[MOMO900S]

Ok, so i know theres probably a thread on here that covers it, but im not in a super great mood and dont really feel like searching for it, so i apologize. But anyways, im driving home today and im about a block away and all the sudden the car lurches and the engine dies, so i figure mabey random stalling(hasnt done that before but anythings possible), so i try to restart and it bearly turns over and wont fire, so im figuring that the timing chain blew apart(the engine does have 151,000 miles) so basically what i wanna know is if these engines(2.0L 16V Non-turbo) are of the interference type(i.e. when the timing chain snaps does the piston smack into the valves)? Pretty much im broke, and i just need cheap transportation as of now, and i wanna know if its going to be worth it to try and fix it or is the car done for?
Thanks,
Morgan

 

[REDTURBO84]

Hi,Relax! Just pull off the dist cap and see if the rotor still turns as you crank . Pat

 

[MOMO900S]

Didnt think to do that, but if it doesnt, then what?

 

[RallySaab=68=]

Could you hear a timing chain rattle before it cut out on you? I had a timing chain snap on me before and I could hear the rattle over a few months before it the chain broke. When it went the chain popped a hole in the valve cover and there were marks on piston #3 where the valves hit. Those valves appeared to be undamaged but no doubt they needed to be replaced. Take a look under the hood for anything unusuall and if you want to know for sure if the timing chain snapped lift off the valve cover and have a look. That should only take a few minutes.

 

[MOMO900S]

Yeah i there was a rattle, i was just lazy and didnt check on it, thats what i get i suppose...basically i wanna know if say the pistons did hit the valves, is this gonna cost alot to replace valves, and also is it something i could do myself in a weekend

Edit-I just checked by pulling the distributor cap and the rotor doesnt turn so it is in fact a broken timing chain

 

[REDTURBO84]

Sorry to hear you were right. If you decide to go for repairing the origional engine ,check for bent valves and damaged pistons ,as it is likely. I'd try to find a used replacement motor that runs great . Should be a few around.Take a quick look. http://www.car-part.com/ Pat

 

[RallySaab=68=]

It will cost a fortune to have a shop do the work. Ive been a broke student for a while and I still have managed to do a number of very involved repairs. I wanted to keep my car and fixing it myself was the only way that was going to happen. If there is only slight damage to the valves you might be able to fix the car. If there is major damage to the head or pistons you might want to look into other options like a parts car, engine swap, or head swap. Either way you will need to do alot of work to get it running. I was able to rebuild my engine cheaper than a crappy used car would cost and now I am confident I can do any repair, I learned alot, and I know whats been done and what needs to be done to my car. I did have access to all the tools I needed. Most tools will pay for themselves after one or two uses. You should always assume that the repair time will go well beyond your estimates because setbacks are common, especially to someone without alot of experience.