Cam Belt Paranoia... (1 Viewer)

PP Bear

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I wonder how many millions of pounds have been spent on the paranoia of cam belts. I'm a mechanical engineer so I know that they need to be changed, the service interval, the cost, whether we should also change the water pumps at the same time etc etc etc, but I do wonder if we ever get it right :Doh:

I've a 2006 Autotrail 2.8 JTD and have covered only 13000 miles from new :thumb: and she's now booked in for an MOT, Habitation Check and her cam belt change. I would/should complete it myself as I'm more than qualified and capable, but seeings as I live in the officers mess at Army HQ, have no tools, no garage and especially no special tools, I'll let the dealers do it for me.

I'm curious and will ask for the old one back, just to see the state that it's in, if it's cracked and worn etc, just for curiosity and then feedback here to share with the other Funsters kind enough to read my posts.

I'm also at that age whereby I don't want to be under the bonnet of my baby, scraping knuckles, swearing with the crack of my butt on display to the world and waking up the next day all stiff in the joints from excessive mechanical exertion.......nope better to pay and let the other experts do the task for me ::bigsmile:.

So i shall let the lovely Laura at Tilshead Caravans Ltd, Salisbury, do the work for me and I can be busy marching up and down the parade square, just like a good soldier should.

Quoted Costs:

MOT £54.85 inc VAT.
Cam-belt £319 inc VAT (need to confirm the water pump yet).
Habitation Check (including bits and bobs) £175 inc VAT.

More to follow once I'm back from my Canadian adventures this weekend, oh and I know what your thinking and fully agree, spending a few hundred now is FAR better than thousands if it breaks::bigsmile:

www.tilshead-caravans.com
 
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PP Bear

PP Bear

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Depends on price of the water pump and if false economy to miss it this time and wait another 5 years or 50,000 miles.

Good advice though and I'm on the case :thumb:

:thanks2:

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Feb 16, 2013
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Never should be that you have to spend hundreds of pounds on something that might break on a motor that's only done 18000 miles, very poor design when you could have chain or gears.
 

pappajohn

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Never should be that you have to spend hundreds of pounds on something that might break on a motor that's only done 18000 miles, very poor design when you could have chain or gears.
Couldnt agree more :thumb:

chains were around from the beginning and did ok.

chains and gear wheels are expensive to produce

belts and pulley's are cheaper to produce.

my Ford 6.8ltr V10 RV engine has chain driven cams....American origin

my Chrysler 3ltr V6 car engine has chain driven cams....German origin

both very expensive engines when they were new
 

Geo

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Couldnt agree more :thumb:

chains were around from the beginning and did ok.

chains and gear wheels are expensive to produce

belts and pulley's are cheaper to produce.

my Ford 6.8ltr V10 RV engine has chain driven cams....American origin

my Chrysler 3ltr V6 car engine has chain driven cams....German origin

both very expensive engines when they were new
John for a Sparky i have to grant you mechanical knowlege and skills beyond the norm
And also point out
My 6.8 Ltr V10 has a chain ---------- American Ford
My Chryler 3ltr V6 also has a chain -------------- German Mercedes
Do you think the uninitiated might learn something from these two posts:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
Geo

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pappajohn

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John for a Sparky i have to grant you mechanical knowlege and skills beyond the norm
And also point out
My 6.8 Ltr V10 has a chain ---------- American Ford
My Chryler 3ltr V6 also has a chain -------------- German Mercedes
Do you think the uninitiated might learn something from these two posts:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
Geo
Yep !!!! buy a Ford or Merc based van :thumb: :roflmto:

you still in love with the 300C then Geo ?
 
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Geo

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Yep !!!! buy a Ford or Merc based van :thumb: :roflmto:

you still in love with the 300C then Geo ?

Yes a superb motor for the money,John
Slightly disappointed with the clonks, :Doh: after telling you I'd sorted them they soon returned :whatthe: now like every other garage it seems I cant pin point them
apart from that, and to be fair its only on really rough roads not ready to swop yet:thumb:
G
 

kiwicamper

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Why would you change a cambelt after only 13000 miles?:Eeek:
The motor is hardly run in at that milage.
We change cambelts at 100000 klms here.

