406 V6 cambelt

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 06 Nov 2005, 17:53

Right.... I've been asked to change the belt on one of these minor monsters. I've had a look in the autodata book of timing belts, and it all looks a bit complex, certainly moreso than a 1.9TD one.

Has anyone here experience of changing one of these? I have changed plenty of XUD belts, and a couple of TU ones, but never a V6 (XFZ?). Is there any particular problems with doing one of these, like special tools needed, or "utterly inacessable bastard bolts" (A-la later XUD covers, and the bolt "round the back")?

The book says 4.7 hours too.... Looking at it, that seems a bit short.

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 06 Nov 2005, 18:33

Hi

You mean the V6 24 valve ES9J4 lump in the 406?

How much do you think just the belt costs from a Peugeot parts dept? I hope you are sitting down!

£72 for just the belt!

There was a good thread about changing a belt on a V6 Xantia with the ES9J4 lump over in the Citroen section off the forum.

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 06 Nov 2005, 21:02

It is indeed the ES9J4 engine. The owner has just bought the car, and although it's only got 58000 on the clock, it's now 8 years old, and well over time for changing.

I was sitting down when I read that amount, but have since had to pick myself up off the floor... £72 for a bloody cambelt??!?!?!

I'm damn glad it's not my car.

Found that thread about the citroen xantia V6... and I am a little concerned about doing this, mainly as I don't have an electronic belt tensioner. From the look of the procedure though, this is only used to pre-stretch the belt, and then the tensioner on the vehicle is used thereafter. Is this correct, or have I missed something?

I'm guessing that a number of the "special tools" are, just like the XUD engine, merely dowels and bolts which can be easily fabricated/bought/fished out of a box of random bolts.

Why couldn't he have just bought a 1.9TD.... why? WHY

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 07 Nov 2005, 18:21

Hi

Next time I speak to my Peugeot technician mate Ill ask him how difficult these ES9J4 cam belts are to do.

Ill also ask him about the special tool & if its needed.

You could always pop over & ask on the car mechanics forum, Theres a couple of Pug trained technicians on there most nights who I know have done a few of these before

http://www.kelsey-forums.co.uk/cgi-bin/cmm/YaBB.pl

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 08 Nov 2005, 18:30

Well, I asked my man in the know.

In a Peugeot main dealer with the cam locking tools you are looking at half a day to do an ES9J4 cambelt, Its not a nice job & shouldn't be taken on lightly.

Also its recommended to change the belt tensioner & the water pump to avoid trouble in the near future.

I quote from a Pug trained technician with the service tools "Its a F*****G nightmare"

I would pass on doing this job myself, lol

The newer VVT ES9J4 cambelt is ment to be a lot easier though.

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 08 Nov 2005, 22:21

I've had a good look at this, and it would appear that a good number of the special tools can be fabricated.

Having read, and re-read the procedure while looking at the engine, it is indeed a bastard of a job. Makes a 1.9TD look like the proverbial walk in the park. The main problem is that you have to peg the camshafts, while the sprockets are free to turn. Tension the belt like this, and then lock the sprockets to the shafts.

Plus, the belt is about a thousand miles long.

We shall see what happens... it's in bits at the moment, with a new belt on it's way.