wet belt broke

[Widge]

He talks a lot of sense . I agree

In fact he makes a lot more sense that my introduction, I dont think that I could have got any more spelling mistakes in if I had tried.

 

[Oldmanwood]

I thought this was interesting recarding maintenance costs, and polition reduction.

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Interesting, but it would have been more credible had he cited some proper research as evidence to support his claim that the older style, easily repaired cars were more eco- friendly than the newer ones. Unless I'm missing something, this is just a guy stating his opinion.

 

[EuroTrotters]

Interesting, but it would have been more credible had he cited some proper research as evidence to support his claim that the older style, easily repaired cars were more eco- friendly than the newer ones. Unless I'm missing something, this is just a guy stating his opinion.

There is another video with 17 of the worst cars for major failures . It’s by someone else but similar topic.

 

[enark]

My 2p worth…..

The most stolen van by percentage of sales is the Peugeot boxer with 7.7 per thousand followed by Ford Transit on 5 and Merc Sprinter on 4.9. Does that assume nobody wants a Fiat ?

According to Fleet news the ten most reliable vans are:

1. Volkswagen
2. Ford
3. Mercedes-Benz
4. Renault
5. Vauxhall
6. Peugeot
7. Toyota
8. Citroen
9. Nissan
10. Maxus

I assume that includes all parts including wet belts.

The cost of the wet belt change is pretty high but that appears to be because the change period has been reduced from ten years to six. It was comparable to Fiat until then. If serviced according to guidelines with correct oil etc then there’s nothing I can find that makes Ford any worse in terms of breakages etc than other manufacturers. My niece has just spent £2500 on her Land Rover discovery as her timing chain plastic guide needed replacing due to general wear.

None of these manufacturers are covering themselves in glory. They are building these vehicles to such fine tolerances that it doesn’t take much to end up with a large invoice or an end of life vehicle. Another sale though……

My local garage deals with all vehicles. I asked the mechanics what van they would buy. Much sucking of teeth and the general conclusion is none of them wanted to buy a new van as they all had issues. Two of them are running older transits with timing chain and no adblue etc as they say they are the most reliable ones on the road. Other views may differ!

That's good news for VW/MAN vans..

 

[Barryh]

Thinking on, I’ve often heard people in pubs talking about piston broke, but I don’t think that’s the same

One of my all time favourites. Many a happy time spent browsing through naughty postcards on my Blackpool holidays during Bolton Wakes week.

 

[Garfields]

Vehicles with poor design or components is nothing new.
Ford had early failing cam belts in Mk 3 escorts that bent the valves etc and camshaft lobes wearing down in Mk3 & 4 Cortina's.
Most French cars had dodgy electrics. Wiring breaking where it went into drivers doors was a favourite.
BL cars with oil leaks. The oil help stop the rust though?
First automatic chokes were a pain
Winter starting most brands.
Datsun's rust (most cars of the time from Japan)
Vauxhall dodgy carburettors.

The above is not an extensive list I've just got board listing things.

When I was an apprentice there were still cars with 3000mile service intervals.

 

[jerryz]

Most Stellantis cars are now being built with Wet belt engines . Cam chains require regular clean oil changes to get the long life they claim,, but some engines have poor tensioner design that fails first , and some engines especially in Chain cam BMWs they have a bad tensioner design and a weak thin economy chain ,, N47 engines are worst ...

 

[mikash]

Most Stellantis cars are now being built with Wet belt engines . Cam chains require regular clean oil changes to get the long life they claim,, but some engines have poor tensioner design that fails first , and some engines especially in Chain cam BMWs they have a bad tensioner design and a weak thin economy chain ,, N47 engines are worst ...

Some are saying certain ˜2010 Sprinter engines prone to oil dilution are also prone to later life timing chain issues which are probably caused over time by the oil dilution.
I suspect some of the Transit wet belt failures are due to oil dilution as well, wet belts are well known to handle oil dilution poorly. So avoid running the engine cold, use mask cover if it's sub-zero, avoid idling, try to avoid failed dpf burns and change oil regularly will probably reduce the risk considerably.

