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cambelt problems (local garages)



  ClioSport 172 Cup
Hi is the timing belt done every 65k ?? My car obviously had it changed at 65k, its now at 102k, not saying I will keep it long or it will run that long...but will I need another timing belt change at 130k??
 
  Renault Sport 182
Will the CAM belt prices from the specialists be going down now they can pick the aux belt kits up for £60 plis VAT?
 
  Lionel Richie
We're £360 all in for the 1.4 16V, based in B'ham

Barry Plant & Son's is in Bicester if that's any good, ask for Neil and tell him Fred sent you
 
  182
Noob here, be gentle!

I've read a lot about the dangers of getting the timing out on RS Clio's, and my friend seems to think that it's nothing to worry about when getting the belt changed by a small garage. They think a strobe check is good enough for verification.

Can anybody explain why RS's require so much more care?

OH the reason I ask is because an independent dealer is selling a 182 that appears to be a bargain, will change all belts when serviced.

Thanks!
 
  172 cup RS2 - 330ci
Noob here, be gentle!

I've read a lot about the dangers of getting the timing out on RS Clio's, and my friend seems to think that it's nothing to worry about when getting the belt changed by a small garage. They think a strobe check is good enough for verification.

Can anybody explain why RS's require so much more care?

OH the reason I ask is because an independent dealer is selling a 182 that appears to be a bargain, will change all belts when serviced.

Thanks!

When I bought my car 4 years ago I had my cousins, (big established garage) which I thought were experts on cars, change my belts.

Didn't think anything of it, few weeks ago I took it to Dan 519 Automotive who noticed the timing was out enough to cost me 15 to 20 bhp.

On the way home the car was transformed! I'll never take it to a non specialist again. Even if it did take me 6 hour return journey to Dans!

Top man, top service
 
  182
When I bought my car 4 years ago I had my cousins, (big established garage) which I thought were experts on cars, change my belts.

Didn't think anything of it, few weeks ago I took it to Dan 519 Automotive who noticed the timing was out enough to cost me 15 to 20 bhp.

On the way home the car was transformed! I'll never take it to a non specialist again. Even if it did take me 6 hour return journey to Dans!

Top man, top service

So then is it because of the teeth resolution? i.e. there are far more teeth per length of belt, in comparison to other engines? Do these local dealers bodge it so its nearly aligned and call it a day?

I really didn't think a belt change could be such a hassle, I initially thought the Clio was just an awkward access problem.
 
  Lionel Richie
^Its a bit more complicated than that, teeth don't come into it

The main problem is the fact its an interference engine (pulleys aren't keyed)

a lot of garages use the non vvt guide for doing the belt, when they should be using the vvt method, 1mm here or there on a k-series doesn't matter, on a 172/182/197/225 etc IT DOES!
 
  PB Clio 172
I completely agree. I'm getting my cambelt and aux belt replaced next month including tensioners and water pump.
It's £620 using genuine Renault parts but that's acceptable when compared to the cost of an engine rebuild!
I've heard that cambelts on these engines often go due to time, not necessarily due to the mileage. Anyone have any comments on this? Mine has done 64k and is nearly 5 years old.

yes thats still a bit steep, I payed £280 for mine and was done the proper way, i knew this as it took him 7 hours!
 
  182
^Its a bit more complicated than that, teeth don't come into itThe main problem is the fact its an interference engine (pulleys aren't keyed)a lot of garages use the non vvt guide for doing the belt, when they should be using the vvt method, 1mm here or there on a k-series doesn't matter, on a 172/182/197/225 etc IT DOES!
The RS Clio VVT guide, is it just different in the arrangement of pulleys and crank or does it go way beyond that? I'm not familiar with the engines VVT method I'm afraid! Is there any chance a local dealer could get the job right without the 'required' tools? Would a strobe check be enough to check their work?Thanks for your patience!
 
  DON'T SEND ME PM'S!!
The RS Clio VVT guide, is it just different in the arrangement of pulleys and crank or does it go way beyond that? I'm not familiar with the engines VVT method I'm afraid! Is there any chance a local dealer could get the job right without the 'required' tools? Would a strobe check be enough to check their work?Thanks for your patience!

a strobe is for checking ignition timing, setting the cam timing is not related. If the tools have not been used, it will be wrong
 
  182
a strobe is for checking ignition timing, setting the cam timing is not related. If the tools have not been used, it will be wrong

Thanks for the info :)

The car I'm looking at has yet to receive the service history from its previous owner! Little worried there and I think it may have out me off!
 
  Golf 7.5R & Clio 200
Don't know if this will be related, my girlfriend had her cam belt changed Thursday, and on Friday it wouldnt start properly. She drives a 52 206, but o you think it could be the cam belt? It just wouldn't turn over, but we did manage to get it going in the end
 

DaveL485

ClioSport Club Member
  21T, 9T, Meglio, V6
Interesting thread. Shows the potential incompetence shown by places you would expect to be fully competent and equipped.

As a new owner to the 172, but a competent home mechanic, I thought i'd share my views of a belt service including Dephaser pulley.
Out of 10 (difficulty), i'd rate it a 6 or a 7 *IF* you have the right tools.
Out of 10 (fiddly-ness) it gets an 8 cos of the god-damn aux belt tensioner. When i turned it back with a 3/8ths drive ratchet, it broke the fitting in half (too lazy to go get the right size square lol) and I had to figure out another way to loop the belt over.

