[Sulla]

Hia Guys,

Just got car towed back after major breakdown.

Was doing about 60, suddenly loud bang from engine, vast amounts of black smoke from engine and dumped oil all over road.

No engine noises etc before this, checked oil that morning, was fine. Is this possibly cam belt gone? Rescue guy seemed to think it was con rod thru sump or something.

Just trying to get an idea before I see my mechanic as to what is the most likely explanation.

Cheers - Shaun

PS: Anyone knows of anyone on the boards or elsewhere who could look into this or possibly fix? Am in Republic of Ireland.

 

[Rockhopper]

I wouldn't bother doing any investigation work (unless just for curiosity), you need a new engine = end of i'm afraid.

 

[Mitch916]

+1, you don't get a bang or smoke when the cam belt goes. Rescue guy is probably right. Sorry mate.

 

[Guest]

No warning what so ever?
Worrying!
Anyway +2 ... It's lunched mate, sorry... You could try sending a PM to Sears, he is a member on here and lives in the republic... If anyone can source a replacement engine and offer advice, he can mate... Don't forget to offer many beer tokens

 

[Sulla]

Hia Guys,

Oh well, I am ever the optimist. Its a 2002, new style interior with traction control etc. Would it be better trying to source a new/replacement engine or [god I hate saying this] scrap it and try to get another alfa?

Money is tight so replacement alfa won't be easy.

What is the concensus on the best route?

Is Sears very active on here?

Cheers - Shaun

 

[156Matt]

it's a tough choice, new engine plus fitting you'd be looking at a hefty cost possibly the value of the car i.e £1500 roughly, so one hard choice to make, if it was me i'd break the rest of it for parts earn some money that way and get another, but this is coming from someone who has spent nearly 4k in maintenance on his 2000 2.0

 

[Yamaha]

Are we mad, the money we spend on Alfa's is nothing but criminal. Knowing Alfa's reputation I bought a cheap 156 2.0 with full Alfa service history & a sheath of bills amounting to £4500. previous owners must have been mad. You would think that with its ser. his. & parts replaced that I might have some cheap motoring, but not so, discs, pads, thermostat, belt tensioners & idler its already cost me more than my present Honda ( R type ) & Toyota 4x4 I've had for 20 yrs have cost togrther. in fact except for servicing items they have not cost a penny in repairs. I bought the Alfa on a whim as it was cheap car & after reading all the comments in the foram I can see why. Next penny it costs me I shall take great delight in seeing go in the crusher.

 

[ronan]

Are we mad, the money we spend on Alfa's is nothing but criminal. Knowing Alfa's reputation I bought a cheap 156 2.0 with full Alfa service history & a sheath of bills amounting to £4500. previous owners must have been mad. You would think that with its ser. his. & parts replaced that I might have some cheap motoring, but not so, discs, pads, thermostat, belt tensioners & idler its already cost me more than my present Honda ( R type ) & Toyota 4x4 I've had for 20 yrs have cost togrther. in fact except for servicing items they have not cost a penny in repairs. I bought the Alfa on a whim as it was cheap car & after reading all the comments in the foram I can see why. Next penny it costs me I shall take great delight in seeing go in the crusher.

....steps back as the floodgates open !!!

 

[David P]

SEARs was banned from AO years ago.

It might be worth checking out the Irish section of AO to see if anyone knows of any engines available locally.

 

[purple145]

life is too short for a dull Toyota......

Honda do a good engine, eg on my lawnmower :lol:

 

[156Matt]

I worked for Toyota and was glad to leave, although now i work for the germans - Mercedes still at least they have some respectable supercars with the money i've spent repairing my twinnie i could have had a GTA by now!

 

[Guest]

Next penny it costs me I shall take great delight in seeing go in the crusher.

thats the spirit

I owned two toyotas in my life to be fair one was 17 years old and just kept going even though I kind of wanted it to blow up, the other was a cynos I went through three gearboxes in that car. never ruined a 'box in any car but that one, also abs went mad and made the pedal rock hard and I nearly had a bad accident. I had a highly strung 33 16v that was chip tuned and was screwed every time I drove it. I kept up the maintenance and had a waterpump let go, that was it. its all about personal experience I think, that and alot of alfas arent looked after...

SEARs was banned from AO years ago.

There is a guy on allitalia.net called sears, same guy?

 

[Monkey Dust]

The pre-facelift cars with the facelift interiors are regarded by many as the most desirable 156's (GTA's aside of course) so don't be too hasty scraping it. The 2.0 JTS was used until the end of GT production so you might get lucky and find a nice low mileage engine out of a rear ended/t-boned GT, or get a rebuilt engine.

Some of the more knowledgeable people will probably point out why you can't, but could you buy a JTS engine that had a cam belt failure and rebuilt it with your presumably still serviceable head on it?

I've just come to accept I can have money or have I an Alfa, but not both. I suppose I could have a diesel Alfa, the JTD engine seems a lot less temperamental than the twinnie or JTS, but for me the revvy engine is my favourite aspect of the car. I should point out the above is a preference, not a statement of one engine being better that the other. I am categorically, 100%, not opening THAT can of worms.