 

[RM_Marine]

Watch this garage on YouTube about the wet belts on ford's

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Watched one yesterday on a ford ranger 2025 plate where the wet belt was failing after 40k miles

 

[Stoosal]

My Transit doesn’t show if it’s doing a regeneration or not so I added a small led so that I know when it’s doing a regen and when it’s finished.

 

[PP Bear]

One of my all time favourites. Many a happy time spent browsing through naughty postcards on my Blackpool holidays during Bolton Wakes week.
View attachment 1154064

My 2 favourite ones

 

[pelican]

Doesn't make you want an electric motorhome!

 

[gus-lopez]

NO if the belt snaps and dose not hit valves u put a whole new kit in adjuster crank seal belts new cover pump carrier pick up pipe ect ect a good clean out of particals while its in bits ect do it proper while its in bits proper job then

i realise all that needs replacing but was just pointing out that snapping is usually better than teeth loss as you usually get away without bending valves,just the cam box damaged.

 

[mitzimad]

Why doesn’t someone invent a kind of pushrod that’s driven by the engine and runs in “time” with the cylinder head valves. This rod could then go up onto a rocker shaft and in the process, we could then move the cam shaft to the middle of the engine and use cam followers to prevent wear and tear. The rocker shaft could then be adjustable, so that as the engine wears, you can take up the wear by simply adjusting something like a rocker bolt and locknut to secure it. Of course, you’d need to design a simple set of gauges to do the adjustments and at set service intervals, but as the gauges would need to “feel” the resistance of the adjustment, we could call them feeler gauges. The entire system could be bathed in oil to reduce wear and tear, dissipate heat and remove sludge etc.

Might write a letter to Mr Ford and see what he says, as it could end the need to change these belts and chains forever.

Clever PP Bear

still had a chain from crank to camshaft in most pushrod engines they used chains as they were quieter than gear driven camshafts

 

[Garfields]

Going off on a bit of a tangent as ever.
Folk complain about all the gadgets fitted to vehicles, abs, lane assist, speed restrictions the standard of driving etc
Below are the number of recorded accidents year on year from Gov web site.
The number of cars on the roads have increased over that time.

Somethings pushing the numbers down?

I was looking for the number of overall breakdowns but gave up looking. I suspect they are down as well?

2001 229,014
2002 221,751
2003 214,030
2004 207,410
2005 198,735
2006 189,161
2007 182,115
2008 170,591
2009 163,554
2010 154,414
2011 151,474
2012 145,571
2013 138,660
2014 146,322
2015 140,056
2016 136,621
2017 129,982
2018 122,635
2019 117,536
2020 91,199
2021 101,087
2022 106,004
2023 104,258
2024 100,927

 

[enark]

Going off on a bit of a tangent as ever.
Folk complain about all the gadgets fitted to vehicles, abs, lane assist, speed restrictions the standard of driving etc
Below are the number of recorded accidents year on year from Gov web site.
The number of cars on the roads have increased over that time.

Somethings pushing the numbers down?

I was looking for the number of overall breakdowns but gave up looking. I suspect they are down as well?

2001 229,014
2002 221,751
2003 214,030
2004 207,410
2005 198,735
2006 189,161
2007 182,115
2008 170,591
2009 163,554
2010 154,414
2011 151,474
2012 145,571
2013 138,660
2014 146,322
2015 140,056
2016 136,621
2017 129,982
2018 122,635
2019 117,536
2020 91,199
2021 101,087
2022 106,004
2023 104,258
2024 100,927

It's certainly not down to better drivers!!

 

[Richard n Ann]

number of recorded accidents

Maybe accidents aren't recorded as often because of rocketing insurance policies

 

[PlacidoD]

..... ......
I suspect some of the Transit wet belt failures are due to oil dilution as well, wet belts are well known to handle oil dilution poorly. So avoid running the engine cold, use mask cover if it's sub-zero, avoid idling, try to avoid failed dpf burns and change oil regularly will probably reduce the risk considerably.

