Cam Belt Replacement

[Clive Beeza]

Whats a cam belt?
I've got an 11 year old Peugeot Partner on all its original belts and ancillaries at 118,000 miles
I'll keep going until I hear the snap!

Not a good idea Duane, you have stretched your good luck to the limit with no belt change at 118,000 mls
when you hear the "snap" that could very well be terminal for your engine, and it will be too late for just a belt replacement
bent valves, broken valve guides ,cracked cylinder head, damaged piston tops are all possibilities

 

[two]

I had a cam belt go prematurely in an Astra. It was inconvenient and quite expensive, but repairable. I put it down to bad luck and don't tend to worry about them.
You can worry about far too much, if you're determined to...

 

[Silver-Fox]

Perhaps worth considering what you do when it snaps in the 3rd lane of a motorway.

Just a thought.

Probably need a sweeping brush and a shovel

 

[Chris Stephens]

An independent mechanic insisted on changing the belts on my Ducato 2.8 last year because they had done 4 years even though only 10k miles. He found the tensioner was seized (probably before the previous replacement) and the belt was flapping about. It could have jumped its sprockets and been a 3rd lane disaster at any time.

So you can definitely count me in as a cambelt replacement freak!

 

[Chris Stephens]

I had a cam belt go prematurely in an Astra. It was inconvenient and quite expensive, but repairable. I put it down to bad luck and don't tend to worry about them.
You can worry about far too much, if you're determined to...

Or you can look at an engine where the valves have embedded themselves in a piston and chewed up the bore before trashing the cylinder head. "Quite expensive but repairable" wouldn't apply to that sort of damage.

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[Phill D]

Probably need a sweeping brush and a shovel

and a change of underwear!!

 

[Spriddler]

I had a citroen, cam belt went on holiday in Cornwall, car was a right off as the pistons shot up through the engine

I doubt that the pistons would do that but a broken belt could certainly lead to damage to the valves and piston on one or possibly two cylinders, writing off the engine.
However, I used to drive daily from Portreath on the N coast of Cornwall to my work at Falmouth docks in my partner's VW Polo. The cam belt broke and I towed it back home. I replaced the cambelt and did a compression test which showed that the valves were mullered on just one cylinder. I left the spark plug out of the duff cylinder and drove it the 20 miles to work where the lads were pleased to be given a 'Homer' to work on.

 

[jockaneezer]

A Mk 1, 1300 Astra I had, just stopped as I pulled up next to a diagonal parking space, just as I put it into reverse to back into the bay. I cranked it over a couple of times but it refused to start. I got out and pushed it into the space and as the car rolled back, there were three rubber teeth off the timing belt lying on the floor. They had been spun off by the crankshaft pulley. A new belt sorted it as there was no valve damage.

 

[Silver-Fox]

A Mk 1, 1300 Astra I had, just stopped as I pulled up next to a diagonal parking space, just as I put it into reverse to back into the bay. I cranked it over a couple of times but it refused to start. I got out and pushed it into the space and as the car rolled back, there were three rubber teeth off the timing belt lying on the floor. They had been spun off by the crankshaft pulley. A new belt sorted it as there was no valve damage.

Some early Vauxhall’s were non interference engines

 

[The general]

Perhaps worth considering what you do when it snaps in the 3rd lane of a motorway.

Just a thought.

What are the chances of that happening , you could say that about a blow out , etc

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[duane0001]

What are the chances of that happening , you could say that about a blow out , etc

The chances it happening to me in the peugeot is zero, I don’t do motorways, and definitely not in the peugeot, I would use my sprinter if I really had to, I live a good 50 miles plus from the nearest motorway, it’s mostly country roads I use

 

[Sundowners]

I had the water pump disintegrate on our 1900 Alhambra--- when the mechanic had it stripped down he showed me the water pump with no vanes on it---- definitely need replacing------ but he said the belt is good should he replace it?? I insisted as it is apart to fit a complete kit. ( when the last belt was fitted the pump wasn't replaced!!)
I am not scared of belt breaking ----- but I have had one scrap a van in the past so I am fully aware of the inconvenience

 

[Spriddler]

Some petrol engines are 'interference safe' meaning that the pistons won't hit the valves in the event of cam belt breakage and will only need replacement of the belt. Diesel engines have much higher comp ratios which means less clearance between valves and pistons. I don't think are any interference safe diesel engines.

 

[BILL 875]

Typical Fiat, cam belt 5yrs or 65000 mls gear box oil did someone say 3 yrs, Toyota Land Cruiser 10 yrs or 100,000 mls gear box 500,000 mls or if it breaks, Fiats are not real the best out there IMHO. Bill

 

[dunnah01]

Surely it would make sense to check cambelt is still fully tensioned every year or so even if no intention to replace. Later Alfa diesels have a weakened rocker arms which are intended to fail before valves bend when pistons get hit.
Glad my 3.0 has chains as they give emls due to slider/slipper wear long before the chain breaks.

