C5 V6 cambelt

John Darm · Post by **John Darm** » 14 Feb 2006, 15:46

I'm a newbie and have just bought a C5 V6 with 80K on the clock. Reading through the paperwork it appears that a cam belt change is overdue.
It seems that I need to get the work done at a Citroen outlet and I need to spend in the region of £300 on parts and as much again on labour. Wth VAT it will cost a shade under £700!
Any advice would be most welcome - Do I need a full kit? Are there any independent garages that would do the job for a little bit less?
Should I sell the car?
I'm in Bristol and any help would be very, very welcome.
Thanks.

Post by **graham593192** » 14 Feb 2006, 22:45

I was quoted a similarly rediculous amount from citroen when I got my Xantia. I rang round a few people in the local paper and yellow pages and ended up getting a mobile mechanic to do it. He came round and didi it on my drive and charged me £160 for a full 72k service including cambelt change.

FrenchLeave · Post by **FrenchLeave** » 15 Feb 2006, 19:20

That's probably OK for a 1.8, but the 3.0 V6 really is something else again.

My local independent said that it requires special tools to hold the four camshafts and umpteen idlers and tensioners in position. Access is not easy either. He said that, for the number of cars he would deal with, it wasn't worth the expense of stocking the tools.

Plaiedes in Petreborough said they would do mine when it became due but I believe they've gone out of business?

pugxpert · Post by **pugxpert** » 15 Feb 2006, 20:36

the cams have to be locked and all 4 cams are ajustable with vernier pulleys,also hydraulic tensioner has to be set correctly.is it worth fred the shed attempting this job if he is not sure?? this will be very costly to you if he cocks it up.

Rob81 · Post by **Rob81** » 15 Feb 2006, 23:50

Don't laugh if i'm completely wrong but is this the tool that is needed?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ENGINE-TIMING-TOO ... dZViewItem

Post by **xantia_v6** » 16 Feb 2006, 07:59

When I thought my Xantia V6 belt needed changing, I rang several dealers and independent specialists, and quotes ranged from £350 to £700.

I think that Citronics in Harpenden may have been one of the better quotes.

I then did some detective work and found that the previous owner had had the belt changed, so I was very happy.

pugxpert · Post by **pugxpert** » 16 Feb 2006, 12:55

that looks very simular to the peugeot citroen kit for the v6 es9j4 not too bad a job but you really need to get a manual to get belt tension correct otherwise will not last another 80000 miles and ka boom!!!!!

FrenchLeave · Post by **FrenchLeave** » 16 Feb 2006, 22:02

And according to the workshop manual, to get the belt tension correct you need a "SEEM belt tension measuring instrument with digital display: 4122-T".

It then looks a straightforward job if the engine is out and on the bench, but when fitted in the car you'll require mirrors, smoke and elastic wrists.

John Darm · Post by **John Darm** » 17 Feb 2006, 02:10

I think I am beginning to see a pattern here....
Thanks for the comments - I'm gonna have to take the medicine.

Paul Mi16 · Post by **Paul Mi16** » 17 Feb 2006, 08:30

Autodata quote a time of 5 hrs to change the belt, though having looked at the piccies I can understand why people are reluctant to take it on!

Might be worth asking on here if anyone knows and can recommend a specialist near you.

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 17 Feb 2006, 11:51

I have done a cambelt on the 406 V6 engine (similar, if not identical to the one under discussion) and it was an ARSE! took me all day, and access is indeed the major problem.

I managed to make most of the special locking pins needed, and took the advice of a specialist that the use of an electronic belt tension gauge isn't essential.

Irritatingly, the belt on these engines is amazingly strong, and the old belt looked identical to the new one! No wear at all.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 17 Feb 2006, 14:32

fastandfurryous wrote:Irritatingly, the belt on these engines is amazingly strong, and the old belt looked identical to the new one! No wear at all.

Just to make sure that no one is tempted to leave on the "still like brand new looking" old belt :
Cambelts do not wear visually - they wear by material fatigue.
Meaning they suddenly snap without any kind of warning when they are well past overdue.

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 17 Feb 2006, 17:21

[quote="AndersDK]
Just to make sure that no one is tempted to leave on the "still like brand new looking" old belt :
Cambelts do not wear visually - they wear by material fatigue.
Meaning they suddenly snap without any kind of warning when they are well past overdue.[/quote]

I agree with what you're saying Anders, but with one addition, what you meant to say was that Cambelts shouldn't wear visually. The one that came off my '97 was like new (i cut a lump out of it before putting it in a box so I can't confuse it with a new belt later on!).

The one that I took off my '94 was well worn, but it had been rubbing on the plastic cover, it had lumps of teeth missing and I was glad it got changed when it did.

pugxpert · Post by **pugxpert** » 17 Feb 2006, 20:34

you dont require the seem tool for doing the belt on the v6 psa manual says that you adjust tensioners using 2 M8 bolts one long and one short you lock the hydraulic tensioner with one and the tool as shown in that kit then wind the hole lot off with the other .when re tensioning the belt wind up with one then unlock the hydraulic tensioner and adjust so the the tool is a nice fit in the gap on the hydraulic tensioner then lock it all up.bit difficult to explain but once covers off and you have done one its a nice little job.do check idler rollers though 9 times out of ten you spin them up and they are noisey.not cheap either, if the main tensioner one is noisey to change this you will have to change water pump as well modified and cannot get old type,new one will have new type tensioner as on the ES9J4S which is the 210BHP motor.

dnsey · Post by **dnsey** » 17 Feb 2006, 20:45

idler rollers though 9 times out of ten you spin them up and they are noisey.not cheap either, if the main tensioner one is noisey to change this you will have to change water pump as well

Someone here (sorry, can't remember who) recently mentioned that the idler bearings for some PSA engines are 'off the shelf' components, and can be replaced cheaply. Worth checking before buying new rollers.