Cam belt change

Post by **ultimatehandyman** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 12:53 pm

I watched wheeler dealers yesterday and the mechanic (think he is called Eddie) changed a timing belt on a 205 GTI, but he never pinned any of the sprockets to stop them moving, he just alligned the sprockets to marks on the engine and then took the old one off and fitted the new one.

He made it look like an idiot could do it, but the instructions were a little lacking. Once he had removed the old belt, he just kind of said "then fit the new timing belt" and never showed you how to tension it or anything

Hitch · Post by **Hitch** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 8:40 am

I dont think its quite so critcial on a petrol engine. Dont have much to do with petrol myself

stevemastic · Post by **stevemastic** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:43 am

you oniy need 1 tooth out to run like a bag of sh*te on petrol thats if it will start at all

Hitch · Post by **Hitch** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 9:46 am

Said i didnt know much about petrol

Hitch · Post by **Hitch** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:09 am

I suppose its obvious when you think about it.

owen · Post by **owen** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 10:17 am

i've only done a couple, but the actual job is fairly straighforward as others have said, providing you lock everything in position. the main problem with a lot of engines is access, you end up having to take a lot of stuff out of the way to get to it.

jason123 · Post by **jason123** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:26 pm

If you want to turn the engine over by hand, its a difficult task on a petrol engine, I think impossible on a diesel, which the glow plugs out

Oh and of course, you do know what the engine is going to do when you approach TDC by hand with the plugs in.

Tryanything · Post by **Tryanything** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 12:01 am

jason123 wrote:
Oh and of course, you do know what the engine is going to do when you approach TDC by hand with the plugs in.

Give me a clue

jason123 · Post by **jason123** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 12:37 am

With modern engine management systems it probably wouldnt happen, but of old, you crank the engine over by hand, diesel is drawn into the cylinders and you crank over, deisel ignites on compression, if you were strong enough to approach TDC with fuel in the cylinders it will ignite and you will go to casualty

iceni · Post by **iceni** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:20 pm

I've changed the belts on my current Escort a couple of times and changed the previous one a couple of times also.

Get a Haynes manual as previously suggested, always useful even if you know what you are doing.

You need a couple of drill bits tp lock the drive gears for one type or a drill bit and a flat steel plate about 4mm thick (fits in free end of camshaft) for other type. You also need a special pin to locate the crankshaft.

This pin fits through the alternator bracket, difficult to see (you need a small mirror) so the alternator needs to come off. No need to remove the steering pump, you can release the feed pipe and pull it far enough away to get access.

Its normally recomended to buy a kit that includes a new pulleys/tensioner. having gone to the trouble of getting all this lot apart you may as well fit one.

owen · Post by **owen** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:50 pm

yep good point about the tensioners, i had a fiat coupe that died about a year ago when the tensioner went, belt slipped and engine was knackered.

someone had actually gone to the trouble of changing the belt about 6 months previous to me buying it, but had scrimped on the tensioner pulley to save a few quid

uncle buck · Post by **uncle buck** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:03 am

jason123 wrote:With modern engine management systems it probably wouldnt happen, but of old, you crank the engine over by hand, diesel is drawn into the cylinders and you crank over, deisel ignites on compression, if you were strong enough to approach TDC with fuel in the cylinders it will ignite and you will go to casualty

You would have to be turning the engine over very fast for that to happen.
Diesel is ignited by the heat caused from the compression of the air in the cylinder.

simpleplumb · Post by **simpleplumb** » Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:18 pm

dont do it the hire van is warmer and has good sleeping position

Rich-Ando · Post by **Rich-Ando** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 1:40 pm

i have always changed the tensioners and water pump at the same time.

if you just change the cambelt you end up putting a new belt on and leaving an old part on. the new belt will be stronger than the one you took off and therefore producing more torque on the OLD tensioner. you are gambling and as mentioned above, for the same reasons it isn't worth it.

having cost myself a lot of money over the years because i lose my temper when doing mechanics, i now pay out for it to be done. i recently had the belt and bits changed on my escort van. all included came to £130. the van has never driven so well !!!!

saying that, i have also had a belt snap on an old petrol Ford Orion years ago and i was lucky enough to have nothing go wrong with the engine. Yet 4 years ago, a belt snapped on a 306D turbo and it destroyed the engine.

i get them changed regularly now.

Hitch · Post by **Hitch** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 9:39 pm

I used to be like that Rich.... II had to do a clutch cable... big bar in the top of gearbox.... pull cable, bar slipped out, had my hand... so i threw it and dented the bonnet, then kicked hell into the front bumper

Luckily, it was only a fiesta

Cam belt change

cam belt