Cambelt Change

[200sxman]

Hi, has anyone done a step by step guide for the changing of a 1.7 cambelt? Is there a list of the special tools required to do this.
I am thinking of doing it myself as my local ford dealership has just quoted me £381.00 just for the cambelt replacement so not including the auxillary belt or the cam cover gasket etc.
I have looked at the list of recommended garages and there is not one close to me.

 

[Anonymous]

From what I've read, changing the cambelt is not the easiest thing to do if you've not done one before especially with the VCT.

Personally, I would rather bung out all the cash and hopefully have it done properly. And at least, if the small possibility arises that something goes wrong, I have someone to point the finger at and they can rectify it without costing me any more to fix.

Just my opinion though.

 

[JonB]

You will need the pins and bar to set the timing, a good puller to remove the crank pulley (NOT by the outer ring), the correct size torx socket for the VCT bolt,a pulley holding tool, a big torque wrench and a decent basic tool kit.
You will also need double jointed hands, a third hand at times, plenty of plasters, lots of patience, several blocks of wood, a good read of the tips and hints posted here and a Haynes manual (3397 I think).
Honestly it is not that hard to do if you are mechanically minded, but it is really easy to cock it up.

 

[quest63]

Someone on here quoted Halford Auto centre as doing the job for £180 (I think they said) but I didnt get an answer to whether that included parts.Seems too cheap to me.

 

[ElDude at Allison Automotive]

Hi, has anyone done a step by step guide for the changing of a 1.7 cambelt? Is there a list of the special tools required to do this.
I am thinking of doing it myself as my local ford dealership has just quoted me £381.00 just for the cambelt replacement so not including the auxillary belt or the cam cover gasket etc.
I have looked at the list of recommended garages and there is not one close to me.

you don't mention what area you are in?

 

[200sxman]

Hi, has anyone done a step by step guide for the changing of a 1.7 cambelt? Is there a list of the special tools required to do this.
I am thinking of doing it myself as my local ford dealership has just quoted me £381.00 just for the cambelt replacement so not including the auxillary belt or the cam cover gasket etc.
I have looked at the list of recommended garages and there is not one close to me.

you don't mention what area you are in?

I'm near Thame in Oxfordshire.

 

[Longyear]

Got mine done last week (full kit + aux belt), at Holiways Ford Dealer, Durham, for £341, so you're paying a straight £40 premium there for being in the South! .. which seems excessive...

I don't regret the spend one bit as the service was excellent, the job done perfectly (with a healthcheck too that correctly identified my snapped coil spring), and it's nicer driving the car knowing it has a new belt & tensioner. .....Takes the worry away...

After I got mine done, a friend of a friend who works for a VX dealer said any dealership will haggle a little on price of a job over £200.

Why not say to your Ford dealership that "you are going up to Durham next week, and have been quoted £341 for the job up there, but if they can match the price, you'll get it done down in Oxfordshire instead"....... Little white lie but it may just save you £40.... you can almost fill the Puma's tank for that! :grin:

 

[quest63]

Got mine done last week (full kit + aux belt), at Holiways Ford Dealer, Durham, for £341, so you're paying a straight £40 premium there for being in the South! .. which seems excessive...

I was quoted £380 something as well
3 hours x £70 = £210
cam belt kit = £120
+ VAT

 

[ElDude at Allison Automotive]

Recommend do the waterpump whilst your at it...bumps up the bill a tad but well worth it!

Chris

 

[YOG]

cam belt kit = £120
+ VAT

You can get a genuine Ford 1.7 Puma timing belt kit for £71.48, delivered:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280594864669?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

or a Gates kit (same thing), for £53.99, delivered:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230671545641?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[quest63]

You can get a genuine Ford 1.7 Puma timing belt kit for £71.48, delivered:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280594864669" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;? ... 1423.l2649

or a Gates kit (same thing), for £53.99, delivered:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/230671545641" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;? ... 1423.l2649

Cheers I knew their were parts options cheaper than Ford and they were willing to use parts I provided.That £70 ph is still the killer though plus the VAT of course

 

[ElDude at Allison Automotive]

cam belt kit = £120
+ VAT

You can get a genuine Ford 1.7 Puma timing belt kit for £71.48, delivered:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/280594864669?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

wow, that is cheap!..

 

[MrP]

I got quoted by the guy that did my MOT £100 plus the cost of parts, so if I used the Gates kit off ebay that should be lest than £160.

 

[quest63]

Nice price so long as he's experienced timing zetec engines.potentially disasterous if he isnt.

 

[MrP]

He said he'd done a few, the place over the road that did my clutch quoted £200.

 

[200sxman]

I'm thinking of using Pumabuild as I have to be in Birmingham in the near future. Has anyone any experience of their workmanship or the quality of the parts they use?

 

[PumaNoob]

Cam belt change is fairly easy if you have all the right tools, a bit of experience with VCT and how it works, and a few hours. But it easy to get wrong too, because there are no keyways or dowels in the cam or crank pulleys, so it only takes for one not to be tightened enough and you could cause some damage. It seems a lot to pay out nearly £400, but that's cheaper then buying a new engine & paying for it to be fitted if you make a mistake.

If you are determined to do it yourself, I can make you a step by step guide, and tools you need, because it will be better then going in blind, & there's less chance of you making a mistake.

 

[quest63]

I agree circa £400 is a lot to pay and its probably in the ballpark of getting a good used replacement engine and having it fitted.Having said that you could end up with a replacement engine that needs a cambelt change as well.

I think were definately lacking a cam belt change How to guide here and would like to see one myself :thumbs:

 

[200sxman]

Cam belt change is fairly easy if you have all the right tools, a bit of experience with VCT and how it works, and a few hours. But it easy to get wrong too, because there are no keyways or dowels in the cam or crank pulleys, so it only takes for one not to be tightened enough and you could cause some damage. It seems a lot to pay out nearly £400, but that's cheaper then buying a new engine & paying for it to be fitted if you make a mistake.

If you are determined to do it yourself, I can make you a step by step guide, and tools you need, because it will be better then going in blind, & there's less chance of you making a mistake.

It would be great to have a step by step guide with a tool listing,as I would really like to try and do this myself,and I'm sure there are lot more of us out there would also like to try. Thanks

 

[ElDude at Allison Automotive]

I agree circa £400 is a lot to pay and its probably in the ballpark of getting a good used replacement engine and having it fitted.Having said that you could end up with a replacement engine that needs a cambelt change as well.

I think were definately lacking a cam belt change How to guide here and would like to see one myself :thumbs:

lol, yes, not a brilliant comparison as you may just end up with a worse engine than than you started with... :lol:

Not personally convinced that an online guide would be that useful for MOST forum users..Iv'e seen the Cambelt done a fair few times now as my dad and sister had a puma too at various times... still quite happy to let someome else do it tho TBH... it's bloody awkward doing it with the engine still in the car especially if your working off axle stands which makes it even worse...

Harry based in Hereford did mine this year and made a cracking job of it, taking the engine out and torquing the stretch bolt by hand which is always more satisfactory than an Impact gun IMO...