Replacing a Xantia Timing Belt

mak224751 · Post by **mak224751** » 11 Apr 2005, 17:43

Hi All,
Having just had the timing belt snap on my Vauxhall Cavalier which no doubt has just condemned it to the scrapyard I thought I would check when my 1993 L Xantia 1.9TD last had its timing belt changed. According to the service history it was 74,000 miles ago. Having just had a quote from Citroen of £265 I was wondering if anyone knew how easy it was to change and what the expected life expectancy of the timing belt was.

pete_wood_uk · Post by **pete_wood_uk** » 11 Apr 2005, 17:50

According to Citroen, 72k miles. Most people round here tend to do them more often. It's not rocket science to do (there's quite a few posts on this forum, or Haynes) but I'd have thought you'd find an independent who'd do it for less money than that.
Pete

Post by **RichardW** » 11 Apr 2005, 19:21

A 93 car is not too bad as it has clip on covers rather than the damned awkward bolt on ones. Easily do-able if you are confident DIY er.

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 11 Apr 2005, 19:31

definatly agree with that. I converted my 94 405 back to the 93 style covers and water pump, as it was impossible to get them off/on properly with the engine in place. Looking at the exploded diagrams of both systems, it's obvious that the later guards were introduced as a cost-saving, rather than any improvement in maintanence/guarding ability.
If you've never done a belt before, allow a whole day, and make sure you have a diagram at the very least.
Just as an aside.. what engine size is the Cav? I know for sure that some of the 1.8 and all of the 2.0 engines had non-overlapping engines, so there is never any risk of piston to valve contact. My father had a belt break on his 20NEH engined Cav on the motorway. New belt on, and away it went. Mind you, said belt had done 110k!

IanR · Post by **IanR** » 11 Apr 2005, 19:32

Was thinking of doing my 16-valve Dimension soon. Main issue is that I know the crankshaft bolt is massively tight. I'm afraid of breaking the bolt if I try to remove it. (yes I did try with the engine hot, btw.)
Which led me to wonder, is it actually necessary to take the pulley off, or can the belt be slipped around it, under the plastic cover? This would depend on whether there is a guard on the lower side of the sprocket under the plastic cover, or not. If anyone who's done this type knows it would help.

arry_b · Post by **arry_b** » 11 Apr 2005, 20:48

I used a six sided impact socket on a breaker bar with the bar held against the ground.
Then I cranked the car over on the starter which undid the bolt nicely.
Alternatively - undo the arch covers so you can see the bolt head from the wheel arch, and drive to your local friendly tyre dealer, make a small contribution to their beer fund, and ask them to use their air impact rachet on the bolt.

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 11 Apr 2005, 22:36

Never had a problem with that bolt to be honest. I just use a high-tensile bolt in the crankshaft locking hole (flange into flywheel, behind starter motor) and then a big bar on the bolt head. Always come undone quite easily. The trick is having the engine locked solid. If you try and rely on putting it in gear with the brakes on, you'll get nowhere.
Unfotunatley it is indeed essential to have the pulley off. there's nowhere near enough space with it still on.

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 12 Apr 2005, 04:17

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by IanR

Main issue is that I know the crankshaft bolt is massively tight. I'm afraid of breaking the bolt if I try to remove it. (yes I did try with the engine hot, btw.)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Get someone to crack it loose with a rattle gun. I had a Mazda diesel many years ago and spent a couple of days trying to unbolt the starter without luck when an old mechanic called in to visit. Took one look, laughed and reckoned he'd give me a 20% chance of shifting it as these were tightened at the factory with a rattle gun. He then went back home, grabbed his rattle gun, came back, I stuck my head under and went bang, bang, bang and within a couple of minutes had it sitting inmy hand. According to him, he reckons if they are rattled on, then it's less chance that they'll snap coming off with the rattle gun than by using brute force.
Getting back to the job at hand; these cambelt jobs are the biggest con job in modern motoring. Do it yourself and then at least you'll be financially a long way in front, you'll do it as good as most of the "specialists" will and as a bonus, you'll know it has actually been done.
You should find heaps of info on here as regards the procedure and any traps.
Alan S

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 12 Apr 2005, 04:59

The person who last did the cambelt on my older Xantia didn't do a very expert job. He lost one of the bolts from the lower cover, which rubbed on the belt. Melted plastic was spattered onto the pulleys where it hardened and wore a groove in each of the teeth on the belt. It was like that for about 4 1/2 years and 40k miles.
It was a 7mm bolt too, not a common size, but when you've got access to a lathe and a machinist you can have any bolt size you want. Ah yes thats the four milimetre and five sevenths standard thread.

Panjandrum · Post by **Panjandrum** » 13 Apr 2005, 04:25

Just had mine done today.
Timing belt, water pump, fan belt, supplied and fitted - £166.05.
HAPPY DAYS
CitDealer had quoted me at least £400 for the timing belt alone - sharp intake of breath - "It's an Activa you know, everything is more complicated on those."

Richard Gallagher · Post by **Richard Gallagher** » 13 Apr 2005, 11:32

Changing the timing belt on an Activa is somewhat easier than doing it on a TD.

Panjandrum · Post by **Panjandrum** » 13 Apr 2005, 13:24

Ah, right. Didn't stop the sharp intake of breath[:)]

roypch · Post by **roypch** » 23 May 2005, 15:21

I spend last weekend trying to do timing belt on a 1994 Xantia TD SX. I was unable to locate this locking hole :
"" I just use a high-tensile bolt in the crankshaft locking hole (flange into flywheel, behind starter motor)""
To access this locking hole, do i have to remove starter motor ?
Many thanks in advance

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 23 May 2005, 15:32

You cannot see the locking hole - it is behind the starter motor. If you feel down the back of the starter motor you'll feel a longditudinal flange in the engine casting (running full length left/right). The hole is in the flywheel casting a little above this flange.
I found mine quite easily (luckily). Having done the AX so many times I knew what the hole would feel like (when prodded with a locking bar) even if I couldn't see it!
It would be really easy with the starter off but you'll loose time removing it.

roypch · Post by **roypch** » 23 May 2005, 16:59

Many thanks, Dave !
Is it behind the starter and upwards ? I could easily see the open part on the engine casing where i could touch the ring gear teeth. Is this above that part of casing along the circumference but behind the starter motor ?
Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question !