Cam belt

[cockneychris]

My mk3 is due its belts to be done although it has only done 68000 miles (good for a 57 plate) but it is ten years old. Now my thinking is to have the belt done, auto adjuster, idler/spinney thing and the water pump done at the same time as I think that this makes sense. Have I missed anything?

I have prices ranging from Ã,£499 at a Ford dealer, Ã,£409, Ã,£420 and Ã,£408. it is only the Ford dealer that is using all Ford parts. Is it worth paying the extra at a Ford dealer for piece of mind or do you think any of those prices would be alright. If I have it done at Fords do you think I will get a replacement car for the day. I guess I should just ask them for that last bit.

[insanitybeard]

If you wanted to use genuine Ford parts there's no reason why you couldn't buy the parts yourself and just give them to your chosen independent garage to fit if you didn't want to pay main dealer prices, but it's your call. Parts diagram suggests Ford do a kit (item 8A615B which contains all items marked with the orange square) containing the belt, tensioner, idler and water pump, though bizarrely the fixing bolts may not be included but in a separate kit! (8A615C) There's several different versions of the 2 litre TDCI by the looks of it so the diagram I've linked may not be the correct one for your vehicle and the part numbers quoted should be taken as a guide only but it gives you an idea.

[johnnyroper]

If you go to Euro car parts you will probably find the kits they sell are Dayco or similar which will most likely be OE supplier anyway.
Not sure about the 2.0tdci of that era but worth checking if lower drive system is cassette belt or chain. I know ford use a cassette belt on some of the diesel lumps and they are prone to fail once they get older,however yours could be the chain type.

As for fitting I would look for a decent Indy garage that will give just as good a job but for less money.

[insanitybeard]

It's the 1.8 lynx diesels that have the enclosed chain drive from crank to fuel pump (changed to wet belt on the later models), the 2 litre is dry belt throughout, though there is a small chain linking the camshafts within the rocker cover as the belt only drives one of the camshafts.

[johnnyroper]

Oh right ok thought it best to mention so OP can check,I know of 3 wet belts failing that have totalled the engines on mondys...... stupid design!

[cockneychris]

Thanks people for your comments it is much appreciated. I have a good BMW indy walking distance from me that I have used before for my 320i. I can trust them I think so will probably take it to them. That would give me a saving of Ã,£90 against Ford and lies midway between the most expensive and the cheapest.

[KingyMAK]

That's not a bad price coming from a stealership, really.

The only thing that would make me go there is the warranty they usually offer, but if you buy the parts from them, you should get it anyways.

[mike wilson]

It's the 1.8 lynx diesels that have the enclosed chain drive from crank to fuel pump (changed to wet belt on the later models), the 2 litre is dry belt throughout, though there is a small chain linking the camshafts within the rocker cover as the belt only drives one of the camshafts.

I would change the chain as well.  It's only a single row chain and it's done ~100K with an unknown number of parameter exceedances.  That and a gasket are very, very cheap insurance.

[cockneychris]

Mike the car has only done 69000 miles and I am only doing the belt as its within the 10 year time frame. The car is a 2.0 litre

[mike wilson]

That's closer to 100K than it is to zero. 

You're changing the water pump only because you have to take off the timing belt to access it, therefore a dealer would charge you for another timing belt change if the pump went after you had done the belt change.  The most likely issue with the pump is a water leak, not catastrophic engine failure.

If you leave the chain another session, it will have done 169k.  I wouldn't bet on it lasting that long.

As I said before; very cheap insurance.

[insanitybeard]

Having said that I'm not sure if the camshafts would have to come out or at least be freed to remove the chain or whether removal of the tensioner would suffice- and if you're replacing the chain, is there also a possibility that the tensioner may cause trouble and should be replaced at the same time? I don't know how much those parts cost but I bet with labour it'd add around Ã,£200 at least on to the job. Just sayin'.

If the camshafts don't need to be removed to replace the chain then it's far to say the chain could be replaced without having to disturb the timing belt again and therefore could be tackled as a separate job if necessary.

EDIT: The presence of the oil seal at the chain end of the camshaft suggests that the chain may be at the same end as the timing belt, coupled with the fact that the chain will almost certainly be endless (i.e, have no joining link) and is sat in it's own 'well' in the cylinder head means that the camshafts will have to come out to replace the chain, increasing the cost of the job somewhat. 

[mike wilson]

I only brought it up because there have been a couple of instances on Talkford of the chain jumping sprockets.  Whether that's the chain or the guide at fault is not determinable, I suppose.

My car; I would change it.  But I have the 1.8 so I am decidedly anal about timing drives.  I've also had a timing chain snap in the past, so I don't see them as the great panacea for belt issues that others seem to.

[cockneychris]

Thanks fellas for the tips I'll ask the mechanic to see what he thinks.

On the subject of the next period coming round at 168 it will actually be around the 198000 mark and at 10000 a year that would take around 12 years to do. I ask myself will I give a damn at 74 years of age or will the car even last as long as that it is in the lap of the gods, as am I, but I'll ask the mechanic anyway as if it is a cheap fix I'll have it and if not I wont.

[mike wilson]

Don't do your yourself down - you were born in a good year. ;-)

My dad's 90 and still drives - better than many I see.

BTW - if you're basing your mileage on the recommended change intervals, note that the interval number stated is a _maximum_.  There are many instances of belts failing at lower number and some at very much lower ones.  I would work on 100k as a maximum.  There are others who use 80k.  The lowest I've known a belt fail from new (i.e factory fitted) is just short of 70k but that was on a 1.8, which is an entirely different design.