Clio 172 cup cambelt & dephaser swap

[Brigsy]

Dephaser very noisy on the kangoo so going to do that & cambelt. I have got a borrow on genuine renault cam, crank & pulley locking tools and a pukka snap on torque wrench. Reading the workshop manual it does not look too bad to do if you follow it.

Any tips/advice before im pulling my hair out doing it !?

 

[Neal R19]

I do the n revolutions thing. Helps settle the belt. Not necessarily 6 turns, I don't even keep count. I just do it until I'm happy.

I rotate them counter clockwise though, doing it clockwise makes no sense at all to me. By rotating counter-clockwise using the exhaust pulley, you're pulling all the 'slack' out and moving it to the tensioner - in my mind that's where it needs to be when you set/check the tension. Going clockwise is the opposite.

Also, you don't need a special tool, just use your angle grinder tool in a couple of the holes but actually, you can turn it by hand without too much difficulty.

 

[DaveL485]

Got the cam cover to reseal too..i can see this turning into a 2 day job think book time is 7hours

Yeah I did that too, BEFORE I realised it holds the cams in...cue an impromptu belt change 40,000 miles early LOL

 

[SP33DY]

The idea of tensioing it with the pulled loose is to equalise the tension on the belt and avoid any tight/slack points. On a clio it's easier as they also have a free rotating crank pulley. On the F4RT engines the crank pulley has a small keyway to lock it.

With the proper tools it's pretty easy, there was a lot of scaremongering years ago so the "specialists" could cash in, but there's more and more people doing them now.

 

[Turbell]

Deffo, rotate anti-clock, did my Slagster and rotated clock....ended up slightly out when re checked with pin and horse shoe.
Cam pulleys were mega tight .....pattern cam locking tool ( two interlocking cogs type thing ) wouldn't hold it no matter how tight i locked them off,.....I tightened it that tight it was mashing the shitty washers on the bolts that mounted the tool.
Started it outside middle of October cos weather was nice, just belt.......decided on balance to do the lot, w/pump, dephaser , wrong pump came from Renault ..........couldn't get it done that w/e.......weather turned....ended up with a tarp strung up from Garage door to bonnet...........pissing it down....blowing a gale....dummy out of pram, bolted it all back together cos it was only a gnats ballack out........two years of trouble getting it through the test as emissions were now up on idle........
Finally got Terry at J S Services to re time it end of last year, cos i couldn't be arsed to do it myself.....bad memories.
Renault tools only,
Follow the book,
Rotate backwards,
New bolts as all are stretchy,
Getting things undone with man enough tools with little room seemed to be my issue....places where you could only get a 3/8 in but needed to get a 1/2 breaker in, but that's probably where mention of jacking the lump up comes from, also not happy using the timing pin to lock the motor to undo the crank pulley.......and really get a screwdriver in very well.....think i ended up in gear brakes on , impact gun on pulley?
Sorry to ramble......gave me headaches this job......

 

[DaveL485]

but that's probably where mention of jacking the lump up comes from

Yes I use a trolley jack under the lump and move it up when working from the top and down when working from the wheel arch.