Cam belt failure, new belt and head gasket but won't start

A couple of weeks ago my cam belt failed on the motorway, I decided that I would try and fix it myself as it wasent worth taking it to a garage to repair as it's only a 2002. I took the head off and had it skimmed, replaced the valve seals and valves & adjusted the valve clearances. I locked the cam in place with the special tool but when I tried to start it up it just turned over and didn't fire up - it also seemed to be turning over with a more high pitched noise than normal. I went back to the Haynes manual to see what I had done wrong and it appears that I didn't lock the fly wheel. I read that I have probably bent my valves again? Is this right? How do I find the right position to lock the fly wheel as it must have moved out of the correct position when the cam belt failed? Am I completely doomed and wasted near on £500 or is there a way back for my little car. It's a 2002 1.4 sx 8v. Any advice will be much appreciated!!!

Clare_1975 wrote:I went back to the Haynes manual to see what I had done wrong and it appears that I didn't lock the fly wheel. I read that I have probably bent my valves again? Is this right? How do I find the right position to lock the fly wheel as it must have moved out of the correct position when the cam belt failed?

The flywheel is connected to the crank and this rotates as the engine rotates, so it was rotating when the cam belt failed.

You can't replace the cam belt with the the camshaft locked off without having the crank in the correct position for the ignition cycle because the timing will be out, and the engine will never run.

The cam and crank have to rotate in a very synchronised way, this is achieved by the different sized cam and crank pulleys and the special timing belt. If the crank rotation is not exactly correct for the cam position in its cycle the engine won't run. The 2 locking points ensure the 2 parts are synchronised.

The crank/flywheel locking off point is on the flywheel end of the engine, the picture is of the diesel engine.

The petrol in not underneath as seen in the diesel, but on the side of the cylinder block flange.
There is a picture in the Haynes Manual (here)

There is one hole in the fly wheel and when the fly wheel is rotated its hole will align with the hole in the flange allowing a locking pin to be inserted and locking off the flywheel in the correct position for the engine of the cam has been locked off correctly.

Clare_1975 wrote: I read that I have probably bent my valves again? Is this right?

Probably not, you may be ok there.

Clare_1975 wrote:Am I completely doomed and wasted near on £500 or is there a way back for my little car.

Cam belt and head off if you do it yourself should be no where near £500 as its a parts only job.

Clare_1975 wrote:Any advice will be much appreciated!!!

I hope that gives you a few pointers