Rover owners: Day From HELL!! Snapped Tensioner Bolt!!!

Hello folks,

Here is my Christmas tale of despair & woe.

After all went well with my head gasket replacement last week, I decided that as the cam belt tensioner bolt was a bit rounded, I'd treat myself, & ease my mind, by replacing it with a shiny new gold one, from Rimmer Bros.

The bolt arrived yesterday morning, & I drove down to my mate's house (let's call him 'John', because that's his name. He has the torque wrench). Easy 10 minute job, I thought. Even in the rain!

Cam cover off, old bolt out. No problems. Shiny new genuine patch bolt in, & lightly tightened with a 10mm spanner, ready for the allen key to set the tension, & the torque wrench to get it tightened up.

All went perfectly, I held the allen key, John did the torquing.

John said 'Doesn't feel like it's tightening!', & then ' C R A C K' & John's hands fall into the engine bay..... rapidly. Oh poop!

I felt a bit sick.

Skipping past the swearing, unconsoleable depression, & sick to my stomach feelings, I popped off the tensioner, & saw that there was about 3mm of thread still sticking out proud of the head. Better than flush, or inside the head!

Found a new genuine bolt supplier, 11 miles away, so into his 25, & off to get another one (I bought 2, just in case!).

Removed cam belt, & inlet sprocket, & using John's dremmel, with a cutting disc, I cut a slot into the sticking out part, of what was now, a stud.

Flat head bit into a small ratchet. Pushed it as hard as I could into the newly cut slot, & turned. It only bloody worked!! Hurrah!

Snapped bit out, timing belt on, tensioner back on, & new bolt in.

You can't imagine the fear I felt, tensioning up the new bolt!

All went well though, & I drove home. All good.

I had a VERY lucky escape there, but all down to what was obviously a faulty bolt! The torque wrench was tested against another one, & the calibration was spot on! Must've been a weak spot in the metal.