Twinspark Cam belt and Variator Change ( diy )

conaero

Forum Owner
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34,593
ARGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! White teflon tensioner. DO NOT USE THOSE !!!

Yeah I have heard that too along with plastic impellers on the waster pump, use the metal type.

Great guide though almost gives me confidence to attempt it myself..... 2 things I don't touch....gearboxes and cambelts as a rule.
 

Smaky

New Member
Messages
161
The guide is long winded and slightly flawed, but it is experience which points that out, some things like be careful not to damage the cam sensor and dab the corners of the rocker gasket with sealant need adding.
 

alfawestlancashire

New Member
Messages
139
The guide is long winded and slightly flawed, but it is experience which points that out, some things like be careful not to damage the cam sensor and dab the corners of the rocker gasket with sealant need adding.

Well smacky look forward to reading some of your posts and then rippingthem to pieces, as thats all you seem to do. They are a general guide, they are not up for an oscar. Also made it long winded so the rest of the country would understand. If it was just for lancashire it would have been 75 percent shorter.
 
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conaero

Forum Owner
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34,593
Any things like this are just what they say....a guide, you use your common to fill in the missing bits.

We'll wait for your guides then Smaky....and assume they wont miss anything?
 

Supercharged16v

New Member
Messages
558
This is actually a great guide. Printed it for the torque settings.

However.... I havent read anything about slacking the cam pulleys when timing the engine... Have I missed it ?
 

alfawestlancashire

New Member
Messages
139
This is actually a great guide. Printed it for the torque settings.

However.... I havent read anything about slacking the cam pulleys when timing the engine... Have I missed it ?

Think so: is this it, Remove the belts from the engine. Undo the 10mm nut at the back of the balance shaft belt tensioner (just above the oil filter), and remove the tensioner and the belt. Loosen the 13mm nut on the white timing belt tensioner wheel, and slide the timing belt off of the pulleys.

Undo three allen bolts (6mm) and remove the timing belt tensioner – idler assembly
 

Supercharged16v

New Member
Messages
558
You need to undo the cam pulley in order to tighten the timing. Otherwise, if you just leave it as it is, and you tighten up your tensioner, it will just pull on one cam, but because both cams are locked, it will probably release the tension after the locks are removed and cost you a few valves ...

If you are lucky and you dont lose your belt, the timing will be wrong, no doubt
 

Smaky

New Member
Messages
161
Also, no water pump or variator replaced there either, that was also a 1.8 so no balance belt faff, he also didnt show the removal of the aux beltor tensioning the belt correctly, needless to say removing the idler bearing whilst the belt is still on can damage the threads in the pulley plate, the video shows you all the bad practices really and if that were my car I wouldn't be confident that it was safe.


As for guides, I've posted quite a few amongst the forums and I enjoy pointing people in the right direction with their diagnosis, I'm not an armchair mechanic like you find on many forums and when you meet someone I've helped I hope they are positive in their appraisal. After all if something is not right or ommited in a guide, would you prefer I didn't inform you???
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
Fair enough Smaky, any chance you can copy those guides on here please to the relevant forums?
 

Chris155

Member
Messages
196
Yeah I have heard that too along with plastic impellers on the waster pump, use the metal type.

Great guide though almost gives me confidence to attempt it myself..... 2 things I don't touch....gearboxes and cambelts as a rule.

That guide is at least 12 years old, to berate the writer for using a white tensioner is more than unfair as the metal type tensioners didn't even exist at the time. It was also written when the engines were relatively new and everyone, including the garages, was terrified of touching them. So fair play, Jaap did a sterling job.