I moved from a 2007 Transit 2.2 with cam chain to a 71 plate 2 litre with wet belt this autumn. I did so with my eyes open and knowing that servicing especially oil changes need to be done regularly and aiming for a wet belt change when approaching 60k/6 years. (Currently on 28.5k miles and 2+ years to go.) I did so because the Transit is such a pleasure to drive. So a few extra £100s on servicing every so often is part of the cost of ownership.
Amplification/expansion of the text in bold above would be appreciated as I have no ambition to be foolhardy or reckless in my approach:
1. I give my Transit an outing at least once a month. If temps are low what do you suggest I do to avoid running cold? I get that it is not sensible to run it for only a minute or two. It needs to be driven and to achieve normal operating temps on a decent length run.
2. "dpf burn" So a high speed run every so often. In summer months it will get a 270+ mile non-stop high speed motorway run at least half a half dozen times each year. And a good "Italian tune up" somewhere mid winter would do no harm.
3. Please expand on "mask cover". I am unlikely to take the PVC for a run in sub-zero temps as I will not want to run the van on salty roads. But there is some risk of a winter stay somewhere and being caught out by a temperature drop when I am due to set out home. Can I fashion a piece of cardboard or similar for occasional use? (I suspect this comment applies mainly to daily drivers which need to be in use daily throughout the winter whatever the temperature. It might be overkill for me? Given that I have a 300Ah lithium and a 2000W inverter would a sensible alternative be to stick a fan heater under the bonnet for a couple of minute before firing up on the odd occasions when I meet such conditions.)
4. My annual mileage is going to be circa 8k with an intended pattern of MOT and service every Feb/March. Fresh 0W-30 and oil filter at each service is my plan. And I am hoping to get the garage to inspect the old oil before chucking it!

P. S. My local Ford Professional outfit is Motorsave in Swinton. I am sure they would do a good job but they will charge me top dollar. I am going to try Rye Motors in Wigan booking in for MOT etc late Feb 2026. If anybody knows anything about them please give me the benefit of your knowledge. That would be much appreciated:

Performance Vehicle Services | Custom Exhausts | Engine Remapping | Wigan

Rye Motors specialise in performance vehicles, including bespoke stainless steel exhausts, engine remapping & bodywork.

www.ryemotors.co.uk

 

[Richard n Ann]

I moved from a 2007 Transit 2.2 with cam chain to a 71 plate 2 litre with wet belt this autumn. I did so with my eyes open and knowing that servicing especially oil changes need to be done regularly and aiming for a wet belt change when approaching 60k/6 years. (Currently on 28.5k miles and 2+ years to go.) I did so because the Transit is such a pleasure to drive. So a few extra £100s on servicing every so often is part of the cost of ownership.
Amplification/expansion of the text in bold above would be appreciated as I have no ambition to be foolhardy or reckless in my approach:
1. I give my Transit an outing at least once a month. If temps are low what do you suggest I do to avoid running cold? I get that it is not sensible to run it for only a minute or two. It needs to be driven and to achieve normal operating temps on a decent length run.
2. "dpf burn" So a high speed run every so often. In summer months it will get a 270+ mile non-stop high speed motorway run at least half a half dozen times each year. And a good "Italian tune up" somewhere mid winter would do no harm.
3. Please expand on "mask cover". I am unlikely to take the PVC for a run in sub-zero temps as I will not want to run the van on salty roads. But there is some risk of a winter stay somewhere and being caught out by a temperature drop when I am due to set out home. Can I fashion a piece of cardboard or similar for occasional use? (I suspect this comment applies mainly to daily drivers which need to be in use daily throughout the winter whatever the temperature. It might be overkill for me? Given that I have a 300Ah lithium and a 2000W inverter would a sensible alternative be to stick a fan heater under the bonnet for a couple of minute before firing up on the odd occasions when I meet such conditions.)
4. My annual mileage is going to be circa 8k with an intended pattern of MOT and service every Feb/March. Fresh 0W-30 and oil filter at each service is my plan. And I am hoping to get the garage to inspect the old oil before chucking it!