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[eurajohn]

Wonder why it is so many "experts" continually poke fun and suggest Fiat are crap!
Don't think Fiat are the best and certainly they aren't the worst.
Why is so many contributors with no vehicle mechanical knowledge or experience continue to post utter crap advice and opinions they have imagined or regurgitated from some unreliable source.
If they had an understanding or real knowledge they would be aware, that on many engines the cam belt aso drives the water pump, either by the tooth side or often by the smooth side should the water pump bearings fail then the cam belt will do likewise and the outcome will definitely be a very large repair bill.
Manufacturers do actually carry out considerable research and testing, the advice / recommendations they issue are given for good reason, ignore them at your peril, yes they may err on the safe side but exactly that the safe side.
There will always be stories discounting such advice, believe them and follow such advice but don't cry when you find yourself marooned miles from anywhere with a now expensive liability, that was once your pride and joy.

 

[duane0001]

Fiat don’t really do large engines very well, the so called heavy duty engines are all iveco, the 2.3 /2.8 and the 3.0, in my opinion for what it’s worth commercial vehicle engines should be chain driven, mercedes got it right in the last Sprinter engine, the OM651, it’s gear driven halfway up the engine and the short simplex chain runs off the high pressure pump straight to the twin cams, this being said, it’s all going to be null and void in 10 years!

 

[dunnah01]

Fiat don’t really do large engines very well, the so called heavy duty engines are all iveco, the 2.3 /2.8 and the 3.0, in my opinion for what it’s worth commercial vehicle engines should be chain driven, mercedes got it right in the last Sprinter engine, the OM651, it’s gear driven halfway up the engine and the short simplex chain runs off the high pressure pump straight to the twin cams, this being said, it’s all going to be null and void in 10 years!

The fiat 3.0 in mine is an Iveco lump with chains

 

[Silver-Fox]

There will always be stories discounting such advice, believe them and follow such advice but don't cry when you find yourself marooned miles from anywhere with a now expensive liability, that was once your pride and joy.

Anyone that has changed a cam belt themselves or had a look at a belt that’s done 5 to 10 years work or 100k will know the value of regular changes.

Every time I change one the first thing I do after taking the belt off is turn it inside out and bend it flat.
That shows up the defects after a lot of work it’s done.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Surely it would make sense to check cambelt is still fully tensioned every year or so even if no intention to replace

Most of the work is getting to the belt I’ve found.

If your that close you may as well change it

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[duane0001]

The fiat 3.0 in mine is an Iveco lump with chains

Yes, duplex bottom and simplex top, not a bad design on that one,

 

[dunnah01]

Most of the work is getting to the belt I’ve found.

If your that close you may as well change it

Every belt I've had has had a removable top section to the cover to let you see the state of the belt and give it a little twist to check it's still something like tight. Agree that taking off the belt is a PITA.

 

[Silver-Fox]

Every belt I've had has had a removable top section to the cover to let you see the state of the belt and give it a little twist to check it's still something like tight. Agree that taking off the belt is a PITA.

Yes you can normally take the bit of plastic off the top.

But difficult to see how it’s deteriorated or check tension.

Well that’s what I think

 

[two]

Or you can look at an engine where the valves have embedded themselves in a piston and chewed up the bore before trashing the cylinder head. "Quite expensive but repairable" wouldn't apply to that sort of damage.

Fair point, I suppose I should think myself lucky that my experience wasn't as bad as that. But neither should we fear the worst case scenario when the chances are that it'd be something less than that.

 

[Geo]

Make your engine happy
leave the belt alone your engine will tell you when it wants one
Here is a Happy Engine, Somtimes you can hear them laughing at you

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[Geo]

Windy in the workshop today

 

[2657]

Fiat don’t really do large engines very well,

They used to!

 

[duane0001]

They used to! View attachment 463965View attachment 463968

I don’t think that will fit in the Ducato, it would take too much of the payload

 

[Lenny HB]

Fiat don’t really do large engines very well, the so called heavy duty engines are all iveco, the 2.3 /2.8 and the 3.0, in my opinion for what it’s worth commercial vehicle engines should be chain driven, mercedes got it right in the last Sprinter engine, the OM651, it’s gear driven halfway up the engine and the short simplex chain runs off the high pressure pump straight to the twin cams, this being said, it’s all going to be null and void in 10 years!

The 2.3 in the Ducato is an Iveco engine.

 

[Hettie's Crew]

A mechanic neighbour of mine was working on an Alfa Romeo that had come in with the cam belt snapping, expecting major engine damage.
Turned out that particularly engine had followers designed to snap off. He replaced the followers that had snapped and it was running perfect again.

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