Hi! First time posting here, and i really need help. Backstory; about a year ago, I started having an intermittent overheating issue. Turned out to be the four way splitter for heater core was broken. Between the time that started and the time i could get a replacement, the car developed a really terrible rattle/rocks in a tumbler noise. Everything i could find online suggested that it was not the “death rattle”, but nothing explained what it was. Anyway, I got a new splitter, and was bleeding the system (still had the rattle) and while I was running it, it started making a high pitched squeal, gradually getting louder and louder until the engine just stopped before I could shut it off. From start of squeal to engine stop was only about 30 seconds (though it felt like a lifetime!) I completely thought I had spun a rod bearing, so I didn’t even attempt to restart. A couple months later I had taken the water pump off and found the coupler that drives it had completely broken off and was just tumbling around in there. Pretty sure that was the horrible noise I was hearing. So I fixed that, went through the engine bay, took pretty much everything off/cleaned and inspected/ replaced. With everything back together I tried to start it. Crank no start. Odd part was that the engine would crank really fast. Didn’t have the loupe it normally should. Just spinning freely. Anyway, last night I pulled the valve cover again and put my scope down (thinking maybe I had a broken chain or something.) but didn’t see anything wrong. Though I did start to notice some glitter. Well I followed that up and eventually found that my cam sprocket has been just spinning on the end of the cam(picture below). My question is, what are the chances that (a) I just need to replace the sprocket, (b) that the valves aren’t bent, and (c) that the cam is ok?

 

First of all what a terrible thing to happen!

I am not a seasoned mechanic but I did 3 timing chains over the years. The cam sprocket is bolted into the center of the cam and has a dowel to make sure you can time it correctly. It could be that that dowel has snapped off and the sprocket is just spinning on the bolt.

If that is the case then the pistons and valves are out of sync. Now I don't know enough about valves and heads to state that the valves are all clear of the pistons. I don't think they are as it is an interference engine.

This would mean you are going to need at least a new cam and valves. A new used head might be cheaper.

What would worry me is why this has happened? And what other damage is there yet to discover? Where did all the glitter end up?

 

I second Lukas, what an event.

Unfortunately being interference if the cam sprocket did break free the heads and valves will need some work. The pistons may have slapped the bottom of the valves leaving marks but the pistons usually survive.

Depending on your skills and tools, it may be easier and more cost effective to engine swap it. Best of luck with repairs.

 

Sorry for your loss. I agree w/ Scoobaru and say do a swap. If you go down the rabbit hole for a repair job on this, it will lead you on a journey of failed components. To get an idea of how deep your problem is, pull the oil filter and see if it sparkles. A swap job won't exactly be easy either, but at least you'll have a degree of confidence with a successful build after it's all done. If you really have the time and the resources, pull the engine, salvage the good parts from it, find a decent W11 or K series to build out and start fresh with upgrades on installation. All it takes is a stress fracture on a rod or some glitter jammed in a bearing to produce a 2nd catastrophe after doing the obvious repairs on this type of failure. If you don't have the time and the resources, sell it for parts and just get a new ride, best of luck to you