Xantia Cambelt Cover AHHH!

PicassoPigeon · Post by **PicassoPigeon** » 23 Jun 2007, 14:28

I have the front top cover off but the rear top one is stuck by the turbo pipe please tell me i dont need to remove this.
I have bolt on covers with all bolts removed but the rear cover will not come past this pipe.I dont like to force it and i cant see how to loosen the pipe as i cant get any tools down the back of the engine bay.

Please help, Thank you.
gav425

And why must it keep raining, its bloody june

PicassoPigeon · Post by **PicassoPigeon** » 23 Jun 2007, 16:08

Ok top cover now off. squeezed it past the turbo pipe by loosening the top air intake and that gave just enough room.

Next its the crank pulley bolt.
gav425

Stewart(oily) · Post by **Stewart(oily)** » 23 Jun 2007, 16:12

You dont need to remove that one, just gently break the bottom cover, it can be bolted back on and the belt can be fitted without removal of the pulley.
Stewart

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 23 Jun 2007, 16:13

Oh no - the crank pulley

Your car is red ehh

On red cars you will have to remove the RHS front wing for access to this pulley

naah - wont be a problem

Enjoy the work

fastandfurryous · Post by **fastandfurryous** » 23 Jun 2007, 16:44

AndersDK wrote:Oh no - the crank pulley
Your car is red ehh
On red cars you will have to remove the RHS front wing for access to this pulley

Only on Tuesdays Anders. That, and white cars are Thursdays.

In all seriousness, I don't know what the fuss is about when it comes to crank pulleys. Remove the starter motor to gain access to the flywheel locking hole, and insert a longish (100mm or so) 8mm high-strength steel bolt with it's head cut off into the flywheel hole. This holds the engine solid in the timing position.

Now use a (22mm is it?) socket and fairly long extention on the crankshaft bolt. Lean hard on it, as you are undoing dried thread-lock fluid. You really ought to re-instate said thread-locking fluid when fitting the bolt again later, although I have managed without in the past, and used a bit of gasket goop instead.

PicassoPigeon · Post by **PicassoPigeon** » 23 Jun 2007, 16:47

On the last belt change the tensioners were changed, do i still need to jack under the sump to remove just the belt this time. Or does the engine mount bracket still need to come off just for a belt change.

gav425

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 23 Jun 2007, 17:53

yes you need to jack the engine, because the RHS engine support bracket must be removed. Also having the possibility of raising & lowering the engine will make acces to the cambelt and covers much easier.

You dont need to replace tensioner & idler again, but you need access to the tensioner for releasing the cambelt tension to remove & replace cambelt.

I agree with F&F on how to remove the pulley bolt, but as Stewart writes : its not really necessary to remove the pulley. Just remember to dowel lock both cam & crank axles. Locking the crank is as F&F writes : a homemade dowel from under the startermotor into the flywheel index hole.

PicassoPigeon · Post by **PicassoPigeon** » 23 Jun 2007, 18:04

Thanks AndersDK. I have now removed the crank pulley, now its just the engine mount to come off with jack under so i can lift it and remove the belt.
After all the belt is back on i am then refitting the alternator bracket and all the gubbins that came out to replace the aux belt auto tensioner.
If the weather had been better I may have had the car back on the road by Monday.

Thanks to everyone so far, this is my first cambelt so I am just taking my time and all your help is most greatfully received.

gav425

PicassoPigeon · Post by **PicassoPigeon** » 23 Jun 2007, 18:52

Having removed the covers without jacking, I can see that both the tensioner and the idler pulley have a score mark around them that is making a sort of cut in the old belt.
Should i replace these?

Idler pulley

Tensioner

Hope these are not too big but i think they will help, last one is not very clear sorry.

gav425

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 23 Jun 2007, 19:07

The score mark is not really a 'score' mark. its the way these pulleys are made. Nothing else. Its completely normal.
It will of course set off a 'footprint' on the belt, but will not harm the belt in any way.

PicassoPigeon · Post by **PicassoPigeon** » 23 Jun 2007, 20:13

Thanks again AndersDK

Just how easy is it to change the oil seals at the belt end, I thought it might be a good idea to do them now that I have got this far. Dont fancy having to do it all again too soon.

gav425 thankyou.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » 23 Jun 2007, 21:27

gav425 wrote:Just how easy is it to change the oil seals at the belt end, I thought it might be a good idea to do them now that I have got this far. Dont fancy having to do it all again too soon.

Its about the same job (cambelt replacing) over again as the belt has to come off. Then the belt sprockets are removed by undoing their centerbolts. On doing this its important NOT to use the lock dowels for counterhold. This will damage the dowel holes making them oval.
On completion the sprocket bolts are refitted using threadlock compound.

Its roughly the same procedure replacing the crank pulley oil seal.

When removing the oilseals its VERY important using appropriate tools NOT to scratch/score the seal mating surfaces on the axles. Otherwise new seals will leak forever ...

New seals are fitted flush with the surface.

Post by **CitroJim** » 23 Jun 2007, 22:08

gav425 wrote: Just how easy is it to change the oil seals at the belt end, I thought it might be a good idea to do them now that I have got this far.

Personally Gav, if they are bone dry and show no signs of distress. I'd leave them alone. I've not had one leak yet, even when I've had cams out. In fact I have re-used the seals with no untoward effects. They have a fairly easy life up there.

I would swap the waterpump whilst you have the belt off though. Cheap and easy to do and they don't sem (in my experience) to take kindly to the different tension a new belt applies to them.

Post by **RichardW** » 24 Jun 2007, 18:48

No wonder you were struggling with the covers if you were trying to do them with the engine mount still in place - refit the covers before the mount - makes life a whole lot easier!

PicassoPigeon · Post by **PicassoPigeon** » 24 Jun 2007, 20:30

Well i do like a challenge. I have got all the covers back on now and the mount.
I hope tomorrow morning will not be too wet so i can fit the alt bracket and get the alt back on then the HP pump and alt belt. Its been a big job and its taken a while but it will have been fun if it all works in the end. I wonder how much money i have saved by do that little lot.

gav425