XUD cambelt + tensioners

[ohms]

Hi all,

I took my car in to have a cambelt kit and water pump at a local garage last week and on arriving home after collecting the car I noticed that the bill only mentioned a cambelt change and not the full kit with tensioners. I called the mechanic and asked him if he put the full kit on and he told me he didn't, just the water pump and belt.

We may have got out wires crossed when he originally quoted me for the work, I paid 160 all in, so not sure if this would cover the kit.

My question to those in the know and who have done lots of cambelts and been around the xud for many years...Are the tensioners a known weak link and is my engine a ticking time bomb without new tensioners fitted??

WHat mileage/age do cit/peu recomend replacing the tensioner and idler??

Thanks in advance, your thoughts and opinions appreciated.

[wotwot]

As with any car, tensioners should be changed at the same time as the cam belt and waterpump.The new belt puts extra strain on parts that are already worn so ticking time bomb MAYBE.Get them changed now so you wont have the bomb go off.
£160 sounds fair for the work done.But not clever of the garage to not advise you on changing the lot.

[citroenxm]

XUD Tensioners are made of gold (sarcasem because of their durability) and not this s**t Plastic rubbish you have on modern engines!

Id personally not be worried about the tensioners NOT being changed on an XUD.. Ive seen them run to over 200k with NO play in them! They were properly engineered and made to last very well..

£160 for a belt and water pump is a good price I think for a garage, as they would also need to bleed the cooling system and re fill with anti freeze too...

[Peter.N.]

I have never needed to change a tensioner on an XUD and two of my XMs had done nearly 300,000 miles, I always give them a spin and listen and feel and have never found a bad one.

Peter

[Xaccers]

You definitely want the water pump changing with the cambelt though, they tend to not like being disturbed.

[wotwot]

Do you know the history of the tensioners.

[ohms]

Yes, nice new green coolant in there after the water pump change and I also took the opportunity to fit a new stat the morning before taking it in, so the coolant system is good for the next couple of years. The car has just done 110K and it looks as though that was the first cambelt the car has had...Lucky!!

He did say that the tensioner was fine. Maybe I should just quit worrying and get on with my life!;)

Only history is that they are the original ones it left France with all those years ago.

[citroenxm]

110k.. pah, just run in...

So many people worry because Fraud were useing PLASTIC tensioners on the old TD lumps in the Escort mk.5 etc.. But the XUD being old school used Metal through out, which ARE soo tough..I certainly (PERSONAL OPNION, though I have had a fair few XUD things, and done a lot of belts and Pumps).. 110k is very little! Those tensioners are just run in at that milage!

[spider]

I agree. The XUD tensioners are very very strong. I've only changed a couple in 11 years or so, one on mine that had done about 180-190K as the idler was a bit rough.

Assuming they are genuine and not an aftermarket copy, then the tensioners will last a very long time as they are not plastic rubbish.