Here's the story. Picked up the car ('98 V70XC) a year and a half ago with 109000 miles. It looked very clean and maintained. There is a Volvo dealer service sticker indicating that the timing belt was changed at 70000. At 130000 in the middle of nowhere, but thats a whole story in itself, I park the car and hear a rubbing noise and get out and open the hood with the engine idling. Clearly the timing belt cover is being rubbed by the belt. In the dark I grab the cover and pull on it a little to see if the noise quits and to my amazement the front of the cover pulls back and reviles the timing belt which then falls off the intake pulley which off course results in the engine shutting down. The belt was being held on by the cover and it milled away at the inside surface until it broke through when I handled it. Question is would the valves bend at idle when the belt came off? The car is being transported to my home so I haven't taken a good look at it but I'm assuming that the tensioner failed.

 

Yes some will be bent.
Maybe not very much but yes.
You can take a chance installing a new belt but I will bet some are bent.

 

Thanks Tech
I am planning on putting the belt on and giving the engine a compression test.
I really would rather not take the head off.
Am I correct in assuming that the tensioner failed? Is that common?

 

I will almost bet my right nut that the tensioner or idler failed.
Very common.

 

No doughting you Tech, But with four kids already, there's no risk in betting your nuts! LOL {;~O}

 

Here's the follow up and a question.

Knowing that this is an interference engine I still thought I'd put the belt back on and take a compression test.
Result compression in all cylinders: 175, 160, 175, 170 and 165.

I'm thinking that with the car parked and engine at idle maybe I dodged the bullet. I can see that if the same thing had happened while driving the drivetrain would continued to spin the engine.

Here is the question on the '98 does the crank pulley have to come off to replace the belt. I've changed the belt on an 850 and although tight with a little presto changeo it comes of the crank. I'm not able to preform any magic on the V70XC.



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I would remove it to make it easier.
But it doesn't have to come off.
I used to do it without pulling the pulley off.
But tried it one day and have taken it off everytime since.

BTW play the lotto!!!!
Very Very lucky.