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Geo

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Why would you change a cambelt after only 13000 miles?:Eeek:
The motor is hardly run in at that milage.
We change cambelts at 100000 klms here.

We do here too:thumb:
Probably for the fifth time at those figures:ROFLMAO:

Seriously
Fiat as do others recommend a time limit as well as mileage figure
on our little roads here the average motor home does about 3000 miles a year so at 15000 mile the 5 year time limit is up some are only 4 years between changes
weather and usage conditions here are far worse for the belts than a nice dry climat and 20000 mile annual runs
Now as you say 100 thou is the norm for say a delivery van over here about every two or three years:Eeek:
Geo
 

Shuggy68

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cam belt at 13000

wat drivvel really mate mechanic come on get a grip but its your money:Doh:

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Mar 21, 2009
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Running a garage I’ve seen cambelts fail at 10k and others go to 100k on similar vehicles, the belts themselves are pretty much indestructible, its all the add ons and driving style which can cause premature failure.
By add ons i mean tensioner/ guide pulleys,water pump and whatever the manufactures add on which are the weakest links. We get most belt failures from pulleys breaking up.
Although the belts and pulleys are enclosed they can still suffer from oil/dust ingress. Stop start driving such as taxis puts a heavy burden on these components so my advice is to look at all aspects including of course time and mileage
 
Jan 4, 2012
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Had my belt done last year ,there was no record if, or when it had been changed before i bought it.
Good job they did change it because although the cam belt looked ok, the alternator belt was shredded.
Worth having it done just for that alone, as it is very difficult to see unless stripping it out.:thumb:

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Jaws

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John for a Sparky i have to grant you mechanical knowlege and skills beyond the norm
And also point out
My 6.8 Ltr V10 has a chain ---------- American Ford
My Chryler 3ltr V6 also has a chain -------------- German Mercedes
Do you think the uninitiated might learn something from these two posts:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
Geo

Ummmm.. Might I remind the honourable gentlemen of the Avenger and its death rattle ? :winky:
 
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PP Bear

PP Bear

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Why would you change a cambelt after only 13000 miles?:Eeek:
The motor is hardly run in at that milage.
We change cambelts at 100000 klms here.


I fully agree and wish the manual quoted that too, but it's on a time or mileage schedule. It's meant to be changed after 5 years which was 2 years ago in my case and hence the paranoia quote in the first place. The belt would probably run on for thousands more miles, but I'm just not going to chance it as it an expensive gamble if I got it wrong.

Just have to buy the Frau one less handbag me thinks ::bigsmile:

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Mel

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Just found this on the Fiat Ducato Motorhome site


When do I have to replace the timing belt/chain?

The "for life" timing chain of 100 MultiJet, 160 MultiJet Power and 180 MultiJet Power engines does not need to be replaced.
120 MultiJet, 130 MultiJet and 150 MultiJet engines have a timing belt which must be checked every 90,000 km and replaced every 180,000 km on Euro 4 engines,
and checked every 96,000 km and replaced every 192,000 km on Euro 5 engines.
On 115 MultiJet engines on the other hand, the belt must be checked every 48,000 km and replaced every 144,000 km.In all cases, the belt must be replaced every 5 years.
 

haganap

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I'm an oldbie MH number 9
I was told my 07 Boxer has a chain, or am I suffering from a false sense of security? :Confused:

It depends Rolf but worth checking out.

From memory the 2.2 and the 3-0l derivetives are on chains. The 2.3 is on a belt. I of course know this because mine is a 2.3 and has a belt. But whilst researching I saw many that were on chains and got excited..

Ring your main dealer and check. Don't say haggers said.:thumb:
 

Mel

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This is the link

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haganap

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Amazing isn't it.. I have had a belt on my trousers for over 20 years, it's been stretched and shrank that many times but still works perfect.

It's done at least 90k on being pulled off and tightened up.

Maybe the answer is to make the belts out of leather :thumb:::bigsmile:
 
Dec 6, 2011
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its a dangerous potentially expensive game to play, not to change a cam belt.

The belt is constantly in tension whether running or not and also affected by heat from the engine. like many other components it is better off in use than not. so our ( generally ) short running is not the best for the belt.
they harden with age and degrade when under tension in the same place for weeks at a time, then the teeth strip under load ( not a pretty site ).

there will be some safety ,margin on the manufacturers recommendations but that will depend on your driving style, local conditions and too many variable to trust.
 
