CAN ANYONE TELL ME IF ANY OF YOU HAVE REPLACED YOUR CAM BELT YOUR SELF AND IF SO IS IT A REAL BAD JOB FOR THE EXPERTS JUST ASKING AS MINE IS DUE FOR A CHANGE IT IS A 2000 CLASSIC UK TURBO
THANX PEOPLE

 

Firstly, bit of advice - CAPS lock means "shouting" in Netiquette

Secondly, you can do it yourself, but IMHO, it will affect your re-sale value.....

The dealer that bought my MY99 was really interested in the cambelt changes (checked the garage etc)

Costs about £300 for a 3rd party garage.,....



Dan

 

were are you based as prosport ltd in stockport manchester have qouted me £300 for my 50k service which includes the cam belt?

 

With the radiator out of the way the cambelt is a piece of ****!

 

In cannot see how it would affect resale value actually - NOT having it done at all would (if the buyer spotted that it had not been done).

But, documentary evidence about the purchase of the belt and rollers and stuff should satisfy?

I have no idea how hard or easy it is, but I would value the come-back you have if someone else does it for you!

Subaru Main Dealer, CamBelt Change ONLY - how much would that be alone? £300? I think the belt and bits will cost £80+

I would love to do it myself though!! Think of the satisfaction gained knowing a job done right? Any special tools required?

And, as [Davey] says above, once that Rad. is removed the access is excellent.

Do you work at a garage [Davey]? Your posts would indicate a certain inside knowledge I have noted ?

Pete

 

Well, I certainly wouldn't buy a Scooby that had had the cambelt done DIY. Sorry. If it's done OK, then great, but I'm not that trusting.

Besides, it's all academic, as I got shot of my Scooby a couple of weeks ago!!
German engineering puts my rice rocket to shame!!!

Dan

 

I dont work in the trade as such, but very "into my cars" as they say.. I do all my work myself, mechanics, bodywork, painting, welding etc. I've got a nice collection of tools and have lots of friends in the trade so pretty helpful when for when I need a four poster.

If it paid enough I would be in the trade , maybe if I have some money I dont know what to do with when I'm a bit older and greyer I'll setup a garage and tinker until I die.

As for the comments on changing cambelts, I dont see why people are so scared? If you use decent parts and you take your time and do the job right you should have no problems.. The monkeys that work at some of these "dealer garages" are bloody useless, all your paying for is a pretty picture on the invoice!

 

Hmmmm, thought so ..... I have access to a nice 4-poster too

Pete

 

You're also paying for *some* type of comeback.......

Dan

 

forgot to add - we're talking about the ****-kikcker end of the mechanic-side. Those who know what they're doing are VERY good. I had a great guy up in W.Mids - did all my work on his drive, but what he didn't know about Subaru wasn't worth knowing.

Deffo a case of "who you know".....

Dan

 

Do it yourself and save a wedge,i did mine and it was very easy,didn't remove the radiator as loads of room with it in and my cams never moved either when belt came off.

 

Compared to many cars. The cambelt on a Scooby is very easy.

If you've done a cambelt on a twincam engined car like a mondeo or Vectra before, you will seriously wonder why the dealers charge so much for such a simple straight forward job.

Shop about for belts. Gates or Dayco will save you a few notes.

Tensioners usually go a bit dodgy, and the idler pulley bearings do dry out too. So budget them for replacement too (not cheap).

Can be done with radiator in situ. Unless you have big hands, where you will find it easier with the radiator out the way.

 

Did not think the new cam belt was part of a 50k service!

 

The scooby has got 4 cams so by that logic it should be harder

The trouble with mundaneo's and vectras is the engine is transverse thus there is bugger all space and engine mounts in the way..

The good thing about the scooby is its mounted longitudinally, there is loads of space and the crank pulley is very high in the engine bay. Try doing a V6 omega, its a complete bitch in comparison.

 

It does raise the question then ...... why do dealers charge so much to change it??

Pete

 

Because 95% of owners are mugs?

Seriously though, its the same with any "performance car" you pay well over the odds for anything.

 

I've noticed this ............ it also comes with its very own set of Myths and Bollox.

Pete

 

Very easy to do and no need to remove the radiator,The book time in the auto-data timing belt book is a mere two hours,Although if your doing it for the first time allow four.No special tools needed although there is one recommended for locking up the bottom pulley.This can be got around with two 10mm bolts and a good breaker bar.A good quarter inch drive socket set would be a great help for some of the smaller bolts

 

just had mine done while the rad was out being re cored its a my99 uk and we had to borrow the locking tool for the n/s cam pullys (cheers richard at petches) as when you take the belt of the valves are under spring presure and try to close but if the two cams arnt connected by a belt they go out of sync (there all diferent apparently mine is the model with 3 fibre pullys and one steel) any way check the idlers as mine were all showing a lot of play (57k milage) and new ones came in at £325 plus £61 for the belt luckily my m8s a top mech (specialises in gearboxes and diffs) so he helped me save on labour charges just my experience hope this helps

 

You don't need a specialist locking tool to clamp teh pulleys though (if you have one...great). A few bull dog clips to hold the new belt on the two pulleys whilst you go about timing up the other two pulleys. Or alternatively, a few longish bolts, nuts and large penny washers will suffice to clamp two pulleys to each other on each bank, so they won't move.

 

oh and that £325 did include a new tensioner which was weeping slightly i might have got away without changing that but didnt see the point (if your going to do something DO IT WRITE!!)

 

Any pics of this please as I can't picture what you mean