Cam belt change

pazauk · Post by **pazauk** » 18 Aug 2004, 23:43

Hi all, doing my head in got all kinds of information buzzing around in my head, (1) when should a cam belt change be done can it hold out to 80k? ( got a 2.1 td 98 xantia ) (2) is it really that hard to change the cam belt? (3) does the water pump need to be done at the same time. People are saying 40k,60k its hard, its a piece of P!$$, coments will be helpfull from people that have done the job them selves thanks a lot simon [8]

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 18 Aug 2004, 23:56

If you know the history of the vehicle then 70k is about right to change. If not best to change what ever the milage. My Xsara has only 41k on the clock and local Citroen dealer said to wait to 75k befor change, but as the vehicle was from Liverpool and I did'nt know how it had been driven (about town or up & down the motorway) I got it changed by a local specialist. As for the water pump again it's down to milage. My old ZX TD had 156k on the clock but the water pump was chaged at 85k so only the belt was changed second time around. In my experience if you have the tools and I mean all the tools to hand then a cam belt ain't that big a job, but sying that I did do a 5 year engineering apprenticeship.I got a local garage to do my belt because for £80 including a crank shaft seal it wasn't worth getting dirty.
How may miles has your Xantia done?, how many owners? and whats the service history like?

pazauk · Post by **pazauk** » 19 Aug 2004, 00:05

Hi its done 64k, one owner before me full service history form citroen, decided to stop that changed all the filters myself and did the aux belt oil glow plugs ect its just the stigmer that goes with the cam belt i guess got a quote of £315 to do the belt the belt on its own only cost about £18 i just dont know what to do, does enyone what to do it:P

Stuart McB · Post by **Stuart McB** » 19 Aug 2004, 00:24

Sorry mate but that price is a "see you coming" quote. Was it from Citroen? Personally I'd go for the belt change about now. I'd have agood look at the water pump but at your milage unless it's weeping or making a noise I'd leave it alone. As for that price have good phone around. As you say £18 for the belt. Mine cost £80 but that was from £280 + VAT by Citroen. There's lots of good French specialists out there who will charge les than half what you'e been quoted. If you think you can change the belt go for it but as I said make sure your have all the bits and I mean all the bits especially if you ain't got a second car to pick stuff up with. Hope this helps.
If your in the Birmingham area I can recomend modern Citroen on the Bristol Road South. Very good. Think their web page is,
http://www.automend.com/moderncitroen/aboutus.htm

np · Post by np » 19 Aug 2004, 02:15

Peugeot are very good.Had my cam belt done last year at main dealer,£145 all in.£60 less than cheapest independent,Citroen wanted £365!!!Both 1.9 & 2.1td same as Peugeot.Every 72k miles for cam belt,although idealy less than that.I think access is tight on the 2.1td Xantia,its bad enough on the 1.9td,hence i didn`t do it.Its 4 hrs labour on the 1.9,so maybe the same,or a bit more on the 2.1td.

ralph · Post by **ralph** » 19 Aug 2004, 13:39

Pazauk - I did my first cambelt on my Xsara last month and it took all day!
Next time around I expect to be a lot quicker, but it's quite a long, involved job for a first timer.
You need a big breaker bar to crack the crankshaft bolt.
It took me a while to work out how to get a rod into the flywheel to lock the crankshaft, and make up a suitable tool (a drill bit cut in half with a zip-tie handle). The flywheel hole is tucked up behind the starter motor.
The timing belt covers were also a pig, the rear top one had an 11mm bolt tucked down the back, while all the other bolts were 10mm - and of course I didn't have an 11mm spanner.
Have a selection of 8mm and 10mm bolts to lock your injection pump and camshaft - they'll need to be about 6/7cms long.
By the time I got to the belt there was no way I was going to replace the tensioner and idler pulley as well. They were both in good nick, so they'll have to wait till next time.
My advice - read through Haynes a few times, get everything straight in your head, give yourself a full day just in case you hit problems, then get stuck in.

SGould · Post by **SGould** » 19 Aug 2004, 18:10

My recent cambelt change at 59k undertaken by a local independent Citroen specialist cost £230, including changing the water filter.
Xantia 1.816v 1997

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 19 Aug 2004, 23:47

I've done the belt on my 2.1 twice now. I like to do it at 35000 mile intervals. If you've done a smaller XUD, the 2.1 isn't much different. The top mounting isn't the same as other XUD's - the bracket is bolted to the inner wing and that has to be taken off, otherwise there's not room for the front covers to come off. Also I find it impossible to reach the flywheel hole behind the bigger starter motor. I don't bother, and instead mark up the crank sprocket with two spots of white paint. Otherwise, method is the same as 1.7 and 1.9's

pazauk · Post by **pazauk** » 24 Aug 2004, 03:45

Is it a must to do the tensioner at the same time? citroen and pug say its not a must, also does anyone know about the auto tensioner on the aux belt think mine may be getting weak got the erratic tensioner on max but its still a little loose, is there a spring on is it run from engine pressure? theres not much in the haynes about it does anyone know? getting the cam belt done at pug this thurs £174 citroen wanted £315 what a rip off!

TheWorker · Post by **TheWorker** » 24 Aug 2004, 04:40

i had the same kind of thing with a 2.1 XM the other week, it turned out the rubber bush at the bottom of the spring had worn out. im not sure about pricing but i think the new spring and wheel were around 80 quid (but i'll have to check on that) and the alternator had to come out to get to it properly.

LeFrog · Post by **LeFrog** » 07 Apr 2005, 12:38

Hope you don't mind me dragging up an old thread, but I have a related question.
My Xsara is 5 years old and has done 30,000 miles (50k).
A respectable Pug mechanic I know said that it is overdue for a cambelt based on the age of the car, but Citroen haven't mentioned it. I'm wondering whether to do it based on age or milage? What do you reckon? Is age a factor in cambelts these days?

davek-uk · Post by **davek-uk** » 07 Apr 2005, 13:42

As has been said before, Citroen recommend 72k cambelt changes on the old XUD. Personally, I think that is a bit high but my car had the first change at 73k (the 72k service) and I did the second change recently at 125k. For the first change, I wouldn't worry about changing the water pump and tensioner/idler pullies unless they have play in the bearings - which is unlikely at that mileage. Usually I recon on 50k for a cambelt and change the extras every other belt change. The play in my water pump and pullies at 125k wasn't noticeably greater than the replacement items from GSF, so they would happily have done a greater mileage; although probably not a further 50k.
I must say, the later 1.9 with A/C is a bit of a pig to remove the cambelt covers - otherwise it's a simple job. The 2.1 is supposed to have even less room to work in, so good luck!
The tensioner pullies for both the cambelt and the aux belt are supposed to be tightened off (according to Haynes). As a result they don't move unless you change the belts - you may find they are stiff and need loosening off.
As an aside, I found that my 1.9 setup - on a 1997 car - resembled the 2.1 rather than the 1.9 according to the diagrams in Haynes. Is this because Haynes have it wrong or were Citroen trying to standardise parts a bit toward the end of the XUD9's life?