Spoke to a guy with a 2.0ltr 170 Soopy whose cambelt slipped due to ensioner failure, reckons the resulting damage was only cam followers a bit like the old Ford transit 2.5di

 

sameday repair

said it has "vertical valves" so they just ride up and down once the followers smash

I hope I never find out whether this is true with my car as a guinea pig anyway. Looking at pictures of the head in the VW study guide for the engine the valves do look to be vertical in the head. It doesn't necessarily mean the valves can just ride up and down though as the piston underneath has a raised outer edge, which will touch down on one side of the valve and most likely bend it if the piston hits the valve, leaving the valve jamming sideways in its guides. It may all depend on whether it jams with the valve open so the piston can keep hammering it or with the valve closed.

Theres a cambelt changers "Bible" that gives time fo change and what damage - if any - a failure results in

 

 

I had a 1.6ltr petrol montego belt fail = no engine damage

 

mate had a 2.0ltr Rover 820 (Honda engine?) fail and it cost about a grand 20 years ago