Cam Belt Replacement

AG 2602

AG 2602

Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Posts
865
Likes collected
1,916
Location
Bristol
Funster No
58,131
MH
Pilote G740
Exp
Since 2019
Hi All
The van will be 5 years old this year (Fiat Ducato) so I was just gearing up to get the cam belt replaced. Just been checking the paperwork from a service the dealer had done prior to my collection (2019) and I notice they replaced drive belt 7PK and drive belt 4PK.
I’m not sure if drive belt and cam belt are one in the same?
As you can probably tell I’m no mechanic😩
As always any assistance greatly appreciated.
Thanks
 
I don't know the Ducato but if you can't wait til the dealer opens...... one belt could be for the alternator and the other the power steering.
If the cam belt was replaced there would normally be other parts replaced as a matter of good practice, e.g. water pump and belt tensioner or the invoice may just say 'Timing belt kit'.
The labour cost should give you a clue.
 
Spriddler said:
I don't know the Ducato but if you can't wait til the dealer opens...... one belt could be for the alternator and the other the power steering.
If the cam belt was replaced there would normally be other parts replaced as a matter of good practice, e.g. water pump and belt tensioner or the invoice may just say 'Timing belt kit'.
The labour cost should give you a clue.
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Thanks for the feedback I think you are right as price was low and no water pump.
 
As Donkey said, ring the dealer and ask what they changed.
They may have changed just the belt and the old pulleys are still in situ, not a good plan and if that's the case I certainly wouldn't leave it another five years.

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They are just Gates ancillary belts. Those were fitted to my 2.3 Ducato



1612641278792.png
 
Whats a cam belt?
I've got an 11 year old Peugeot Partner on all its original belts and ancillaries at 118,000 miles
I'll keep going until I hear the snap!
 
Looks like I’m getting a cam belt fitted then👍
thanks all.
 
duane0001 said:
Whats a cam belt?
I've got an 11 year old Peugeot Partner on all its original belts and ancillaries at 118,000 miles
I'll keep going until I hear the snap!
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if it has a cam belt and it snaps it will cost you more than the van will be worth, but at a guess you know that.

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Phill D said:
if it has a cam belt and it snaps it will cost you more than the van will be worth, but at a guess you know that.
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I certainly do know that,
It won’t cost me a fortune, I won’t fix it and will sell the van for spares, it’s a spare and owes me nothing! Only thing I have changed on it is the battery, it’s had a couple of oil changes also 😄
 
duane0001 said:
I certainly do know that,
It won’t cost me a fortune, I won’t fix it and will sell the van for spares, it’s a spare and owes me nothing! Only thing I have changed on it is the battery, it’s had a couple of oil changes also 😄
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you have a similar outlook as one of my sons to his Transit ;)
 
Phill D said:
you have a similar outlook as one of my sons to his Transit ;)
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Its why I try and buy cam chain vehicles, I run a Sprinter as my personal vehicle although I am picking up a brand new Ducato Auto Trail in march, in the 10 years I plan to own it I doubt the cam belt will ever be changed on it unless the water pump starts to leak then it will be done as part of the replacement
 
duane0001 said:
Whats a cam belt?
I've got an 11 year old Peugeot Partner on all its original belts and ancillaries at 118,000 miles
I'll keep going until I hear the snap!
Click to expand...
Peugeot recommend 100,000 miles or 10 years for most Partner models so don't forget to take your phone when you go out.
 
Spriddler said:
Peugeot recommend 100,000 miles or 10 years for most Partner models so don't forget to take your phone when you go out.
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Yes, this I am aware of also, I just don't have the "Cam Belt Fear" like some, It has been making a squeaky scraping noise from one of the pulleys for about 5 years but if you turn the stereo up it goes away!

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Any PK designation means its an ancillary belt and the number refers to the number of ribs running length ways around the belt and grooves in the pullies.
As we all know cam belts have teeth that go across the width of the belts and have much higher numers circa 150 or so which represents the number of teeth
Here endeth the lesson
 
duane0001 said:
I certainly do know that,
It won’t cost me a fortune, I won’t fix it and will sell the van for spares, it’s a spare and owes me nothing! Only thing I have changed on it is the battery, it’s had a couple of oil changes also 😄
Click to expand...
If run till it snaps
It will cetainly cost you more in lost sales value than the cost of cam belt replacement.
Not to mention the incoveniance and time lost.
A very uneconomical decision .
 
I have the Ducato 2.3lt engine with 4,000 miles on the clockand 5yrs I asked the question. Do I need new new Cam Belt? Fiat reccomend 5yrs and/or 65k miles. Mechanic said £500 for belt/water pump etc etc. £4,600 for engine, choice is yours. Not being a gambling man went for £500 worth, and I can sleep at night!!
 
Tom G said:
I have the Ducato 2.3lt engine with 4,000 miles on the clockand 5yrs I asked the question. Do I need new new Cam Belt? Fiat reccomend 5yrs and/or 65k miles. Mechanic said £500 for belt/water pump etc etc. £4,600 for engine, choice is yours. Not being a gambling man went for £500 worth, and I can sleep at night!!
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That again confirms the general rule of thumb
Cost of belt replacement is approximately 10% of the cost if it snaps.
Sleep tight
.
 
As a garage owner and technician of 30 years I find the cambelt denial owners quite amusing.
It's not my place to tell anyone what to do but I can tell you what I know. I have seen so many waterpumps alone cause the carnage, its not just about the belt snapping. The belts are generally reliable but they are belts, not indistructable.
Do you need one at 4000 or five years, well maybe not but the right choice was made. The damage it causes is nothing less than catastrophic in engine terms. Every customer I have who had a belt break or water pump collapse in their life, becomes a cambelt replacement obsessed freak! 🤣
Just a note on chains. These have become so weak over the years I personally have a preference of a belt over chain. There are endless problems with stretched chains, broken plastic guides on various models and the replacement cost far exceeds a belt (generally). Chains are said to last the life of the engine, well they do. The chain breaks, the engine life is over.
 
I was told that on the Fiat that the water pump was a made for the life of the engine. It does not need replacing as a rule. It also has a mounting which is enclosed into the bell housing (that maybe wrong) and is quite substantial. So yes change the belt but the water pump should be ok unless signs of damage.
 
I can't think of any item that relies on a bearing, in any vehicle, that could last the lifetime of the vehicle (alternator, wheel bearings, idler/tension pulleys) all can and will fail at some point ?

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Richard Sale said:
I was told that on the Fiat that the water pump was a made for the life of the engine. It does not need replacing as a rule. It also has a mounting which is enclosed into the bell housing (that maybe wrong) and is quite substantial. So yes change the belt but the water pump should be ok unless signs of damage.
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I was generalising. I have been in the German car world oh and Mazda Bongos for the last 15 years. I can look it up though if you would like a specific answer. Obviously Fiat would advise. Just be mindful that there are independents out there that advise "no water pump needed" as they don't like doing them.
 
jay996 said:
I was generalising. I have been in the German car world oh and Mazda Bongos for the last 15 years. I can look it up though if you would like a specific answer. Obviously Fiat would advise. Just be mindful that there are independents out there that advise "no water pump needed" as they don't like doing them.
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I had a citroen, cam belt went on holiday in Cornwall, car was a right off as the pistons shot up through the engine 😢😢😢
 
Perhaps worth considering what you do when it snaps in the 3rd lane of a motorway.

Just a thought.

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