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Thread: Broken timing chain

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    3

    Default Broken timing chain

    I've been driving @ 160km/h (3000rpm) back home after a few sunny days at the beach...suddenly, no power! I had electricity, decided to roadside troubleshoot. Luckily I opened up the oil cap first - no primary timing chain visible! There I was, stuck 200km from home...

    Fetched the car today with a flatbed. Started stripping the motor - tappet covers, and yes, timing chain broke...

    What can I expect to find? Must I lift the heads - maybe some valves bend?

    I followed a thread posted a while ago from shogun, but url keeps timing(sic) out...

    Thank you.
    94 540I AT, 17", S/S Custom Freeflow
    04 Suzuki GSXR

    Greetings from sunny South Africa

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
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    14,839

    Default

    this is the first time i heard of this!!! Take pictures!

    Theres not really a way to check compression without the chain on there but if the valves are closed you could do a makeshift leakdown with an air compressor and a fitting welded to a broken sparkplug to see if its completely blowing past a valve. My guess would be some valves are bent, with 10 to 1 compression there isnt much room for clearance.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    South Africa
    Posts
    3

    Default

    Pictures will follow as the stripping continues tomorrow.

    Thanks for the input...
    94 540I AT, 17", S/S Custom Freeflow
    04 Suzuki GSXR

    Greetings from sunny South Africa

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Japan
    Posts
    9,249

    Default

    I have heard of some V8 M60 engine with the same problem over the past 2 years. Bended valves because they touched. Needs removal of the head to see the damage. I remember one case where the engine had 184 k km.
    Site is no more, but I found it with the wayback machine, here the pics
    http://web.archive.org/web/200502151...e01/Motor.html
    Actual site name is
    http://people.freenet.de/Herbie01/Bilder.html
    One pic from the page


    It shows also the wear or not after 184 k km driving in Germany.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Eastern Tennessee USi
    Posts
    14,839

    Default

    great post Shogun! Looks like the oil was marginal at best. When I dragraced and dissasembled the thing between races that site was the sign of broken down oil, that could also lead to lack of lubrication for the chains too.

    This guy might have more problems if this is the case...but I hope not.
    95 E34 530I V2.37
    ===========
    Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.

    John F. Kennedy

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Aug 2004
    Location
    Dubai
    Posts
    834

    Default

    I saw an M20 with a cut off timing belt, all valves were fragmented into the pistons !! ... but cutting off the timing chain !!! never knew that would happend !! ....

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Posts
    445

    Default

    Yikes, I did not know that could happen!. I figured that chain lasts the life of the car. But now, may need to check the tensioner and possibly replace that . Anyone has the chain fail on an M50 engine ???.

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