Changing Cam Belt question

Nightcat

Wrench Pro
Points
56
Location
Bournemouth, UK
Car
2005 Nissan Micra
OK, after crashing my previous car I ended up buying a cheap run around till I can afford anything reasonable,

Yet
"There is nothing more perminent, then something temporary"
so I'm stuck with my present car for a while.

I think it'll need a new cam belt put in, although I am hardly the one to realy voice an opinion on this subject.

But what I realy want to know is, if it is worth to wait with an oil change till the belt has been changed?
Don't realy want to waste any money at the moment.
 
Changing the belt does not require an oil change so either job can be done independtantly of the other. I would recommend a cam belt change on any car where it has not been changed for 5 years. It is just not worth the risk of it going on you.
 
Personally if you don't know the cars history, I'd change the cambelt/get it changed straight away. You can change a cambelt yourself quite easily for pennies, the hardest part is timing up the engine. Whereas rebuilding a head is a little more difficult and a lot more expensive ;)
 
It's getting at the belt is the problem in most cases. I wouldn't even try on the DW12 engine in my car - there's so much stuff in the way. The local independent PSA specialist needs 6 hours. Thankfully it's only required to be done every 96,000 miles.

Another thing - when you change or have the belt changed make sure you replace the tensioners as well. These wear and should one fail the damage is as bad having the belt itself fail.
 
I was assuming his "cheap run around" wouldn't have a DW12 engine in tbh. Fairs fair, getting to the belt is usually public enemy number one.

Very good point about the tensioner though, and I'd even change the crank pulley nut too if it's had to come off, they're torqued down very hard.
 
There's a good lesson therein regarding running simpler cars. I think even the crank pulley has a vulcanised rubber damping assembly attached. That's why I leave well alone. I'd mess it all up to be honest.

Here - see what I'm on about:

P1000724.jpg

P1000727.jpg



No way I'm fiddling with that lot. Even worse with the covers off!
 
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Lol. that's quite a clean bay for any car! I swear they do it on purpose so anybody that's not charging £60million labour can't do anything to it. In all honesty, apart from the lack of room it doesn't look TOO bad. With all that plumbing gone it'd be a lot better.
 
There's a good lesson therein regarding running simpler cars. I think even the crank pulley has a vulcanised rubber damping assembly attached. That's why I leave well alone. I'd mess it all up to be honest.

Here - see what I'm on about:

View attachment 188

View attachment 189



No way I'm fiddling with that lot. Even worse with the covers off!

So you do get your hands dirty and have a good clean. Or are those pics from the day you bought it? ;)
 
I took them last night just for the purpose of this thread. The car is getting on for 8 years old and has covered 126,000 miles.

I think the reason it's so clean is that there's no space for any dirt to get up from underneath. Not surprising really given the amount of 'stuff' jammed in there.
 
OK, after crashing my previous car I ended up buying a cheap run around till I can afford anything reasonable,
I think it'll need a new cam belt put in, although I am hardly the one to really voice an opinion on this subject.
But what I really want to know is, if it is worth to wait with an oil change till the belt has been changed?
Don't really want to waste any money at the moment.

What car/engine are we talking about here, pls?

If the engine type is known, maybe some people here have first-hand experience of it and can advise you more accurately.

General rule with any change of car is to change all fluids, including brake system. Prevention being better than cure.

Rubber cam belts (if it is cam-belt driven and not chain!) last a long time in cooler climates. If you are in the UK and know for sure when the belt was last changed I wouldn't be too worried about it.
The manufacturers service interval for change is worst case i.e. for hot countries where rubber deteriorates at least twice as fast as the typical cooler European climate.
When you do decide to change the belt, then it's also good policy to also change the belt tensioner and water pump at the same time.
 

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