When the timing chain snaps in a ford transit will it destroy the engine?
If you were attempting to ‘bump’ start the engine then the engine would have been spinning (driven by the wheels) at the time that the chain broke. That would leave some of the poor valves stuck in the open or ‘down’ position as the pistons were driven upwards again, crashing into the open valves (depending on engine type) This would undoubtedly cause some damage. At very least you need a new chain so any potential damage can be checked out at the same time. It doesn’t mean for sure that the engine is a total write off. For future ref, modern vehicles are better started using a ‘slave’ battery (jump leads) than by pushing, especially when very cold and the engine is tight.
