cambelt change?

[Carl Chambers]

Like most of you my vee is due its cambelt change this year as its 5 years old in September!

Renault say its 5 years or 72k, yet the Peugeots with the same engine in say 72k or 7years up to 1998 and 80k or 8 years after 1998. AND my mates 407 V6 cambelt change is not due till 160k or 10 years with the same engine, how is this so?

As Im a mechanic myself Im not going to trust anyone else to do it, but still dont really want to take it on myself!!

Has anyone done it without taking the engine out? Is it possible?

Has anyone left it longer than 5 years?

My car has only done 10k.

My brother 52reg 172 Clio has just been done (thats on the same 72k/5years change) yet the belt etc still looked good?!

Question is do I feel lucky I suspose!

Any thoughts/comments would be good.

 

[Matt]

Hi Carl,

My phase 1 had the cambelt done with the engine still in - he said it was fairly straight forward.

Matt.

 

[k1ano]

There have been some debates elsewhere on this and I will try and dig out one of the threads later but ...

The age v mileage thing is a bit of debate and clearly the belt isn't gonna snap or break after 5 years and 1 day or 72,001 miles and so IMHO paranoia shouldn't kick in ... The important thing is to accept the risk and bear in mind that many people regard, rightly or wrongly, the correct servicing of a cambelt on a Vee as being an important measure of the owners dilligence. I suppose it becomes more important, therefore, when you come to sell the Vee in terms of the buyers perception of any out-of-interval servicing...

One thing came to my mind recently, as my Vee is now 4 years old, is that the 4 year interval dictates that brake fluid and coolant are replaced aswell as the air filter - a full dealer cost of over £500. After speaking to some owners who have had a mileage based service near to the 4 year one, they or their dealers have not carried out the 4 year tasks and so are not 'fully' up-to-date with the 4 year service schedule and so technically have fallen outside of the full and complete service history ... Furthermore the next service may not be due for another 2 years so some Vees may be 6 years old before they have 4 year service work done ...

I guess as long as a car has been looked after I don't think people should necessarily get hung up about following the service schedules to the letter as it's not always as simple as that ... A service stamp is not always a sign of full servicing compliance ...

Going back to cam-belts, I just had my cambelt changed on my Toyota DOHC engine ... It had been on since 1991 and, visually at any rate, looked perfect. The engine had done about 80k miles. I was getting a bit nervous about it though ... The Vee cambelt is longer and has a more tortuous route around the multitude of gears and idlers.

Martin

 

[stevo]

just booked my vee in for a cambelt service with scott at SG Motorsport, inc water pump.

also having new clutch while the engine is out..
also 4 wheel alignment and various other bit's

steve

 

[k1ano]

Hey Stevo,

Your Vee gets more love and attention than a kept lady [smilie=bowdown.gif]

Martin

 

[WONGY]

He he thats what my missus says to me as well!

I'm spending 5k on my car this month. Getting a Mk2 gearbox upgrade cos my Mk1 diff starting screeching like a banshee and decided to fix all the bits and bobs. New clutch kit, cambelt, hydraulic valve lifters, air con compressor, spacers, KW V3 suspension, various seals gaskets suspension mounts plus labour, alignment etc.

Have to ship it all via DHL as well from UK to Hong Kong, its taken two pallets to pack it all on , fingers crossed will be here next week

 

[Carl Chambers]

Hi Carl,

My phase 1 had the cambelt done with the engine still in - he said it was fairly straight forward.

Matt.

It can be done with it in, thats good news then!

Just found out the cambelt kit from Renault is £350! Why? Is it different to the other V6 engines

 

[Matt]

Hi Carl,

My phase 1 had the cambelt done with the engine still in - he said it was fairly straight forward.

Matt.

It can be done with it in, thats good news then!

Just found out the cambelt kit from Renault is £350! Why? Is it different to the other V6 engines

Get a powergrip kit it's alot cheaper Karl. That's what i did.

 

[stevo]

hey martin, thats not entirely true, jade's very well looked after, but yes the vee does get treated just as well

steve

 

[Carl Chambers]

Done a cambelt change on a Peugeot 407 V6 today which had done 110k on the same belt, yet the belt, pump and tensioners still look good! So why does the Clio V6 need it changed at 36k?
It is the same belt, all the Citroen, Peugeot and Ranualt V6 engines all use the same belt (part numbers the same).

Has anyone had one break on the Clio V6?

If so what sort of age/mileage was it?

 

[Carl Chambers]

no one had one break?

 

[Eastlmark]

no one had one break?

pretty sure you wont find one, your figures and experiences with other cars running the same engine only back up the theory that the quoted mileage/age is just to provide some service work for the dealers. I am just trying to find out what the interval is on the Aventime V6 which again runs the same engine. The only thing to take into acount is the type of car the Vee is and the way it may be driven, a lot harder and hotter than the other cars running the same motor and maybe thats the reason they are rather cautious about it.

 

[scrabble]

I agree with eastlmark.

Because of that big engine cramped up in the back...maybe it gets hotter than the avearage lump under a front bonnet? This may in turn lead to the belts perishing quicker than a normal one?

 

[Rich]

It's a weight off your mind I suppose. I wouldn't want to just see a service book with "cambelt" written in biro under one of the stamps, that's no guaruntee it's even been done and that would be enough to make my bum twitch. I'd want to see the invoice from somewhere with a good rep like SGM.
For home workshop changes if you are going to do it yourself take some photo's, this isn't to question anyones integrity but I think it will help on resale if you cant provide a headed invoice.