So... The biggest issue to the home mechanic is the floating pulleys. No woodruff keys, no timing marks which seemed stupidity of the highest order to me. Retrospectively though, its not that bad at all. In fact it makes it easier, provided you have to correct locking tool.
I have the right tool to go in the cams on the flywheel side, and the locking pin for the crank. With these you can do the job perfectly well.....you dont need the pulley lock- just remember to crack the pulley bolts off AFTER you lock the crank but BEFORE you release the old cambelt. I found the exhaust pulley bolt very tight and needed a breaker bar to crack it off.....with the pulley free that would bend the cam-lock tool. (Ok, ok, I confess, it DID bend it and I had to revise my approach as described lol).

With the cams, and crank locked in exactly the right place and the free spinning pulleys with loose nuts (oooer mrs), looping the belt over the crank first then idler-cam-cam-idler then tensioner is ridiculously easy. Simply tension the belt before you tighten up the cam pulleys.

I took the headlight and front bumper, and slam panel off to do mine. I'd definitely do that in the future if I do any more....WAY easier for access for the time it takes.
After doing my own I could quite happily do a few more I think, and easily for under £450 including all the parts. Pity the dephaser pulley is so expensive really!
 
  Lionel Richie
you did the dephaser without the pulley tool?

No offense to you, but advising you can do the job perfectly well without the pulley tool is wrong
 

DaveL485

ClioSport Club Member
  21T, 9T, Meglio, V6
you did the dephaser without the pulley tool?

No offense to you, but advising you can do the job perfectly well without the pulley tool is wrong

Um....the car sat on my drive would suggest otherwise. My car, my choice.... What function does the pulley tool serve other than locking the pulleys to crack the nuts off?

Genuine question- not being funny. I don't see that it has any other purpose than that.

(I did purchase the kit with that tool initially but it never showed up and the only other I could find in the required timeframe was the one without).
 
  DON'T SEND ME PM'S!!
the pulley tool is there for tightening the nut/bolt. If you dont, the cams turn and the belt stretches under the torqing force.

You did it wrong
 
  Lionel Richie
it is your car and your choice completley i agree, pop over the workshop and i'll happily show you why you can't do it your way (not being clever, just offering)
 

DaveL485

ClioSport Club Member
  21T, 9T, Meglio, V6
the pulley tool is there for tightening the nut/bolt. If you dont, the cams turn and the belt stretches under the torqing force.

You did it wrong

If 22lb/ft + 86 degrees damages a belt, then I suspect you're using the wrong kit buddy. Also, are you sure that I stressed the belt when tightening? Positive? Were you watching at the time?


it is your car and your choice completley i agree, pop over the workshop and i'll happily show you why you can't do it your way (not being clever, just offering)

Thanks for the kind offer, I might pop over in the Clio that I "did wrong" :D lol.
 

DaveL485

ClioSport Club Member
  21T, 9T, Meglio, V6
Right between the 2 biggest Cadbury locations in the country- which conveniently I travel between regularly :) Do you like Dairy Milk? :p
 
  DON'T SEND ME PM'S!!
If 22lb/ft + 86 degrees damages a belt, then I suspect you're using the wrong kit buddy. Also, are you sure that I stressed the belt when tightening? Positive? Were you watching at the time?

you've misunderstood me. It stretches while it's under torquing force, then springs back into the wrong place "buddy"
 

DaveL485

ClioSport Club Member
  21T, 9T, Meglio, V6
you've misunderstood me. It stretches while it's under torquing force, then springs back into the wrong place "buddy"

You're still assuming that I did stress the belt when tightening. Which I didn't.

I understand your point though, thankyou, and it may serve as good advice to others (although im not sure the attitude is all that necessary?)
 
  clio 182 cup
the thing that catches people out with the f4r ( and the k4m i guess) is that theres no keyways on the engine, its actually dead cleaver really, you undo everything and when you tention the gauge up, all the slack is emediatly zapped out, so then you just tighten everything up, and ding dong, your done, problem is, without the propper tools, when you tighten everything up, without the lockers, stuff can move, and thats how people come unstuck. as most of you will know, the ford zetec is extactly the same. i love the f4r in my 182.:clap:
 

CrippsCorner

ClioSport Club Member
  Astra VXR
Have just read through all 8 pages of this thread! But I still have a question to ask... obviously I now understand why the cambelt job is really for specialists, however, is the aux belt (changed every 36k iirc?) also best left to the specialists? It seems to cost about an extra £100-150 on top of a normal service is that right. Just wondering if I can get away with a local garage for that change, whilst I start to save up for the big one lol. Just for your information my car is on 110k now and the belts were changed @ 74k (2 years ago) looking to get a service booked within the next 2-3 weeks.
 
  DON'T SEND ME PM'S!!
the aux kit is just under £75, and it's a bumper off job to change it. 1.5 hours is fair, which from me makes labout £67.50. For that cost, I doubt a non specialist will do it cheaper, I had a customer yesterday tell me he'd been charged £200 labour and £60 for just a belt
 
  182 Trophy
you've misunderstood me. It stretches while it's under torquing force, then springs back into the wrong place "buddy"

It does? Mine was done with nothing by the cam locking tool originally. (Sometimes you just need to make the best of what you have :/ ) This was checked afterwards with the cam locking tool slotting in freely.

This was checked again 3 months later, the timing was checked with the cam locking tool and the crank pin (out of curiosity, prior to doing the waterpump), and it was spot on?

Maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones :/
 
  clio sport 172 53
i'm getting quoted at least £300 inc vat and the kit to fit the timing belt. They are meant to be a right pain in the arse to fit, has anyone else managed to get a better price?
 


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