Fiat cam belt change timescale (2 Viewers)

[Howard B]

Been quoted £379 fitted for belt and waterpump. Booked in this Friday.

 

[domf]

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Edit: Double post

 

[domf]

Been quoted £379 fitted for belt and waterpump. Booked in this Friday.

Where!!!!???? I cannot get south of £600 and have been quoted >£1k...

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[Speve]

The OP was in 2017, when did the smaller engine 180 become available?

I had a 2013 with the 150 In it and assume the 180 was available then but I don’t know when the first came on line?

 

[Guerrilla]

Just had ours done, plus water pump £450 after being quoted 5,6,7,8 and 900 by other places. Plenty rip off merchants out there. Rip off Britain.

 

[Lenny HB]

The OP was in 2017, when did the smaller engine 180 become available?

Late 2016.

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[Wingman123]

As far as I understand, many failures of modern cam belts are not actually the belt itself, but the pulleys around which they pass (the belts have become the more reliable part), so just looking at the belt condition doesnt tell you too much.

Water pump failure is the obvious one to snap a belt, but on my old VW T4 I once had a constant metallic tapping at low revs that I couldn't fathom. I ignored it for a few weeks, but when I finally started to look for the problem I found it was coming from a metal plate that covered the lower half of the belt, the cam belt had worn a big groove in it. I stripped the whole lot down to find that the bearings on one of the idler pulleys had failed, so the belt was drifting outward and the only thing holding it on was the plate! Close call.

Exactly the same problem occurred recently on my Lotus Elan twin cam after fitting a brand new belt, water pump, and pulleys which turned out to be the water pump pulley spinning on the shaft and working it's way out towards the timing cover. Had to strip out again and fit another replacement which had to be imported from America Plus cost of Labour to fit again. Astonishing bad luck!

 

[joka250]

Or astonishing good luck that it didn't do irreparable damage to engine. Very pleased for you but sorry you had extra expense.

 

[Jim]

These people do it for a few hundred quid. How do you know if they have actually done it? Is there a way of telling?

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[Larrynwin]

These people do it for a few hundred quid. How do you know if they have actually done it? Is there a way of telling?

My concern too, I have been quoted £950 by Simpsons Motorhomes and would trust that it had been done and warranted.
I will get a quote from a Fiat main dealer but only just on five years and 9k so no rush.

 

[2657]

Dave Newell did ours on a camper 5 years ago for £442, 3.5 hours labour, parts alone came to £250. I suppose some places may not be VAT registered and thus a bit less but VAT would still be included in the price of parts.
I can't see how anybody can do the job properly for some of the prices quoted.
I appreciate that working on an A class may well entail extra labour costs.
I am hoping that Dave can do the cambelt again this summer if we ever get back to the UK!

 

[Wingman123]

These people do it for a few hundred quid. How do you know if they have actually done it? Is there a way of telling?

My dad always said a cheap job is not cheap at the end of the day! My job was done by a mobile mechanic in my own garage so I knew what was replaced but I hadn’t bargained for faulty manufacturing problems from a reputable manufacturer. I had to pay for the postage costs initially and import duty again by HMRC which I couldn’t reclaim. So the moral of the story is you get what you pay for but not always!
I spoke to Fiat professional here in Dorset about Cambell changes to the Ducato 130 and they said they always remove the engine and gearbox from the vehicle to ensure the job is done properly and easily just in case of broken or sheared bolts et cetera. Cost for cam belt replacement with guarantees was around £1200 plus VAT. The problem is just like the Lotus Elan that clearance to the side of the engine is a nightmare.

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[SpeedyDux]

Timing belt change due next year. Eeek ... I need more premium bond prizes between now and then.

If only Fiat had downsized their excellent 3 L engine to 2.3 L instead. Belt driven camshafts are an avoidable curse and must be costing consumers £billions. They should have been banned years ago.

 

[Ditcha]

I spoke to Fiat professional here in Dorset about Cambell changes to the Ducato 130 and they said they always remove the engine and gearbox from the vehicle to ensure the job is done properly and easily just in case of broken or sheared bolts et cetera. Cost for cam belt replacement with guarantees was around £1200 plus VAT. The problem is just like the Lotus Elan that clearance to the side of the engine is a nightmare.

Wow never heard of that before removing the whole engine and gearbox can't be right, if it is £1200 is a bargain, the belt is changed from below so cost should be the same for A class, PVC, coach built .

 

[Larrynwin]

Crazy thing is my little Kia Rio petrol has a timing chain, beggars belief that Fiat and others use a belt that needs replacing as frequently at such a cost. Money for the boys ?

