Timing Belts, the sleeping time bomb

Essexdad · Post by **Essexdad** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 3:31 pm

Guys....below is a copy-paste of just 1 page of this site,generic but honest,which I think should be required reading for all un-initiated drivers,and not just 406-types either !

[web]http://www.peugeot.mainspot.net/tips/timing_belt.htm[/web]

crasin · Post by **crasin** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:13 pm

Thats interesting read! as rule of thumb i change the timing/cam belt as a matter of course as soon as i have bought a vehicle just for my own piece of mind

Crasin

Benner · Post by **Benner** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 4:59 pm

Same here Crasin, its certainly something you dont want to cut back on.

Blue406 · Post by **Blue406** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 8:08 pm

Got my belt changed after it had done about 65 to 70K miles.

Pug dealer told me that for the 2.0 16V Petrol, 75K is the maximum recommended service interval for the belt.

mjb · Post by **mjb** » Sun Mar 18, 2007 10:22 pm

I really wish I could afford to get my belt done. I have a really really bad feeling it's going to go before I can afford it

richyb83 · Post by **richyb83** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:44 pm

I'm in a similar boat to you on that one. Been told by most people a timing belt on a '99 HDI doesn't need changing till 96K but I on the original still on 69K and feeling paranoid. Got a few reasonable quotes, £220 ish, going to get the water pump done at the same time. The pump still works fine but I think it makes sense to do it and a coolant change whilst the belts off. Getting really mized quotes to supply and fit a pump and change coolant though. Upto £160 which seems a hell of a lot.

jameslxdt · Post by **jameslxdt** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:51 pm

mjb wrote:I really wish I could afford to get my belt done. I have a really really bad feeling it's going to go before I can afford it

you should have a bash at doing the belt yourself mjb, the turbo belt is so easy, just make sure you change the water pump and tensioner, and beware the crank pully marks dont always line up

richyb83 · Post by **richyb83** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:06 pm

your braver than most jameslxdt to try and have ago at a timing belt. I've was going to but bottled it when I got the cover off and read a bit further on in the old haynes manual. Its well tempting though. The belt, tensioners, water pump and coolant are available for under £100. Don't you need some type of special tool, a tension checker, sema or semm or something similar sounding.

jameslxdt · Post by **jameslxdt** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:16 pm

well i am a Volvo technician

, and the tensioning tool is a seem c.tronic gauge, its a load of wank to be honest, as its impossible to set the thing up properly and will never be accurate, the way to do it is to make sure the belt twists through 1/4 turn down the longest side of the belt
ive never had one snap... yet

richyb83 · Post by **richyb83** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:27 pm

Can you be a bit simpler for an amateur "haynes 3 spanner" mechanic. So you take off the old belt, replace the tensioners and water pump if necessary the put on the new one and try and twist it a quarter of the way round to seem if its tight enough. I read before every thing has to line up??? whats the case there? You got me wanting to have a go now. Would you be able to tell if it was ok from looking at it or would you need to run the motor and risk it all?

jameslxdt · Post by **jameslxdt** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:45 pm

the belt should twist with a reasonable amount of effort though 90 degrees or a quater of a turn down the longest side of the belt, when it refers to everything lining up, it means the timing marks, the haynes manual should show you where they are on the camshaft and crank shaft, i would always change the water pump regardless of condition, and as its a HDi the crankshaft pulley
a word of warning space is EXTREMLEY limited, and a hell of a lot of water/antifreeze will come out when you take the water pump off

jameslxdt · Post by **jameslxdt** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:50 pm

this video shows better about the tension of the belt, although this is a 306 gti6 the belt tension should be the same

belt tension video

richyb83 · Post by **richyb83** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:53 pm

Very tempting. If i do have a go I was going to drain and flush the cooling system anyways so avoid a spillage of coolant is not really a problem. I've seen timing belt kits on various sites and ebay but I'm not sure if they are going to be any good. I'm especially wary of ebay items. Would probably go for a genuine peugeot water pump as the prices are not a lot more. Kits and parts of eurocarparts and GSF seem reasonable. Any recommendations?

jameslxdt · Post by **jameslxdt** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:01 pm

even if you drain the cooling system there will still be a load of water behind the water pump, i would avoid ebay for any of the parts as it will be hard to tell if they are correct or not, i recommend gsf or euro car parts, but go to a peugeot dealer first to get there prices but more importantly the part numbers

richyb83 · Post by **richyb83** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:21 pm

A very cunning plan. I got a quote from peugeot to change the belt, water pump and coolant which was £403. It was £50 just to change the coolant! I doubt that will include tensioners too, probably closer to £500. I usually go to them first off just to a top end price. When my centre section went recently they quoted me £640 just to supply it!!!! Got one for under a £100 in the end. Won't last as long but at those prices i'd rather replace it every 18 months.