and not so bad between them. A tiny bit of fore/aft play on the shaft isn't a problem - but milimeters of play might be.

Have you taken the rocker cover off to inspect the damage?

[meerkatmag]

Thanks for the replies! I haven't taken rocker cover off, I was hoping it might have survived. Is there any chance if the crank was spinning free that none of the push rods would get bent or rockers broken. It only turned on starter, it was running fine yesterday when we parked up then this morning just spun crank.

Or is it likely there's some damage?

[dumper]

I’d expect it to have bent a pushrod and not broken a rocker with it being on the starter not a big job to take the cover off and look every di I’ve done a belt on has snapped a rocker and bent pushrods

[meerkatmag]

I've lifted the rocker cover, no broken rockers so that's a relief. All the pushrods look straight and the ones that are free rotate fine. Is that a good enough way to check them? Quite a few have spring tension on so I can't rotate them and I don't have timing belt so can't rotate the engine. Cylinder 1 exhaust rocker seems to have a lot of clearance which is concerning. I definitely set them correctly last time I had the cover off.

I'm thinking if pushrods are bent, I'll just straighten them. If a valve is broken then I'm screwed so not need to worry at this point.

[Chug]

Take the rocker shaft off and look properly at it and the pushrods, never known one not to have at least a bent pushrod or three and rockers can have small cracks. The pump as Matt says should be quite hard to turn then go easy four times as each time the camplate in the pump starts to lift and then drop for each injection stroke, if it spins freely its fecked.

[meerkatmag]

I think some rods are bent, the excessive clearance on cylinder 1 exhaust is probably one of them. They don't look bent from the top but probably not that obvious.
Pump feels exactly as you describe so im hoping it was just a weak point on the belt that gave way. All pulleys turn freely.
Here's the belt for your enjoyment:

20250814_203802.jpg

[meerkatmag]

Just thinking ahead. It's looking really difficult to get a new timing belt shipped to where I am. Has anyone got one in stock who could send it next day? Maybe even some push rods too. I may have to fly back to England to get it.

[meerkatmag]

Things going from bad to worse. I took the rocker assembly off and one of the pedestals has broken in two. The m8 bolt hole separated from the main shaft. Also that same valve looks slightly lower than the others.

Sounds like bent valve right? And is there any chance it will survive with the broken pedestal? I have over a thousand miles to drive home.

20250818_133709.jpg

[dumper]

Never had a bent valve or heard of one on a di .
As for the pedestal strange to have snapped the foot off was the main bolt loose and has it now bent the rocker shaft .
As for will it drive home you may have to fit a belt straighten the push rods and see if it runs ok

[meerkatmag]

The large m10 bolts were very tight, the m8 bolts were a bit loose. The assembly seems straight and everything moves freely. I had 2 bent rods which were straightend today and It all bolted back down fine with the broken leg bolted too. It's all snug with no movement. I torqued all the bolts down properly.

I really hope the valves aren't bent and it's great to hear that they generally don't bend.

Im going to do exactly that, it's going back together already and when the timing belt arrives by post ill reset valve clearances and hope for the best.

[meerkatmag]

Does anyone do the extra steps in the Haynes manual, turn the crank to 7/8 rotation, loosen the tensioner, push forcefully on the longest stretch of belt and tighten tensioner again.

Seems this would add slack and none of the posts on here say to do that.

Also every tooth on my old belt is broke like image below. It's only 3 years old and about 15k miles on it. Installed wrong direction maybe? Or incorrect tension, was done at a garage. Is a gates belt.

20250820_123502.jpg

[dumper]

I’ve only done it with the new automatic one could have been over tightened but it’s a long time ago Gates did have a big problem a few of local garages to me had a warranty claim for this and they paid up

Used to tension the belt to a 90 degree twist on the belt

[meerkatmag]

So timing belt finally came and I timed it all up, stuck belt on. All pins went in nicely. Valve clearances set. Turned over multiple times by hand all felt free and smooth.

On first start it ran rough, like it was mis firing and lots of smoke. Smelled like unburned diesel. Sounded fine though, nice tick over and good rpm.

I let it warm up and it gradually improved, smoke gradually getting less and less. To me it sounds like it's running retarded timing. It's very muted and quiet. But the pump was definitely set right. Pulley adjusted so pin hole was bang in the middle of the opening.

It actually seems to drive fine now once warmed up.

Any idea what the hell is going on? Im going to try to drive it home.