McWillster
Member
Registered: 23rd Mar 09
Location: Huntly, Aberdeenshire
User status: Offline
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Right some of you may of may not know i have a C20XE Corsa that i've owned for about the past 2 years. The car was originally a 14XE Sport but due to the sump cracking and engine seizure i decided to go about converting it.
Having very little mechanical experience i thought it best for me not to tackle said job. Instead i asked a guy who had a decent enough reputation in the area for this kind of conversion. He was up for it and so the car was delivered to his.
Shortly afterwards he was presented with an engine i had bought from a friend (little was know about this engine and was a bit of a stab in the dark). He quickly went about fitting the XE and after a couple of weeks it was ready to start.
This is where the problems began..
On start up we soon relised that the engine's cylinder head had been skimmed too much and thus the valves chapped against the pistons.. Oh dear. Not the end of the world though, we replaced the bent valves fitted a thicker headgasket and tried again. Sure enough this time it ran smooth.
So after about another week or so the guy i had asked to convert the car finish off the small bits and boobs and said the car was ready to be picked up.
I then paid him his due and drove the car back to mine and sat it in my garage.
Due to changes in finacial reasons/commitments the corsa had to be kept in the garage for the best part of a year.
Then came time to get her through an MOT about a year later.
She passed with a few minor things needing done by the garage but on the whole ok!
Then comes the reason for this entire speel of shit (if you've bother to read it all!)
Since passng MOT it has been a bit of a nightmare interms of niggly problems with electrics, oil leakage etc.. Putting it off the road now and again and me starting to loose the will!
Then one day driving along the car cuts out...
No major noise or anything, just dies.
My mate toes it back to my house and upon inspection it has snapped the timing belt!
Now the car had a new timing belt fitted on conversion and hadn't even traveled 1000 miles.
What may have caused this to happen? Water pump wasn't seized not were any of the pulleys..
As said i am not a mechanic but timing belts do not just snap for no reason...
This is where i'm at now. Comprehending what to do next. I love the Corsa... It's why i'm on this site every bloody day! But i'm starting to wonder whether it's worth it. I'm not exactly flush with cash and can't really afford to write it off as a bad job and get £100 from the scrappy. In my head there is no other option but to get it going.
But worst case scenario the majority of the valves are bent..
What am i looking at to get it running again?
Cost?
Is it worth it?
Hope you enjoyed reading the my Corsa career! Wish i could have went back a few years and made a few changes that would have made this all so much easier!
Thanks,
Rhys.
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adiohead
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Registered: 28th Sep 01
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Ian W
Member
Registered: 8th Nov 03
Location: Wirral, Merseyside
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I went through three XE engines before I finally got a decent one.
Only really cost me the price of the engine on them all after the first one and I got fucking quick at pulling the motor out 
Just buy another XE, rent a engine crane and swap it out.
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Mertin
Member
Registered: 12th Oct 05
Location: Scotland
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Worst case scenario may be to get a new engine and replace it?
I think its always best to strip, clean and rebuild an engine before fitting it, especially an old engine like a C20XE. Not major rebuild, but just water pump, timing belt etc and head off to check everything.
From what youv'e wrote your thinking the guy who fitted the engine and timing belt has done it incorrectly maybe causing it to snap? Could it have been under tensioned or is it an automatic tensioner on tese engines? (not had any dealings with thiming belts)
I would say stick at it, and take your time if need be (financially and knowledge wise)
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Corsa_Sport21
Member
Registered: 13th Apr 08
Location: Leven, Fife. Drives : 205 GTi
User status: Offline
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Did you change/have the timing belt changed??
They snap with age if they havnt been changed within the recommended interval.Not saying all snap because of this,but its more likely to happen.
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3CorsaMeal
Member
Registered: 11th Apr 02
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"On start up we soon relised that the engine's cylinder head had been skimmed too much and thus the valves chapped against the pistons.. "
how did you work that out?
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SeanXE
Member
Registered: 17th Jan 09
Location: Luton
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Corsa_Sport21
Did you change/have the timing belt changed??
They snap with age if they havnt been changed within the recommended interval.Not saying all snap because of this,but its more likely to happen.
He said it was changed when the engine was put in
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Corsa_Sport21
Member
Registered: 13th Apr 08
Location: Leven, Fife. Drives : 205 GTi
User status: Offline
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Damn must have missed that bit.My bad.
