Cambelt

[cliffgil]

Hi everyone, Just bought GPX, looks tired and well used, and apart from being told at sometime it has had a replacement engine, no nothing more. Had 2 quotes for cambelt change, one for £800+, including all parts and labour and one for £300 including part ( cambelt ) and labour. Would it be false economy just to have the cambelt changed, should a tensioner etc., be considered. Thanks.

[dpbayly]

change the tensioiner and idler at the same time for the extra couple of quid it's really not worth risking it at my garage i wont change a cambelt for customers unless it has a kit because even if you get it apart and they feel ok there's no telling how they will be 18months 2yrs or 3 yrs down the line and if one goes its bye bye engine and hello mr bank manager i need a loan to fix my car

[SteveGPX]

Don`t forget the water pump too while you`re at it

[cliffgil]

Thanks Steve for that advice re; Cambelt.

[cliffgil]

Thanks dpbayly for that advice re; Cambelt. Wish I lived near your garage.

[HughROtterburn]

Following on from this, I bought my FTO GPX two years ago and the cambelt had been changed about three years prior. The mileage done since the change is well less than 30K [as in half the mileage between changes] but I have been told that the cambelt should be changed every five years regardless of mileage. Is this correct. please ? And if so, does anybody know of a garage/mechanic close to North Shropshire that/who is capable of carrying out this work ?
My local garage is happy to do all the usual servicing work, but they are gibbing a tad at the prospect of a cambelt change and I certainly don't want a bodged up job . . . .

Thanks in anticipation

Hugh

[SteveGPX]

Personally I`d get it done. The car might have only covered a few miles but the belt is still 5 years old

[GR4CE]

Yes, get it done and at the same time do the parts suggested in earlier posts too as the same things need disassembling.
You are relatively close to CMS in Alvechurch (south Birmingham).

[CaptainK]

As said above, yes a cambelt does have an expiry date. After all its a piece of rubber and rubber deteriorates over time. I change mine every 3-5 years irrespective (safe in the knowledge I'd NEVER do the max mileage between cambelt changes)

[Coggy69]

Hi everyone, Just bought GPX, looks tired and well used, and apart from being told at sometime it has had a replacement engine, no nothing more. Had 2 quotes for cambelt change, one for £800+, including all parts and labour and one for £300 including part ( cambelt ) and labour. Would it be false economy just to have the cambelt changed, should a tensioner etc., be considered. Thanks.

Have you tried mitsubishi for the belt service? i went to them for mine and it only cost me 670....they even washed my car for me

[cliffgil]

No , I would not go to Mitsubishi for belt, especially my local Mitsubishi dealer who are also Ford dealers, bad experience with them. Went to local garage who deal with imports, given a quote from lady in the office for £287, but this was for cambelt only, she was obviously not aware that at the same time as having cambelt changed you should also have, tensioner, idler, water pump + air con, and alternator belt changed, I'm about to ask for a quote for all this now. Regards.

[GR4CE]

. it only cost me 670....

I imagine that was including all parts and extra bits mentioned, otherwise it's a fortune.

[Coggy69]

I imagine that was including all parts and extra bits mentioned, otherwise it's a fortune.

yeh was for a full service, cambelt, tensioners, water pump ect ect

[HughROtterburn]

Thanks very much, folks . . . . anybody got any more garage suggestions apart from CMS [thanks Grace ] please ?

[davy7876]

try it yourself, i got a belt kit for 102 pounds from camskills, took me around 2/3 hours to change it, the main labour was in taking off the stuff to get into the belt.