Sorry! Yet another cambelt question!

[Danith]

I've done a lot of searches on here and not getting specific answers (if there are any for this particular question).

Basically I've just bought a 53 plate Cup on 69500 miles. The book is stamped for a belt changed at 59k in 2010, but there's no receipt to show this. The guy I bought it off was really sound and says he can get me the receipt if needed - which suggests he got a non specialist mate to do it or something. He also says he asked the guy who did it and says the dephaser was never done at the time - as I noticed it's VERY noisy once the engine gets up to temp.
The alternator belt (aux belt?) maybe needs tightening aswell as I get a squeal on start up very briefly and I noticed only one time when driving that one of the dashboard lights flickers now and again - this should be an easy tighten up job on the alternator?

Anyway, I always budgeted to get a cambelt change on any 172 I bought - purely for peace of mind! And regardless of the supposed belt change at 59k it's coming up to the magical 72k (just in case the belts were never changed at all and the book's stamp is no legit!).

What I'm asking really is, are there any checks I can do to at least make sure the tensioners aren't completely shafted or loose? I want to use the car for short journeys a couple of nights next week, an 80 mile round motorway trip this weekend and a 50 odd mile trip to a specialist in a couple of weeks. I don't use it to commute at all.

Oh, and pretty sure the main engine mount by the cambelt is starting to feel a bit worse for wear!

I'm not a mechanic, so anything I've said that's complete b***cks, etc - please go easy!

Friendly advice please!

 

[Fred@BTM]

if you're not a complete r****d with the spanners do the following

undo the 4 x 16mm bolts on the engine mount
place jack under engine and lift it up a bit
then remove the 3 x 16mm bolts on the cam cover and lift it off

have a look at the belt, turn the engine over by hand with an 18mm socket on the crank pulley and have a look for the writing on the belt, it'll be pretty obvious if the belt is recent

 

[Ian_s]

The aux belt has an automatic tensioner, it may be seized. If this is the case it points to it not being changed when the cambelt was done (if the cambelt was done at all)

I don't know of a way of checking cambelt idlers - I'd get everything changed ASAP

 

[Fred@BTM]

^172 cup

 

[Danith]

Unfortunately Fred, I am indeed a complete r****d with spanners! Give me a calculator and a balance sheet and I'm more at home!

My pal 'Sticky Dave' is much more adept to this and has these items, I'll ask him to have a look tomorrow for me.

Cheers Fred - AGAIN! You should start earning royalties for these thread posts.

if you're not a complete r****d with the spanners do the following

undo the 4 x 16mm bolts on the engine mount
place jack under engine and lift it up a bit
then remove the 3 x 16mm bolts on the cam cover and lift it off

have a look at the belt, turn the engine over by hand with an 18mm socket on the crank pulley and have a look for the writing on the belt, it'll be pretty obvious if the belt is recent

 

[Danith]

Cheers Ian, although I'm not reading that as good news?

Fred - 172 Cup suggests......? Sorry I'm not sure what that implies? The cup has a good old fashioned nut and sliding arm type alternator tightening thingy?

 

[Fred@BTM]

yep, normal aircon cars have the auto tensioner on the aux belt, 172 cup is easy!

 

[Naith]

save the effort and get it to fred! thats what i always do lol

 

[Danith]

JOBS A GOOD'UN! So glad I bought a cup for all this cambelt ballache! So at least this should cure my start up squeakage?!

My sphincter is going to be twitching like a rabbits nose until I get the cambelt and dephaser done though! I bet the previous owner never did the tensioners!

 

[Fred@BTM]

you'd have to be a grade A muppet not to do them, no point going to all the effort to only fit a belt

 

[Danith]

Booked it in @ Birchdown for the 23rd already cos they're much closer to where I am now. Fred did my last ph1 and was a gentleman and a scholar but double the distance of Birchdown now. Otherwise I'd have booked it in @ BTM!

save the effort and get it to fred! thats what i always do lol

 

[Emma.]

