Corsa timing chain/con rods

paddedjohn

Opinions please on the following,
Had a new timing chain fitted to our Corsa, driving nice for a week then car rattles and stops.
Stripped the engine down and all seems ok at the top end but cylinders 2+3 not moving, took sump off and both con rods are shattered to bits, no sign of any oil starvation at all.
My question is, could the timing chain fitting affect the con rods in any way. totally baffled by this as ive never seen anything like it before, cheers

Muscle750

Sounds to me as if it either sucked in water or some other foreign object strange it done two thou ive seen Rover engines snap quite easily best one i had was a s type jag told to put it on the ramp as it had gone over something no hole in the undertray althou oily to say the least taking the tray down half a piston fell on the floor along with varying bits of engine block the shells were blue it got that hot with no oil in it before it finally went bang. back to yours i would check that the engine is still timed up and that the chain hasnt jumped or fell off!!

TrickyWicky

Possible the chain wasn't fitted right or your oil pump has packed up. You'd stil see oil in the sump that way but it just wouldn't flow around the engine correctly.

paddedjohn

the shells are a bit mangled but no sign of oil starvation ie no blue or excess wear. Do you think the chain could have jumped and caused this since it was driving round town perfect but as soon as it had done 40 miles on mway this happened.

forgotmyname

Any piston and valve damage?

I presume you had all the head off without checking the timing? So bit late for that.

You will need an engineers report paid for by yourself to prove the garage were negligent in any way.

Since you have stripped it that maybe hard, When it stopped you should have took the car back to them.

I presume it drove OK until it rattled and died?

I think put it down to experience and a bit of bad luck. 2nd hand engine or sell as repairs and buy something else?

s_b

have you had the head off then and no valve damage?
if yes you have and the valves are intact then it would indeed lend itself to the theory oil starvation in the crank ,im surprised you say no burrs or melting though
you have to remember with this abysmall engine the chain works by being tensioned by the oil supply so things like
blocked oilway
blocked oil filter or indeed they collapse too
the oilway to the tensioner blocked or opened up too much
too much ouil in the sump
are you sure this engine hasnt hydrauliced due to the water pump leaking into the sump or indeed the head leaking into the sump

see above

paddedjohn

thanks for the replys chaps. a mechanic friend did the chain as a foreigner because i didnt have the time to do it myself so im not trying to attach blame to him just trying to understand how the con rods could shatter as its a first for me (qualified over 20yrs ago)
no water in the oil, havnt had the head or chain cover off yet leaving it till monday now after ive sourced a new lump