Cambelt Service - Is it really worth it?

[Kett]

Just a thought...

Most observers have said that the original cambelt removed during a cambelt-service looks nearly-new.

Here's the rub: If your Vee is doing 3k mileage per annum it would take 25 years to achieve the recommended 75k service interval.

So you would have saved £4k in servicing costs....

Any idea what a catastrophic engine failure on a V6 would cost in lieu of this?

 

[ColinG]

It's worth it to me as I'm anal with service stamps [smilie=doubt.gif]

 

[Duncan]

luck of the draw i guess!

If the belt went, its most likely new engine time. If you were to replace it new, you would be looking about 5-6k? its effectively enough to write a phase one off!! Could try and source a 2nd hand engine though and do it for less.

personally i couldnt let it go majorly over and still drive it, would feel like a ticking time bomb!!!

 

[Ali]

Mines due now...But i'm going to change it at winter! It's only done 20k since it was done! It'll be 5yrs in April. Arsed!

 

[Missing Link]

The belt can deteriorate over time.

Hence a time scale is always given along with a mileage limit.

It's a hard one to call as all belts will have lived in different conditions and had X amount of heat cycles.....

 

[GTTurbo]

It's worth it to me as I'm anal with service stamps [smilie=doubt.gif]

Totally agree Colin :approve:

and so much easier come sale time.

 

[Spanner]

I've had my belts done yesterday on my new (Steve's old car) V6
I'll report later on any findings from RSport but I hear one of the cams was very slightly mis-timed on taking it all apart. I guess this would of been like this from new ?

I'll report later

Spanner

 

[Ali]

I'd imagine so!

No idea who i'd get to do mine!

 

[Spanner]

Depends on where you are in Uk

I've had mine done at RSport Wimbledon who
Have been brilliant so far, sg (Scott) seem to be used by people that rate him highly .

Price is reasonable at RSport and communication and knowledge seem 100% and they are very close to my home.
I Don't want a blown engine, just becsuse I relied that the belt would last beyond five years cycle !? And to save money ! Which would be knocked off when you sold it because it needed cambelts done.
Ferraris used to have four year cycles on belts
And that was expensive but at £50,000 min to replace engine would
You risk / bet that they would last !?

Personally I'd replace than have a knacked engine.

 

[Spanner]

Ok, so I've just had a cambelt and all the various done.

As some have predicted ! Nothing wrong with the main belt !!
BUT !! one of the other belts that run outside the main belt did show worrying age wear ! And if that had come off then trouble for the main belt.
Another thing was one of the tensioners was weeping grease and Andy the mechanic was more bothered that this was more likely to fail.

With this and a major service and top mounts done it is feeling and driving beautifully! It's so much smoother than before.

I'm for one glad I didn't leave the cambelt any longer.

Spanner

 

[Lankan]

Goes to show that service schedules should be maintained regardless of mileage.

Lack of use may keep mileage low but can be detrimental, especially if scheduled maintenance is not carried out when due.

 

[Trevsked]

Spanner,

Where did you get the service done and what was the cost?

Trevor.

 

[Banjo232232]

I might be the only one here with this opinion but at the end of the day it's a v6 engine which has been used for years in all manner of French family cars. It's not as if it's a one of a kind v12 where the timing and the belt are something of a mystery to mere mortals.

I say stick to the service internals but any mechanic worth his overalls should be able to do this job even with the added space constraint issues.

Just my two cents anyway.

 

[clarkeeuk99]

When I had my cambelt done, I was told that it wasn't just the belt that wears (or deteriorates), but it is the Pulleys that can wear out too.

My old belt came off looking like brand new, but I couldn't really tell what to look for with the pulleys as they just looked like circular lumps of metal to me :rofl:

 

[ian hosk]

I had mine do last year, the car had done only 7500 from new and spends most of its time in my garage but it was then 7 years old and the belts can start to perish. I feel much better knowing its done and won't need doing for another 6/7 years.

As has been said its better when selling to to show its been done. If it does break its not only the cost of the engine its the cost to fit it too... plus who can tell what age/miles are on the belt of the replacement engine?

I used a private Renault specialist local to me and was very happy with the cost & service they did.

Ian

 

[Mr Tim]

I had my cambelt changed by Rentech after I purchased my V6 in January, it made an excellent negotiating tool and I had the satisfaction of knowing 100% that the cambelt had been changed.

Had the price not been dropped enough to cover the cost I wouldn't have bought that particular V6 which leads on to my point that if you don't change the cambelt you'll pay for it to some degree come resale...

 

[k1ano]

The only reasons I can think of for not having the belt done at the correct intervals is cost saving really or taking a principled and calculated gamble based on factors such as ownership longevity and expected ownership length ...

As a buyer though, if a selling owner has benefitted from the cost saving I would also expect some of that benefit too in terms of the cost price being more acceptable in the marketplace against others - there may be other factors in play though as a low milage would also be a mitigating factor overall ...

Martin

 

[Spud1985]

This is an interesting one and would be good to see owners views. As I'm currently looking at the market for a weekend toy and the V6 is one of 4 cars on my shortlist . Seen a couple that I like the look of.

1 has FSH plus belts, etc but is a non-uk V6 approx 30k on the clock. - £9k
1 has FSH plus belts, etc but again non-uk V6 approx 21k on the clock. - £9.5k
Last one is with service history more in line with mileage and not had any belts done approx 20k on the clock. Pictures of the car look great, very clean and on the face of it cleaner then the above two. - £10k

Would the S/H and lack of belt changes put you off the last one or would it be one to negotiate and the get a full service and belt change done after the purchase?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Matt]

It would personally put me off as I'd wonder what other things had not been done.

If the car is a keeper them 1 cambelt change every 5 years isn't really much maitanence compared to the likes of ferarris and porches etc.

 

[Fred]

i've just done mine (2004 car!) car has been parked up for 6years and the engine hasn't been run since, the belt still looks good even now!