I'm wondering the big question...

<span style="color:#FF0000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">WHAT IS REALLY WRONG WITH MY ENGINE</span></span>

Maybe it's more salvageable that I thought...
Here's my reasoning;

Yes the timing belt broke while driving meaning the top wasn't spinning with the bottom meaning something had to have hit something. But I heard NOTHING when it happened. Literally the engine just died out of nowhere, no chattering, booms, clanks, grinding, etc. Just speedo and tacho dropping to zero (speedo slowly, tachometer immediately).

So, what's the damage done?
I put the old (not broken) timing belt back on correctly and tried to start the car. It was getting power. It was getting spark. It was spinning (cams/timing belt) correctly as it should be while starting. I felt the wires to feel if it was getting spark, it was. It wasn't getting fuel... Nothing is wrong with the injectors/fuel pump/filter/etc. So my thoughts were;

<div align='center'>
"Well, I've been told when a timing belt breaks on it interference engine the pistons hit the valves. So...
maybe the valves got bent and they are not letting fuel into the cylinders."</div>

...or maybe it's something else...

Help me figure out EXACTLY why my engine won't start currently (when trying to start, the starter just turns over and over and nothing ignites, no combustion...)
could it be a gay OBDII problem coincidentaly? Or is my damaged valvetrain the SOLE reason it won't start right now.

I'm thinking,
<div align='center'>"If the valves are bent at least one of the cylinders should be getting fuel (even if they are bent) during start-up and one cylinder should fire/combust and if the valves don't move properly then maybe I'll get a little blow-by or exhaust trying to shoot out the intake manifold/injector holes...
right...?" </div>
why is there NO combustion at all.

I'm going to do a leak down test (similar to a compression test) with a charged propane tank (with air) and a compression gauge that screws into the spark plug cylinder chambers (reads to 200psi) and see if maybe it's not the valves, not JUST the valves, or simply JUST bent valves...

Lemme know ALL your thoughts.

 

Seriously man, to remove all doubt to what the issue is, remove the head and inspect it.

 

When the timing belt went in my Escort, it bent the valves. It was running fine, and I had just pulled into a parking lot, I shut it off. When I came out of the store, I tried to start it, and it just wouldn't go. Similar scenario as yours.

Anyway, the mechanic told me that the valves were bent, and they damaged the pistons...

So now it has a rebuilt engine and its my winter beater.

 

it looks like a bird or something got shreaded up inside that belt

what would be the most logical method of torqueing the crank pulley bolt down without turning the engine?? its around 120 ft lbs!

 

put it in gear with the brakes on, thats how I did mine

 

ditto.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (REDZMAN @ Jul 5 2006, 10:11 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Seriously man, to remove all doubt to what the issue is, remove the head and inspect it.</div>

Well, I did. Only took 3 years. LMAO





you can see the little nicks on all four pistons, intake side (towards firewall). Not bad for how fast my engine was spinning when it happened (about 4000rpms). Valves are definitely gone though.

 

Wow, you actually did it!

I've got a coupon for 15% off of a service from Hyundai, so I'm gettin gmine done NEXT weekend there. If I wanted to push it a few more months I would just wait and do it myself till I can get the engine out.

I just got a chance to look at this all again...

Is that the road it happened on?

 

the pictures show me on a dirt patch off the side of a highway. If you look at the very last picture you can see the highway I was on when it happened.

After further review of the play I think what most likely happened was something contacted the belt during it's rotation and began to erode the outside. I don't know if it was a gradual thing or relatively quick. The timing belt upper and lower covers were on after it was replaced. The outside of the belt shredded to a point where the belt was so thin that it snapped/jumped, thus damaging engine.

The only explanation is it must have been something INSIDE the timing belt cover, since it's relatively enclosed with both on. During the install I stripped the hole in the head that the tensioner pulley bolt goes into and ended up using a tap and die to re-thread it and a non-stock bolt. After removing the head a couple days ago there are still a few very small shreds of aluminum (cyl head) in the hole I re-threaded. That must have been the source of something to contact the belt under high revolution to cause such damage. What specifically? I don't know.

Who knows. Was 3 yrs ago.

 

I'm still thinking it was something else in the cover, bounced up and got under the belt, and with the tension and torque, it burst the outside of the belt weakening it and causing it to slip.

Hmm... have you taken the lower cover off yet?