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[Marmite]

Does the Ducato have a non-interference engine like many of the Fiat cars? If so, if the timing belt fails, it won't wreck the engine.

 

[Catpirate]

Had my belt changed last tear for £200, had my clutch changed for £200 + parts in April. It is a 2003 2.8JTD

 

[mitzimad]

i had mine done for £40 plus parts i stripped it down and mechanic swopped the belt then put it back together but he is a neighbour

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[fullfat]

These people do it for a few hundred quid. How do you know if they have actually done it? Is there a way of telling?

These people do it for several hundred quid.How do you know if they have actually done it? Is there a way of telling?

 

[Wingman123]

Wow never heard of that before removing the whole engine and gearbox can't be right, if it is £1200 is a bargain, the belt is changed from below so cost should be the same for A class, PVC, coach built .

According to Fiat, it is a straightforward job to drop the engine and transmission if you have a five ton lift with a hydraulic dolly to receive it! They know exactly the time management control and makes the job very easy!
Wish I had a five ton dolly in my garage!

 

[Googlebot]

According to Fiat, it is a straightforward job to drop the engine and transmission if you have a five ton lift with a hydraulic dolly to receive it! They know exactly the time management control and makes the job very easy!
Wish I had a five ton dolly in my garage!

I can’t believe dropping an engine and box is a cost effective way of changing the cambelt. All the ancillary tasks such as draining the gearbox oil and refilling etc surely take much longer.

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[Wingman123]

Had my belt changed last tear for £200, had my clutch changed for £200 + parts in April. It is a 2003 2.8JTD

That sounds like black-market parts or they didn't proper job and missed changing the water pump and tension pulleys. Unless you ask for the parts or go along and photograph it partway through the job you have no idea what they've done!!

 

[Wingman123]

I can’t believe dropping an engine and box is a cost effective way of changing the cambelt. All the ancillary tasks such as draining the gearbox oil and refilling etc surely take much longer.

Shouldn't need to drain the oil in the gearbox as they probably leave the driveshafts connected to the gearbox after disconnecting the CV joints.

 

[Lenny HB]

That sounds like black-market parts or they didn't proper job and missed changing the water pump and tension pulleys. Unless you ask for the parts or go along and photograph it partway through the job you have no idea what they've done!!

The 2.8 JTD is a lot easier job & water pump is not driven by the cambelt. I got a mobile guy who did my wifes car to do a friend's belt on a 2.8 was about 4 years ago £180 inc., Gates parts, belt & tensioners.

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[Wingman123]

These people do it for several hundred quid.How do you know if they have actually done it? Is there a way of telling?

That's the problem – you have no idea unless you check over the vehicle forensicly on collection, ask for the old parts to be returned to you, or investigate yourself with photographs halfway through the job

 

[Wingman123]

The 2.8 JTD is a lot easier job & water pump is not driven by the cambelt. I got a mobile guy who did my wifes car to do a friend's belt on a 2.8 was about 4 years ago £180 inc., Gates parts, belt & tensioners.

The Gates parts on my Lotus were at least £120 plus import duty from America (still cheaper than buying in UK) that as I said earlier the interference joint of the impeller on the water pump failed within five minutes of starting up. As I provided the parts I could not refuse to pay the mechanic for doing the job twice as it was not his fault!!

 

[joka250]

Does the Ducato have a non-interference engine like many of the Fiat cars? If so, if the timing belt fails, it won't wreck the engine.

Oh yes it's interference fit. Have seen 1 or 2, well 3 actually, from around 2013 to 2016 build.

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[Deneb]

Does the Ducato have a non-interference engine like many of the Fiat cars? If so, if the timing belt fails, it won't wreck the engine.

No, it doesn't, and yes it will.

 

[Deneb]

I can’t believe dropping an engine and box is a cost effective way of changing the cambelt. All the ancillary tasks such as draining the gearbox oil and refilling etc surely take much longer.

They don't drop the engine. They remove the offside engine support and lower the engine a few inches to give sufficient clearance to remove the crankshaft pulley and access the timing pulleys from below and through the wheelarch. Gearbox, driveshafts and nearside mountings all remain undisturbed.

 

[joka250]

They don't drop the engine. They remove the offside engine support and lower the engine a few inches to give sufficient clearance to remove the crankshaft pulley and access the timing pulleys from below and through the wheelarch. Gearbox, driveshafts and nearside mountings all remain undisturbed.

Ah but that doesn't sound as expensive as "drop the engine". It's special main dealer speak.

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