P. S. My local Ford Professional outfit is Motorsave in Swinton. I am sure they would do a good job but they will charge me top dollar. I am going to try Rye Motors in Wigan booking in for MOT etc late Feb 2026. If anybody knows anything about them please give me the benefit of your knowledge. That would be much appreciated:

Performance Vehicle Services | Custom Exhausts | Engine Remapping | Wigan

Rye Motors specialise in performance vehicles, including bespoke stainless steel exhausts, engine remapping & bodywork.

www.ryemotors.co.uk

Had our van from new, it's 11 years old and stands for 6 months every year without turning a wheel. It always starts instantly in April and the tyres are fine. It is in the garage though, with battery maintainers.

Many folks seem to think that vehicles have muscles or something that will waste away if not excercised, I don't think that, the van just waits there for you, all ready to go

 

[Garfields]

I'm sure the wet belt system could be ok with a better made belt.
VW and I assume MAN have engines with a dry cam belt but also a wet belt that drives the oil pump.
It is a service item at some point but I've not came across any chatter about them failing early.

 

[PlacidoD]

Had our van from new, it's 11 years old and stands for 6 months every year without turning a wheel. It always starts instantly in April and the tyres are fine. It is in the garage though, with battery maintainers.

Many folks seem to think that vehicles have muscles or something that will waste away if not excercised, I don't think that, the van just waits there for you, all ready to go

There are reports of injector failures on Fords associated with moisture build up and non-use. Moist air gets trapped in the injectors and damages them. Yours will be less vulnerable being stored inside. A decent outing once a month is all that is needed to avoid such problems.

 

[Garfields]

Many folks seem to think that vehicles have muscles or something that will waste away if not excercised, I don't think that, the van just waits there for you, all ready to go

Personally I'm in the give it a run every now and then. Things can get a bit sticky when they sit for a while.
I don't think leaving sitting over winter will do much harm especially if they are in proper dry storage.
Starting and leaving them just to idle for a bit not goodthough. Most diesels will not get close to running temperatures sitting at idle.

 

[Landy Andy]

I have friends who had wetbelt engine vehicle, bought from Ford, only serviced by Ford, and belt still broke and scrapped the vehicle.

 

[PlacidoD]

I have friends who had wetbelt engine vehicle, bought from Ford, only serviced by Ford, and belt still broke and scrapped the vehicle.

I bet they were early purchasers and given a wet belt schedule by Ford of 100k+ miles and 10 years before a belt change.

 

[Lenny HB]

When I was an apprentice there were still cars with 3000mile service intervals.

Morris Minors needed the king pins greasing every 1000 miles or a good chance of the stub axle shearing off.

 

[gus-lopez]

Morris Minors needed the king pins greasing every 1000 miles or a good chance of the stub axle shearing off.

My rover P5B needed the 6 track rod ends greased once a month otherwise they would scrub the tyres & all need replacing as well.

 

[Silver-Fox]

My rover P5B needed the 6 track rod ends greased once a month otherwise they would scrub the tyres & all need replacing as well.

Great design

 

[Hettie's Crew]

Most Stellantis cars are now being built with Wet belt engines

I thought the 1.2 Puretech engine changed to chain from 2023.

 

[Garfields]

Morris Minors needed the king pins greasing every 1000 miles or a good chance of the stub axle shearing off.

Forgot about that.
There were not many still on the go when I started but changed a few stub axels.
Place I started was a smallish town garage but there were ten or so mechanics and apprentices. There were an other three sites of similar size.
Like most retail most are long gone.
A lot more cars about now but less garage time overall.

 

[ivorantony]

Forgot about that.
There were not many still on the go when I started but changed a few stub axels.
Place I started was a smallish town garage but there were ten or so mechanics and apprentices. There were an other three sites of similar size.
Like most retail most are long gone.
A lot more cars about now but less garage time overall.

They weren’t Kingpins they were trunnions, basically a large bolt rotating on a large nut, without sufficient lubricants ( LM Grease) the Bolt would strip out of the Nut and the suspension would collapse, many a time I have towed in Moggy 1000 in my previous life,