I have a little bit of a squeak on start up and my belts and dephaser were changed by a reputable specialist just over a year a go. Only squeaks now it's cold. Goes away as soon as the engine warms up.

 

[Fred@BTM]

don't worry, Birchdown are good lads you're in safe hands!

 

[Danith]

I really hope he wasn't a grade A. I remember garages quoting me years ago when I got my first ph1 for prices of around £150 for a belt change so guessing that's literally just whacking a belt on! Who knows?! Hopefully these were changed @ 59k, but worst case scenario and they weren't - at least I'm still below the dreaded 72k? Or should they only last 36k?

you'd have to be a grade A muppet not to do them, no point going to all the effort to only fit a belt

 

[Naith]

didnt see your location, lads at birchdown are top notch too!

 

[Danith]

I have a little bit of a squeak on start up and my belts and dephaser were changed by a reputable specialist just over a year a go. Only squeaks now it's cold. Goes away as soon as the engine warms up.

Yeah same for mine. Although it did do it once while I was actually driving through thick fog - guessing this is just moisture making it slip again?

 

[guysy]

Sorry to but in, but also bought the car with a stamp for cambelt but not sure if its been changed so going to have it re done, and cant be sure the propper locking tools where used so will be changing them as soon as possible...

In the mean time my engine mount and upper gear box mount need changing.. or could do with... Fred or anyone else can you jack the engine slightly just on the sump with a bit of wood?

At the same time i want to see if the cam belt looks new, so you just put the 18mm socket on and turn towards the front of the car? or ?

Thanks, and sorry for the hijack OP.

 

[Chip-mk1]

No problem at all jacking the engine on the sump with a block of wood.

 

[Danith]

Sorry to but in, but also bought the car with a stamp for cambelt but not sure if its been changed so going to have it re done, and cant be sure the propper locking tools where used so will be changing them as soon as possible...

In the mean time my engine mount and upper gear box mount need changing.. or could do with... Fred or anyone else can you jack the engine slightly just on the sump with a bit of wood?

At the same time i want to see if the cam belt looks new, so you just put the 18mm socket on and turn towards the front of the car? or ?

Thanks, and sorry for the hijack OP.

No probs! Crack on! What do you think about the tensioners lasting 36k/72k? Am I taking a big risk using it for another 100 miles or so over the next couple of weeks?

 

[guysy]

To be honest mate im not an expert, but if you ask most they will tell you dont drive it or just get it done asap... a lot of people are driving around cars with original belts for silly K miles, id just take it easy and get them changed as soon as its possible.

 

[Chip-mk1]

The odds of it failing in the next 100 miles are very small, especially if you keep the revs down.

Obviously no one can tell you for definate though.

 

[Danith]

Cheers all. God I've missed the quick answers and advice on this forum! The other forums I was on took ages to get a reply (if any) and the 106 gti forum was just full of kids

 

[guysy]

Mines on 54k it was bought by the previous owner from a "country dealership" or a similar name, he spent fortunes on the car using Renault for the servicing and everything else, but the cambelt was agreed to be changed at the time of sale, probably by there mechanics, I will see when changing the mount if any tippex marks are there, but the car feels fine, i do sometimes wonder if its down on power or just my paranoia.

At the end of the day i cant be sure if the tensioners where changed or even the aux belt was... so it will have to be done...

Can anyone tell me where the socket goes to turn the engine over and how its done please? cheers.

 

[Danith]

Yeah to be honest, this ph2 doesn't feel as quick as my last ph1's. doesn't seem to rev as well. Can't wait to get the belt and dephaser done! Hopefully it will make all the difference. I think you should always budget for a belts change on these cars unless you know it was fettled by a known specialist.

 

[guysy]

Coming from a 1.2 its fast for me, Ive just got used to the extra power now, and im always doubting things, but the belts change will put my mind at ease, and with the stainless exhaust and things on i like the feeling of future proofing the car.

I knew id have to spend around 5 hundred for the belts, but the depahser being a talked about thing now im going to have it changed as well probably, can you PM me how much youve been quoted for the work if possible?

Thanks.