Belts and bits

[Waylander]

So tonight in a couple of hours I have stripped the front of the engine bay out

The rad and all the bits the front engine covers the trays and started to change all the old hoses for silicone ones blue silicone ones not sure I like it much.

Changing the belts but not pump or rollers this time but can see a seeping leak from the water pump, so that got to come off and a new gasket also the hoses go under the inlet manifold so that's coming off too

Going to be busy for the next few evenings

Also made up an injector cleaner with a PP3 battery some hose, a couple of big cans of carb cleaner should be a bit of fun

 

[vitesse]

Changed the cambelt this week on my red 924S-it was still on the one it came with when I bought it over 8yrs ago & to be honest the belt was in very good condition with just some slight "crazing" on the flat side.
1st time I've done a spring tensioner cambelt & removed tensioner as Clarke's Garage advice -used a strong magnet to recover the 3 washers off the studs after removing the nuts.Amazed to find the tensioner weighs virtually 2 kgs.
Removal was timely as the INA tension roller had a full depth split in the plastic flange with evidence off another starting.Replacement roller cost me £26.11 at ECP,alternator drivebelt £8.78 at ECP although catalogued belt was 5 Vee versus removed belt -6Vee.
Have no idea why my car has 6V pulleys -PET shows 5V for this model-so fitted new belt using the rear 5 grooves.
I saw no reason for changing the balance shaft belt as was still in excellent condition but 1 balance shaft was out by a tooth so corrected that on re-fitting.
Only snag-replacing the adjuster with cambelt fitting was easy but stupidly I didn't use the magnet again when placing the washers back on the 3 studs so the middle one disappeared somewhere,so removed the adjuster again ,probed everywhere with screwdrivers/stronger magnets etc without success,found a new washer & re-fitted everything again.

I reckon a question of Senior mind over minor matter so when complete turned over engine with ratchet ,couldn't feel any interference so started engine & heard a little "clink" as something dropped drown into the bottom of the belt guard-removed the bottom 4 guard setscrews & removed the offending washer with the magnet-"phew"-as need the car for Donington Historic trip on Sunday!.

 

[graham.webb]

Sorry to be missing you on Sunday Colin. We went yesterday (I like Qualifying). Arrived to pick up my mate in a cloud of steam, so had to go in his BMW instead and missed out on the trackside parking and parade lap. Bitterly cold, so grateful for PCGB's marquee and hot drinks! Set to this morning to trace the problem, started the car to get up to temperature then noticed a broken Jubilee clip on the top hose. That should fix it for a couple of quid I hope!

 

[blade7]

I saw no reason for changing the balance shaft belt as was still in excellent condition

You can't really tell by looking at the belt how much longer it will last. And it's not unheard of for that belt to take the cam belt with it if it fails.

 

[Waylander]

Have to agree blade, does seem like a bit of false economy

not uncommon for one belt to take out the other

 

[blade7]

Impressed with pulling the front off in a couple of hours, I'm too slow to make money as a mechanic. Coincidentally my balance belt was a tooth out the first time I changed it, despite an indy checking it for me when I bought the car. And the only way I could get a straight view on the pulley/timing mark was using a mirror.

 

[Waylander]

yes me too, white paint on the mark and a small mirror, you can normally get the bottom spot on and the top is nearly always half a tooth out



But 2 years ago I bought some Silicone Hoses, Bright Blue!!!, not been brave enough to put them on, I have now (sunglasses on), had to take the inlet manifold off and all sorts of bits, discovered the neck for the top hose was very badly corroded, a new one from OPC is £180, there has been a brand new one on ebay for about 4 years unsold, made the fella an offer and got it for £40.

the bolts were stuck solid, so I welded an Allen Key on a chisel for my SDS drill, Put it in Chisel only mode and hammered the hell out of them with no rotational force, then put some force with a set of mole grips on the chisel part while still hammering, and bingo they both came out, with no thread damage,

clean the injectors and it can all start going back together.

As to the alternator belt mentioned above, the gates book says 6PK720 for non AC, and 6PK1000 for AC,

 

[vitesse]

Hi Graham,
Yes it would have been good to have a catch up-was slightly warmer on Sunday-unfortunately I can't go to Curborough this year as I have a major part in a play the same week at Formby Little Theatre & it would be tempting fate to be that far away.
Jubilee clip must be a big relief,rather than something serious.

 

[blade7]

As to the alternator belt mentioned above, the gates book says 6PK720 for non AC, and 6PK1000 for AC,

In over 10 years I haven't attempted to get the A/C working on my car. Someone gave me an A/C delete bracket, so I'm tempted to remove the compressor and condenser to free up space and remove some weight.

 

[vitesse]

Well I queried the Alternator belt supplied & was told that was correct for the car-PET showed it correct as well so I nodded my head to myself & fitted it!
As to my cheapo approach to the balance belt-I do hear & respect what you guys have said-frankly I have never done this before -always replaced both belts.
However close examination shows no cracked teeth,no potentially damaged belt wires/fibres & no sign of fatigue so I thought I'd experiment.
Easy to change it if I get scared! Car only does 3K miles a year .

 

[Waylander]

If your brave enough then what the hell go for it

I have a friend with a 968 Tip and he has not done the belts for 11 years, I'm waiting for the phone call to say its all gone tits up, hes owned the car for 17 years

 

[Chrishazle]

You say has rather than had - I did not have the belts etc on my tip coupe done for about that amount of time and did not have a problem, agreed on limited mileage (~3k miles pa) for most of those years, but I was not aware of the age limit until I started frequenting forums. Then I had the belts and rollers done, only to shortly thereafter sell the car after 12 1/2 years ownership! I can't be totally sure, but I don't think the car had belts done in the 4 1/2 years of the first owner, so it would have been maybe 14 years between belt changes - 26.5k miles in the first 4 1/2 years before I bought it, and maybe another 30-35k miles before they were changed!

One aspect I think makes a difference is having the car garaged when not in use, so the under bonnet does not see major temperature differences!