Cambelt nightmare

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 16 Sep 2009, 16:40

All my cambelt experience in the past has been XUD BXs, 205s and 2.1 Xantia. I’ve never attempted any of our present fleet, although the Saxo and the 306 are long overdue. Not on mileage but certainly on age. Both are 11 years old.

Monday morning I decided to change the belts on the Saxo. This was the first engine I’ve ever done that didn’t have auto-tensioning. I was looking forward to trying out my recent Ebay purchase. It was a Boroughs tension gauge which I got with a $30 bid from the USA. It was rated in Newtons rather than Seems but Autodata do a conversion chart. The Autodata disk was also helpful with removal and installation – much more so than Haynes, although neither said it was necessary to raise and lower the engine by three inches each way.

By mid-day I’d got to the stage of rebuilding where I could try an engine start. It started first turn – but what a strange noise – and clouds of exhaust. Clearly it wasn’t right and too late in the day to continue. Next day was a day of rain. This morning it was off with the engine mount and front covers again. Fortunately this engine’s bottom pulley is only held on by four 13mm bolts. Timing pins were once again put in and the belt replaced. Although the pins hold the pump and camshaft in position, the sprockets are free to move within their bolt slots. Finally I got the belt tensioned and to the stage where I could try a start. Bingo – it ran well and with no smoke. For good measure I fitted a new auxiliary belt.

Autodata give the workshop time for a TUD belt change as 2hrs.20mins. I guess mine took around 12hrs

citrov6 · Unread post by **citrov6** » 16 Sep 2009, 17:28

nice tension gauge, i have a simpler one that can only be done by turning and reading of the numbers you've turned to.

coincidently i have 2 days free now to do this so i am going to do my v6 xantia that i last did 5 years ago lol. wonder if there is data for the tension in your info discs?

good job on the belt glad it wasn't a calamity

citrov

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 16 Sep 2009, 19:04

citrov6 wrote: wonder if there is data for the tension in your info discs?

citrov

If your's is the 3ltr XFZ engine then yes, there's full instructions. Tension is given as 83 SEEM units (taken 1/3 of the way up on the run from the CS) and looks high compared with Saxo's 55. It looks a b***** of an engine to do. If this is your engine and you want me to print off the instructions, and there's time, PM me an address.

citrov6 · Unread post by **citrov6** » 16 Sep 2009, 19:15

yes thats the one. i have some of the pdf's on it from the internet, though i have lost one of them that gave more info on the jacking proceedure.

just got the engine covers off and raised it to see how much i could move it, trying to be careful since i read about in the v6 thread some people broke the passenger side eng mounts. plan is to do it tomorrow midday afternoon. it certainly is quite intimidating to look at.

so what do SEEMS convert to?

f00lzz · Unread post by **f00lzz** » 16 Sep 2009, 21:46

WOW! look at all that space... almost like having the engine on a workbench.

Ian

cox377 · Unread post by **cox377** » 17 Sep 2009, 08:04

f00lzz wrote:WOW! look at all that space... almost like having the engine on a workbench.

Ian

Exactly what I thought lol

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 17 Sep 2009, 08:17

citrov6 wrote:

so what do SEEMS convert to?

Have a look at page 9 in this pdf. It gives a comparison chart from SEEM units to other measurements used by different gauges.

http://www.autodata-online.com/uk/tbinfo.pdf

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 29 Sep 2009, 19:19

While the weather was still good I thought I'd put a new cambelt on the Pug 306. Not before time since it's eleven years old and still on the original belt. Our Pug is fitted with the last of the XUD9 engines so it has the spring loaded tensioner. Having got the engine nice and hot I had trouble getting the crankshaft bolt undone. A rattle gun wouldn't shift it so I had to resort to using a socket on the bolt with a long tommybar braced against the driveshaft and giving a quick burst on the starter. That shifted it first go. Although they are all similar engines, there seems to be less room between the wing and the belt covers on the 306 than there is on BX or 205s. Also it has some very inaccessable cover bolts. With a 6mm rod in the flywheel and three 8mm bolts in the cam and pump sprockets, timing can't be lost in fitting the new belt. Its a low mileage engine so I didn't replace the water pump and tensioner pulley. To complete the job I fitted a new auxilliary belt. The old cambelt looked good for 11 years old but the other belt looked close to its life's end. It's been a long day of seven hours work but worth it for an outlay of £15.50.