Mar 21, 2009
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Just found this on the Fiat Ducato Motorhome site


When do I have to replace the timing belt/chain?

The "for life" timing chain of 100 MultiJet, 160 MultiJet Power and 180 MultiJet Power engines does not need to be replaced.
120 MultiJet, 130 MultiJet and 150 MultiJet engines have a timing belt which must be checked every 90,000 km and replaced every 180,000 km on Euro 4 engines,
and checked every 96,000 km and replaced every 192,000 km on Euro 5 engines.
On 115 MultiJet engines on the other hand, the belt must be checked every 48,000 km and replaced every 144,000 km.In all cases, the belt must be replaced every 5 years.

"CHECK CAMBELT" This really annoys me from the manufacturer, How can you check a cambelt conclusively
you normality have to strip out so much to see it you may as well replace.
To me this just seems a get out clause.
Cam belt broken at 50k Sir
did you get it checked at 48k?

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pappajohn

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Yes a superb motor for the money,John
Slightly disappointed with the clonks, :Doh: after telling you I'd sorted them they soon returned :whatthe: now like every other garage it seems I cant pin point them
apart from that, and to be fair its only on really rough roads not ready to swop yet:thumb:
G
what clunks Geo ????

mine stopped ages ago......or is it just me ignoring them :RollEyes: :roflmto:

seriously, I did find the cause on mine......one of the two lower front ball joints on the driver side, but which one i haven't worked out yet...come the warm weather I'll look into it further.

one is replaceable (30 odd quid) and one is part of the front tension/control strut....(75 quid).


Link RemovedLink Removed

raise the wheel and whack the tyre sidewall with a lump hammer....clunk, clunk.

get a helper to stick a screwdriver/lever between the ball joints and apply pressure, then whack it again......aaah bliss !.....silence.
 
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Bailey58

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It depends Rolf but worth checking out.

From memory the 2.2 and the 3-0l derivetives are on chains. The 2.3 is on a belt. I of course know this because mine is a 2.3 and has a belt. But whilst researching I saw many that were on chains and got excited..

Ring your main dealer and check. Don't say haggers said.:thumb:

Thanks for that, I was just testing the water's :RollEyes:, mine's the 2.2 and I was told it had a chain by my main dealer when it was serviced last year so I'm safe. :roflmto:
 
Jul 28, 2010
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ignore service intervals at your peril and a cost to your wallet:Doh:
it is not worth trying to skimp to save money as in the end it will cost you more
the problem is far to many people buy a motorhome on credit (high interest rates and repayments) that they can just about afford to put fuel in it and go away a few time a year
once its four years old neglected in the TLC due to low funds
its part exchanged for another one on Credit over four to five years

these second hand motors then get sold on with only part servicing done by a reluctant dealer only when its sold

the main things like weather seals on roof and wall channels engine and gear boxes are not kept in great condition
then BANG !! shit hits the fan

i can not afford a new £120K RV
so i may be go over board on servicing and repair to keep my fifteen year old RV in good condition
its far cheaper in the long term than paying thousands of pounds i will never have

as i said Skimp and find out the hard way

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OP
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PP Bear

PP Bear

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Great picture that really brings home the risks we take with the timing belt.....leave it at your peril and it'll turn around and bite you::bigsmile:

seen at my MoT station last week and worth sharing with my fellow funsters :thumb::thumb:
 

voyager 1

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My expereance of a cam belt failior was a bloody expensive one:cry:
This van concerned was a 2.8 idtd Fiat Ducato C Class Swift Royal. the milage was 24000 it was fully serviced by Fiat from new, all service intervals were corcetly adhered to .The belt snapped with catastrofic results, It wrecked all the valves including dropping a valve into the bore of one pot causing the piston to chew it up and score the bore, metal got on to the crank and damaged that as well.The cambelt was not due to be changed either milage wise or time wise Fiat were not forthcoming with any help because it happend 10 weeks out of its warranty so don`t leave your cambelt to chance because a few hundred pounds spent now is better then a few thousand pounds spent later if ignored.
 

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