Dephaser Problems?

[KitsonRis]

I am going to look at another Ph1 172 tomorrow night as a possible daily car, and the seller has said the depasher is on the way out.
He described the issue as when the engine is up to temperature there is a knocking noise, and if he removes the oil pipe that feeds the depasher the knocking stops.
If this is the dephaser that has had it, is it a simple swap out or is it a new cam belt job? He did say he bought the car with a blown head gasket and fixed that including a cam belt change (no idea why you wouldn't swap the depahser at the same timne seeing as it is on 130k miles).
Just want to know what to look out for and possible haggling points if I do decide to buy it with future costs to rectify the problem.
The price of the car is very good and if this is the only issue it is a bit of a steal! So it would be rude not to.....

 

[bloke]

dephaser is fed from the cam itself so no pipe to remove.

 

[KitsonRis]

I am not too clued up on the workings of the dephaser, I was just quoting what he said. Is he talking trash? Or it could have been a switch or something come to think of it! Sorry, old age memory problems are hitting me far too early!!

 

[bloke]

solenoid on the head controls it's feed.

 

[KitsonRis]

That is probably what he said! He unpluged/removed something and it stopped knocking.
But its a new cam belt too isn't it if the dephaser is raplaced? Just want to know as I have an overall budget for a car and willing to get work done if I can get it for the right price.

Just found out the car's last MoT test expired in January 2015....not sure if this is a good thing!

 

[bloke]

you don't have to put new belt on but it's your call on that one. what you after? just phase 1?

 

[KitsonRis]

Ahh I didn't know you could swap without replacing the belt. But without proof I would be tempted for a new one

Yeah, another Ph1 and ideally not in silver close to OEM as possible and close to be as possible. This one is Odessey blue and looks in good condition with some service history. Not in a rush for a second car atm but this one is local and at the price worth the look. Come January when my budget will be bigger without going into savings I would be willing to travel more. But the right car at the right price etc I would go for now.

 

[bloke]

got a pretty much mint silver phase 1, low mileage. think it's 100% original.

 

[KitsonRis]

Let me have a look at this one tonight and I will let you know.

 

[bloke]

no problem.