It finally happened. The timing belt snapped...

[FLYING BANANA]

Originally Posted by BaroqueMoon

Totally inevitable.

Here in Australia you have to have good contacts to find anyone willing to work on your Rover at all.
Many owners here have found that the belt replacements cost $2500 (1400 pounds ish) or more.
Now that the bearings have been ground to new and wonderous shapes according to the dang noise it makes. I will need a replacement engine.
Cheapest I can see all this costing is around $5000 (2800 pounds ish).

BUT...as I said I knew I was taking a risk. It's just a shame that's all.
It now rests in a garage where she will stay until I can work something out.
I'm on a disability pension so umm...I'll work something out. Eventually.

If it takes a couple of years or more it won't matter.
I'm keeping her

She helped fix me* I'll be sure to fix her.

*Having a strong emotional attachment to an inanimate objects may not be even remotely practical, logical or wise, but I know a whole lot of you get it.

I can vouch for the emotional attachment of your car. I owe my Yellow ZT my life, literally. And I’ll never part with her.

[Mean & Green]

That is a shame.

What I don’t understand is that you say it’s an accessorised, polished & loved example - yet it’s still on 2003 belts?

[roverbarmy]

Originally Posted by Mean & Green

That is a shame.

What I don’t understand is that you say it’s an accessorised, polished & loved example - yet it’s still on 2003 belts?

" I frankly couldn't afford it and was living on borrowed time."

[bl52krz]

You gambled. You lost big time. I used to back the horses but never put my shirt on anything. You have probably saved £700 and lost £2000.3 to 1 on. Just don’t waste your money on the lottery. Such a shame to hear about this happening.

[rab60bit]

Originally Posted by BaroqueMoon

Totally inevitable.

Here in Australia you have to have good contacts to find anyone willing to work on your Rover at all.
Many owners here have found that the belt replacements cost $2500 (1400 pounds ish) or more.
Now that the bearings have been ground to new and wonderous shapes according to the dang noise it makes. I will need a replacement engine.
Cheapest I can see all this costing is around $5000 (2800 pounds ish).

BUT...as I said I knew I was taking a risk. It's just a shame that's all.
It now rests in a garage where she will stay until I can work something out.
I'm on a disability pension so umm...I'll work something out. Eventually.

If it takes a couple of years or more it won't matter.
I'm keeping her

She helped fix me* I'll be sure to fix her.

*Having a strong emotional attachment to an inanimate object may not be even remotely practical, logical or wise, but I know a whole lot of you get it.


It had managed 162007 km.

Sorry to hear it.
Happened to me with my first 75, a 2L KV6 (1999 SE) that I purchased with very little history. I think it had been reasonably well looked after but I didn't know much about 75's then!! I've commented on here before regarding timing belts and I'll say again - the belts will safely do far more than the 60-90K/6 years, more often than not it's the idler that's the culprit - same difference/result, it bu...rs the engine.
Take your time and it's a doable DIY cheapish job providing you've not goosed the valve gear etc.

[coolguy]

Originally Posted by bl52krz

You gambled. You lost big time. I used to back the horses but never put my shirt on anything. You have probably saved £700 and lost £2000.3 to 1 on. Just don’t waste your money on the lottery. Such a shame to hear about this happening.

Actually if the belts are 17 years old, that would have cost at least 2 if not 3 changes if sticking to the "schedule", so the loss is not as stated. Not sure where the figure of £2,000 comes from either.

The 6 year period has just come up on my ZT, but it has only done 9,000 miles, so I shall probably leave it a bit longer. One of my 75s has also hit the 6 year limit, but has done less than 1,000 miles - you've guessed it, I shall leave that one a bit longer too. We all take gambles every day - you have my sympathy.

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by BaroqueMoon

It had managed 162007 km.

Thanks Matt. That's 100,666 miles. Given that my tensioner and idler pulleys were very rough at 90,000 miles, my guess is that one or both of those were the cause. It's helpful to know that they didn't go a lot earlier. Thanks for the information.

Simon

[trikey]

Change the belts and pulley's / tensioners at the required times.

Why play Russian roulette?

[bl52krz]

Originally Posted by coolguy

Actually if the belts are 17 years old, that would have cost at least 2 if not 3 changes if sticking to the "schedule", so the loss is not as stated. Not sure where the figure of £2,000 comes from either.

The 6 year period has just come up on my ZT, but it has only done 9,000 miles, so I shall probably leave it a bit longer. One of my 75s has also hit the 6 year limit, but has done less than 1,000 miles - you've guessed it, I shall leave that one a bit longer too. We all take gambles every day - you have my sympathy.

Possible rebuilding cost £2000 with labour unless you do it yourself.I would not be changing belts that had only done a small mileage, but I also would not leave them like my son did, 11 years and 90,000 miles. Mind you, he saved some money and left it to me to get done.

[trikey]

Originally Posted by SD1too

Hi Andy,

Because it's not playing Russian roulette. The real required times are evident from this thread and others before it and they're not 6 years! Something like 60,000 miles for the pulleys would be a sensible figure (and do the belts at the same time).

Simon

Well it does seem that a bullet has been fired from what the OP said, lets face it, if the belts and ancillaries had been changed at MGR stated intervals then the engine would be in a better state of health than it is now.