Cam Belt, Easy To Do?

[BawFlinger]

My CAM belt is due soon. Is this a simple enough job who is OK with a spanner but not a major mechanic type? I am still waiting for my Haynes to arrive so can anyone advise, thanks!

1998 1.8 GS Lean Burn.

[gazza1286]

Haynes rates this job as "Fairly Difficult - suitable for a competent DIY mechanic". If you haven't takled a job like this previously I would recommend waiting until the manual arrives. You need to fabricate a tool out of metal bar to 'lock' the crankshaft pulley wheel.

The manual doesn't describe this but it is similar to the one described/pictured on page 8.2 except that a nut and bolt (of a suitable size) needs to be put through the holes which are over the wheel studs in the photo. These bolts will fit inside the locating holes on the crankshaft pulley wheel.

As regards tools. You will need:

Metric socket set 1/2"

breaker bar

10mm off-set ring spanner ( a combination spanner is no good) - for the water pump pulley wheel.

Mole grips

Pulley wrench.

Advice on Haynes procedure:

Point 3. Haynes says that the water pulley wheel will stay in place with the drive belts still on. This is NOT the case. The pulley needs to be locked. After removing the drive belts use either a pulley wrench or mole grips. Mole grips need to be locked onto the 'lip' of the water pump pulley and allowed to rotate against something to lock the wheel in place.

Point 9. See above.

[BawFlinger]

Top stuff, Thanks for the info! :)

[peterc.lewis@blueyonder.co.uk]

I've been attempting this on 1998 1.8 GS Estate and been having real fun.

The main problems of corosion on nuts and bolt has been an issue.

The major snags were -

needed a deep 14 mm socket to get to the engine mounts stud nuts. A lot easier from below .

The water pump pulley bolts are indeed diffucult to get to with a combination spanner.

They are a lot easier to loosend with the belts in place.

The tensioning pulley nut is not just a nut but a large domed thingy (sorry technically inept ) needed to resolrt to mole grips in the end .

I dropped the HT caps from the spark plugs back in to the spark bores to prevent debris dropping in to the engine (yup done that before ).

My main problem is now that the crankshaft pulle bolt just will not budge . I've even used a wheel brace and 17 MM socket and STILL it will not come off. I've got a gear pulley ready to remove the pulley (I hope) but this I can shift this nut I am stuck.

Is it wortk giving up and just getting a garage to do the belt change?

If so how much, roughly , should I expect to pay.

Does this bolt undo the "normal" anticlockwise way or am I just tightening it?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

Top stuff, Thanks for the info! :)

[gazza1286]

To undo the pulley wheel bolt is straight forward. But you need to fabricate a method of locking the wheel in place.

This is what I use:

The 'pins' locate in the pre-drilled holes on the pully wheel. The device will lock against the driveshaft and prevent the pulleywheel turning when the nut is undone.

BTW you will need a breaker bar and a scaffolding tube to loosen the bolt (anti-clockwise). It is very tight.

You will probably find that the puller you have isn't necessary. The pulley will 'jiggle' off the driveshaft.

It is also possible to lock the crankshaft by leaving the car in gear with the brakes on. OR locking the flywheel with a pry-bar. But you need to remove the starter motor.

Unless you have these tools, Starting the job is pointless. I would advise putting it all back together for now. Do not do any of the other ancilliary work until you can be sure of removing the pulleywheel bolt.

[peterc.lewis@blueyonder.co.uk]

Thanks for that.

I agree the bolt is on really really hard and it has stopped me proceeding .

I've put it all back together.

Leaving it in gear and stamping on the brake was holding it , it's just that the nut was way too tight to shift.

Is it possible to get a friendly (and no doubt suitable bribed ) tyre place to give ti a go with an air tool?

[gazza1286]

That's cheating!

Anyway, the bolt needs to be retorqued to 102 lb/ft. You won't get that with a wheel brace.

You know the right thing to do. Buy the breaker bar!

http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/...rque-wrenches-2

Only £11.73.

[peterc.lewis@blueyonder.co.uk]

The wheel brace was one of them long extending ones (bigger than 18 inch) BUT no scaffold pole so I wil certainly be loking in to this and dropping in on my friendly local tire place for a quick cheat too! Thanks for the tips they are greatly appreciated.

[peterc.lewis@blueyonder.co.uk]

OK It's done and there were quite a few challenges to overcome.

My thoughts are -

It has been said that this is not worth starting without a breaker bar and I agree. Got a 2 foot long one and was JUST able to get the crank pulley bolt off. I got my darling wife to stand on the brake while it was in 5th and it finally gave up the ghost.

Found it a lot easier to get at things by removing the engine mount first.

When it came to getting at one of the bolts for the camshaft middle cover it was a lot easiier with the alternator removed.

Had real problem getting the middle tensioning pulley off one of the belts as the nut was oneof them flat domed things . I've wrecked it so need to replace it at some point as it is on but mangled.

Do not replace auxiliary belts BEFORE this job. If it's an early model there will be some penetrating oil flying around and the belts inevitably got hit and I', going to replace them.

DO NOT FORGET to take it out of 5th when you restart the engine (nearly , so close).

The bolts on the water pump pulley are a lot easier to get to with the engine mount removed. DO slacken them as suggested by Haynes though you can use a strap wrench later if you want.

It is sometimes easier to disconnect wires and tubes to get to stuff. Just be thorough in putting them all back.

I usually put an A4 size piece of wood or cardboard folder over the spark plug holes to stop me dropping suff down there. As unlikely as it sounds I used to do this a lot when working on bikes and it is ANNOYING :( DO NOT put anything that might get sucked down into the hole (suck as stuffing cloth down each one) as the piston going down could suck it in to the engine. I am not telling you how I know this one too.....

Tools I would recomment (that Haynes does not mention).

At least a 24 inch long breaker bar and a good quality 17MM socket to crack the pulley nut.

A deep 14MM socket to removed the two stud bolts under the engine mount.

The Haynes manual shows some marks on the crank to line up with the bottom case but I found mmine did not have them. Instead there was a longer flat tooth that aligned centrally with the mark on the case.

When I put the crank pulley back on I recheked TDC and the hole punched in the pulley wheel at the top of the engine , just to make sure.

And finally, regardless of religious leaning or not a quick prayer before hitting the ignition doesn't go amiss. Thankfully the engine started without a murmur but one hell of a squael from them soaked belts :(. Need to replace and retention.

TAKE YOUR TIME AND THINK. If you are (like me) a home mechanic and not a pro it is really worth taking time to check everything a few times and to stop and think when things don't go the way you think they should.

Hope that ramble was OK.

I'm going to have a bath, a beer and might even wander down for a game of snooker.

[peterc.lewis@blueyonder.co.uk]

Nearly forgot something important.

When I slackened the cam belt tensioning pulley I accidentally dislodged it fom it's bottom mount (it is not bolted in it just rest around a sort of stud. If I hadn't have spotted this when I put everything together I shudder think what would have happenend.

Goes bacl to look check and check again I guess.

Have fun.