2.8 JTD camshaft cover

[Rusty Pumper]

Hello folks,

A few weeks ago I had my cambelt replaced on my 2002 Swift Ducato 2.8 JTD engine, and handed over my hard earned £275 requested, for the convenience.

All seemed well, so I booked my MOT, due next week, with this family run and independent garage that i’d used for the first time. I do try to support independent business’ where I can.

As I was doing pre MOT checks this week, (some two weeks later) I noticed that one of the plastic camshaft covers two latches had not been fastened; and on further inspection it became apparent that part of the cover had in fact been snapped off, and appeared left there in situ, waiting for me to discover it. I was not informed about this apparent damage to my vehicle by the garage.

I immediately went back to the garage and was informed by the owner that: “this cover was not removed as part of the cambelt replacement as the cambelt was replaced from from the side” ie it is a transverse engine and not accessed from the front. I was also advised that it could be repaired by them, (at cost to me) with a powerful industrial adhesive called Q Bond.

Not being a mechanic, I sought the advice of two other qualified mechanics who both advised me that the cover does in fact have to be replaced to access the cambelt, and although ‘difficult to access’ said the lovely and highly recommended Dave Newell, ‘plastic can become brittle with age on older motorhomes’. Understood.

So, what’s the point of all this? Why not just repair it yourself and be done with it? Well, I believe I shouldn’t have to - the garage should. I simply don’t trust the garage to be honest with me now, besides, that’s easier said than done by me, as Im not that brilliant or confident at DIY, especially when it comes to engines.

It may not appear important to many folks out there, but to me it was very important and more about the principle and inconvenience of it all. I felt as though the owner had been disingenuous and fobbed me off. More importantly, unbeknown to me - that rather large piece of plastic could have fallen into my engine whilst I was driving, and caused untold damage not only to my engine but more importantly to me.

Needless to say, i’ve cancelled the MOT next week with the first garage, and booked my van and MOT in with a garage I used last year - which I should have done in the first place.

I now have to source a top camshaft plastic cover for my van and have included photos below of the damage and cover needed, if good folk could help provide an idiots guide on how to source and fit that, I’d be most grateful.

And the moral of this lengthy tale in my humble opinion: all garages are not equal - please stick with garages and mechanics that you know and trust, when and whenever possible.

Rant over - apologies, but I simply needed to get this off my chest. Thank you for your patience and advice in advance to all you lovely funsters out there in the digital ether.

Pic 1: What cover should look like (top view)
Pic 2: Where clips should fasten (circled)
Pic 3: My engine and damaged cover (broken piece on top). I did try to glue it with Gorilla Glue - unsuccessfully.

 

[mike mcglynn]

A local garage that used to service my 2.8 jtd did exactly the same to mine they had glued it back together ,which was ok by me but they did not tell me. I found it when checking the oil so I went back and had words with the owner they ordered me a new one ,I think it was about fifty pounds ,then when I was washing the van a few days later I noted that on the rear quarter they had reversed into a beam or girder and had left a mark from the roofline to the bumper.after that episode they will never be servicing my vehicles again .

 

[Rusty Pumper]

Update:

I returned to the garage and the owner reluctantly agreed to replace the cover ‘at cost to the garage’. At £158 it wasn’t cheap, but at least he stuck to his word, and has replaced it. This restores my faith in garages somewhat.

 

[Figaro]

seems a lot of cash for a bit of plastic nobody sees, or does it have a purpose ?

 

[tonyidle]

It's simply a plastic cover over the cam cover (and presumably over the upper part of the cambelt) which is underneath it. That does not mean that the garage shouldn't have pointed it out and replaced it but it does mean that there was never any danger of the engine being exposed or damaged. They've done themselves no favours: apart from reputational harm and the potential loss of a future customer had they pointed out that it was prone to breakage due to embrittlement and had broken for that reason it would have been fair to add it to the original bill.

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[busbuddy]

part would probably have been cheaper from iveco