Can you be sure it was changed though??
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McWillster
Member
Registered: 23rd Mar 09
Location: Huntly, Aberdeenshire
User status: Offline
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Yes a new timing belt kit was purchased as he seemed to know his stuff. I.e would never put at engine in without changing the belt.
As for the head being skimmed to much and knowing this. I'm basing this all on what the guy who converted it said. And when a thicker steel headgasket was fitted it solved the problem. So i assume he wasn't talking shit.
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McWillster
Member
Registered: 23rd Mar 09
Location: Huntly, Aberdeenshire
User status: Offline
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I think the block is an early type XE with a manual belt tensioner. My mate whos a time served mechanic said that he could have tighted it far to tight and (say for example when i double clutched to change gear) could have strained it too much and caused it to snap...
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SeanXE
Member
Registered: 17th Jan 09
Location: Luton
User status: Offline
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wtf is double clutching? Was watching fast and furious the other day and thought the same lol. *Hides*
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McWillster
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Registered: 23rd Mar 09
Location: Huntly, Aberdeenshire
User status: Offline
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SeanXE
Member
Registered: 17th Jan 09
Location: Luton
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by McWillster
Lol, im young leave me alone. Answer? 
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Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
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I hope the facepalm is for yourself tbh
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McWillster
Member
Registered: 23rd Mar 09
Location: Huntly, Aberdeenshire
User status: Offline
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Press clutch pedal, stick it in neutral then release the clutch (apply throttle if changing down a gear to match the revs that the car will be at at the speed in which you are travelling) Then press the clutch again, select gear and away you go! 
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McWillster
Member
Registered: 23rd Mar 09
Location: Huntly, Aberdeenshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by loafofbrett
I hope the facepalm is for yourself tbh
Care to explain your needlessly sarky comment?
Dick.
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Brett
Premium Member
Registered: 16th Dec 02
Location: Manchester
User status: Offline
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Total idiot
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DaveyLC
Member
Registered: 8th Oct 08
Location: Berkshire
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Was the belt done by the guy who fitted the engine prioer to the valve v's piston incident?
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Mertin
Member
Registered: 12th Oct 05
Location: Scotland
User status: Offline
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Is double clutching even necessary?
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DERV-POWER
Member
Registered: 13th Sep 09
Location: Greenfield, Flintshire
User status: Offline
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did you change the belt after the valves bending
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McWillster
Member
Registered: 23rd Mar 09
Location: Huntly, Aberdeenshire
User status: Offline
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Yes he changed the belt before the engine was fitted into the car.
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McWillster
Member
Registered: 23rd Mar 09
Location: Huntly, Aberdeenshire
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by Mertin
Is double clutching even necessary?
Not really no, you get good at driving old tractors with crash boxes though!
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Jambo
Member
Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
User status: Offline
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I'm with Brett on this one tbh.
You didn't do your homework, bought an engine blind (history?) other than some dude trying to sell you it saying ts done, I mean receipts service history from the car etc.
This is what can happen. Cambelt should IMO be done when engines out as it's alot easier than having to arse about doing in in 10/20k time removing engine etc from the car.
Engine conversions are expensive, they require careful planning and techy help if your not up to speed. I had lots of help with mine from this site and the guy who fitted my engine who was well recommended by others and I purchased an engine from a well recommended engine supplier and had no problems with it.
Cost a fortune though.
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McWillster
Member
Registered: 23rd Mar 09
Location: Huntly, Aberdeenshire
User status: Offline
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You are both more than entilted to your opinion.
Me calling Brett a dick is quite childish of me tbh.
The engine was purchased from said friend who is a time served mechanic. He had purchased the engine for his own project but instead purchased a LET. He advised me that the car had had a new oil pump, new water pump and that the rings had been replaced aswell. I had and still have no reason to doubt this.
In terms of the conversion, yes i'll admit, i was young, stupid, had plenty of money with zero knowledge and i am now paying the price of it.
As said if i could go back to the start and change it i would, but thats not possible and i'm NOW asking for help in terms of which way is best to move forward..
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Jambo
Member
Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
User status: Offline
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Of course I made a fair few mistakes on mine to. But sometimes best way of learning is doing it yourself and learning the hard way.
If you have time to do it, rebuild it? Or get a competent mechanic/garage to do it? if not scourge a new block?
If wiring and box etc is ok then a few quid on bits and you will be right as rain
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