Friend of mine has gotten a ZX16v with the older 155bhp S16 engine... Now he's asked a few questions on 306.net, but as usual, they're quite useless at responding with anything useful...

Recently he did a cambelt change on it, all went according to plan until start time, barely starts, runs on 2 cylinders and cyl.3 inlet runner gets quite warm... So ripped off the cylinder head, and sure enough, bent the inlet valve on cyl.3 with the typical s**tty tensioner design... The head gasket looked knackered anyway, bit of mayo in the oil breathers etc...

Now obviously he could do with a few new valves, how much is a set, I think it was just the T16s that had the sodium filled exhaust valves - so they aren't anything too special!? Does anyone know a place to get a set, or at least someone who has 2 or 3 inlet and exhausts incase any more are bent - he's having the head checked, skimmed and pressure tested (it never overheated... so hopefully not too much of an issue...)

Whilst the head is off, is there anything useful to be done?! Does the GTi exhaust fannymould fit? I think he wants to keep the ACAV system though... Is there much point in porting/polishing the head at all!?

Thanks very much for any info!

Ruan (on behalf of Cromptons on 306.net)

What's the theory behind changing them, since they're both manual tensioners, it's wierd since you can place it all back, tension them, with everything locked off, run them through a load by hand, check again and it's all in the right position and everything locks instantly... Yet start it and you bend the shit out of everything?!

Yeah, it was locked off when the belt was taken off?!

We think it was bent when cranking through by hand the first time round where the tension had pulled it off to one side and it contacted a valve just through turning it by hand, which I'm surprised it did any damage to... I thought that's why you turned it through by hand!

Oh well, damage has been done now, know for next time!

Yeah, the crank pulley was turned about 6 times... At least, not just the once, definitely pulled it through a load of times... We assume it was when trying it first time round, when it contacted valves it bent them then... Unbelievable but everything when it ran was still correct - so we're a bit baffled really - everything timed up, that's why we were a bit shocked we bent things, admittedly it's NAFF all, but enough for it to not seal quite right.