Rupert_Baehr Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 ... I had a cambelt go on me on the motorway, years and years ago. Plenty experienced with several thousand miles' worth of motorway driving by that time. But never had a cambelt go (with the associated bang, dead engine with camshaft-in-a-puzzle and bent valves, etc) ... A cambelt???? Dropped a Conrod, blew a pot, 1st and second stage turbines go (Quite spectacular) and took an eagle in a compressor (bloody noisy - and it wasn't the bird shouting.) But a cambelt? How? Didn't you bother to have the car serviced? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 They car would have slowed very gradually (have you seen how far a car will freewheel for at 70 MPH?), adjacent drivers would be aware that there was an issue and the throtlle could be fed back in progressively in a controlled manner. That is the correct thing to do. Have you ever tried it...seriously..? There's one thing knowing exactly what to do and another actually doing it.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 They car would have slowed very gradually (have you seen how far a car will freewheel for at 70 MPH?), adjacent drivers would be aware that there was an issue and the throtlle could be fed back in progressively in a controlled manner. That is the correct thing to do. The throttle couldn't be anything. The power was cut, you weren't getting any power of it. Maybe you don't actually drive, because this " adjacent drivers would be aware that there was an issue" Sounds like a lovely dream. The adjacent drivers would probably not see the hazards, not care if they did and almost certainly continue at their own speed and start passing on the inside, and once it had happened once, with the speed still dropping it would be impossible to move out of the fast overtaking lane and we would have ended up stopping in that lane, about the worst possible place to break down (except maybe on a level crossing). Maybe when it's happened to you, then you can comment. It happened a few times after that (garage couldn't find a fault despite it happening at irregular intervals), so I know how I deal with it and my OH also knows how to deal with it now. It's very easy to say how you "would" deal with it when posting on a forum, it's quite different doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frededwards Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Yes. I race, and we don't even have brake or hazard lights. I've done it about half a dozen times on the track and once on the M1 when an Alfa Romeo had "a bit of an issue" with it's Selespeed gearbox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Yes. I race, and we don't even have brake or hazard lights. ..it's not the same as 3 lanes of traffic on the M1... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L00b Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 A cambelt???? <...> Didn't you bother to have the car serviced? Re-read the (edited) post: the car was coming out of a service! Cambelts are (reportedly) unidirectional in design. Mount them the wrong way round, and there's little to no tolerance. Cambelt shears through stress, and bang. If I'm not mistaken, they are actually marked for relevant direction of rotation, so quite how the apprentice managed to fit it the wrong way around...well. Reminds me of how my Dad earned himself 3 weeks in ICU, when a Renault service guy replaced a fuse-like thingy in his cruise control system on his Renault 25 and put it in the wrong way around: car pulls out on him on motorway later that day, my Dad brakes hard(-er and harder), front wheels in CC mode (not disconnecting) still doing 75mph, rear wheels eventually lock up, Renault loses it and goes bang into central rail, then straight across to the fields still doing 75mph, Dad ejected through sunroof (and I mean through: as in, crashing through it and taking it out as he flew off). Landing in freshly-ploughed field, so a few ribs + 1 ankle + pelvis and some internal bleeding here and there. Wasn't a fun Xmas that year. Anyway, I digress...that's what the recovery mechanic told me on the spot (having taken a look under the bonnet at the time, and handed me some shreds of the cambelt), which was confirmed by the Citroen service manager (who initially refused to acknowledge responsibility, until I pointed out the cambelt change charge on the 2 or 3-hour old service bill. And, a bit of a low-voiced but deadly-serious conversation later, the culprit and the fault were duly identified, and a courtesy car arranged in less time than it takes to type it ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frededwards Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Which part of "and once ON THE M1 when an Alfa Romeo had "a bit of an issue" with it's Selespeed gearbox." did you fail to grasp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Which part of "and once ON THE M1 when an Alfa Romeo had "a bit of an issue" with it's Selespeed gearbox." did you fail to grasp? I grasped all of it....do I have to comment on every word you write...? You're not that interesting.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frededwards Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 I grasped all of it....do I have to comment on every word you write...? You're not that interesting.... Indeed you don't, but kindly refrain from quoting me selectively to try and twist my meaning to fit your agenda. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
truman Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Indeed you don't, but kindly refrain from quoting me selectively to try and twist my meaning to fit your agenda. I have no agenda..what's the point in quoting stuff I'm not replying to? What is my agenda? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.