Cambelt condition

[mudguard]

The mudguard voyage of discovery into basic Seven maintenance continues 

These belts look to be in pretty good condition to me, and they are pretty firm when I try to deflect them with a finger at various points on the belt. With the engine not running  

But then I wouldn't know one end of a dodgy cambelt from another.

Before someone helpfully points it out, I know cambelts are technically not designed to have ends, but I'm told that their life's ambition is to transform themselves into having two ends, which makes the openy things for the acceleration-juice and the pollution-smelly gas have a violent argument with the big up-and-down-slidy things. Which is not good.

Any opinions please?

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ubrcq3ekw2l9pv3/AACk6nHH0bsS3gnquRLNdrQla?dl=0

Oh, and final photo - where is the radiator coolant bleed screw? Don't need to open it at the moment but at some point I might. 

[Roadsport06]

Cam belt is age related as well as mileage so if it is due it needs doing. Issue for belts are you don't see cracking until you take them off and turn it inside out. You don't have a rad bleed. The smaller diameter hose at the top of the rad bleeds to the expansion bottle

[Jonathan Kay]

(Crossed with Roadsport06's)

James Whiting's schedule recommends changing K cam belts at "48,000 miles or sooner if preferred". When he last did mine I asked about low mileage 7s and he suggested 5 y maximum.

Do you know old yours is?

Jonathan

[paul richards]

Cambelts don't normally snap, but rather they strip teeth. Ghange every 5 years and if in doubt about age, change it.

[mudguard]

Sadly I have no idea about the age of the belts. The service record (albeit patchy) has no record of any change.

So they could be as old as the car (14 years).

[Jonathan Kay]

Are you going to DIY?

Jonathan

[Geoff Brown]

Rover (when in existence)  I believe recommended 8 years or a ridiculously high mileage before changing the cam belt on a K Series.

The common ground has always been 5 years or 35000 to 40000 miles dependent on whom is giving the advice.

As Sevens are largely 'low mileage' 5 years is the maximum. The recommendation is to replace the tensioner at the same time as the belt.

As Roadsport06 quoted you will not be aware of any cracking till the belt is off & you turn it over for inspection or it inconveniently snaps...............

 

[mudguard]

Ok looks like changing both belts is the way forward then - thanks for the insights. 

The remaining question is Jonathan's - I'll have to have a ponder on that one. It looks like a couple of levels up from whipping the sump off. There's that tight bolt in the crankshaft pulley, and the possibility of trashing the valves. And I really should do the waterpump at the same time, which means draining and then battling the airlocks on refill. Perhaps it's one for a professional.

[SM25T]

You can do it ! After cracking crank pulley boIt with a breaker bar and lining up cam pulley marks; I put spots of Tippex on all pulleys in two places and the edge of the belt. Then transfer the dots on the belt to the new belt. Can't go wrong. Changing the water pump is easy while belt off. My 2002 all aluminium radiator has a bleed bolt in the header tank.

[Julian H]

To be honest I'd just do the cambelt. There is nothing like the confidence in doing it then knowing it has been done! If someone else said it has been done before you bought the car, who pays for the repair when it fails?

Get yourself a bleed valve for your top hose [as recommended to me by Alan]. It makes bleeding the coolant a cinch, If you have the plastic topped rad, there is a blanked off hose coming out the back for bleeding.

 

[mudguard]

There's no question of whether they'll be changed or not - the only question is whether it'll be me doing them 

Already have the plastic tee - was going to fit at the next opportunity anyway. Have only held off as temps have been very steady recently - suspect I had a small airlock which has somehow worked its way out. But draining the coolant for waterpump change gives an opportunity to fit - and also to refill with new coolant as I don't know how long the old has been in.

[Jonathan Kay]

I've chickened out of two jobs on my 7: changing the cambelt and rebuilding the whole engine.

I've read the advice and watched the video. I've got a big screwdriver but would be happy to buy the *locking tool. What would tip me to DIY, possibly:

1. Someone to watch over me.
2. A GTKY7 session where we all did it together with adult supervision.

Am I alone?

Jonathan

* And then add it to the register of equipment for loan.

PS: I've just had to get help from a bike mechanic and that rankles, but Clint was right.

[Roadsport06]

JK : Same here. Richard Price kindly did my verniers and belt change. I paid attention but with it being something to not get wrong I would want someone watching over me when I do the belt change next Spring.

[mudguard]

I must admit I am leaning towards chickening out and taking it to the redoubtable Mr. Belcher, who I've already met. I think I could do it if I took it on (as always, the advice available on BC is extremely useful), but for a half a day of worry and then, with a mistake potentially putting the car out of action for several summer weeks, it's worth seeing beyond my personal pride and satisfaction.

[Duckpit]

Don't chicken out it is relatively easy and safe as long as you are careful and you are only going to have to pay to have it done again in a few years.

With my road cars I always used to get the garage to sort and I think that was thro fear of valves hitting pistons etc.

With my new cams I have had to buy a clock gauge to get the correct lift height for exhaust and inlet at TDC very tricky but again it only needed confidence and care and lots of rechecking.

[mudguard]

This time it's going to a professional. As far as I know, it's so long overdue that it seems risky to postpone till the winter, when I could take much more time with less worry over disrupting prime driving season. Next time will be different. Yes I know it'll cost me quite a lot more, but in context of the amount of joy the car brings at this time of year, and how sad I'll be if my ham-fisted spannering scuppers the car for weeks, it's a price worth paying.

 

Sometimes being a chicken makes sense!

[rich71]

Just for info if you do decide to have a go, obviously in a seven some of the time and actions can be stripped out http://www.tadts.com/instructions/engine/100016.html

[revilla]

I know it's quite a drive from Croydon but ...

My wife's away 2nd-18th September. I'll be at home with the kids, they'll be at school from 8:45 to 15:20 - plenty of time to change several VVC cam belts! I've done it many times before. If you want to blat up one day I'll happily do it with you and show you what you're doing for next time.

Would be a lot cheaper than getting it done by a garage too ... bring some cake and/or biscuits and we'll call it quits  

[mudguard]

I'm really moved by the helpful advice and Andrew's very generous offer of help - what a great community this is! Thank you!

Round our way, asking for some cake is a risky proposition because what you get is this, courtesy of my far-better-half:

Known to cause severe damage to S3s in the form of cockpit shrinkage and loss of ride height! Even those of us with an SV might have to upgrade to a forklift!

Anyway, I've already asked Andy Belcher - and I wouldn't offer work to a professional and then take it away. But next time I'll be up for jamming the screwdrivers in the cambelt, putting the locking tool on the window wipers, smacking the alternator with a scaffolding pole, and adding lightness by rounding the head of the crankshaft bolt!

[Martin J]

That desert looks good. 

[SM25T]

Gobi or Sahara ?

[revilla]

Damn ... I want that cake now!

[SM25T]

We are all coming round for afternoon tea !!

[mudguard]

Note to self re: longevity of K-VVC, poss. future problems: announce afternoon tea party, bribe with cake.

[SM25T]

My VVC past 93k now.