Quote:
Originally Posted by hreg240
Thanks Alan,
My initial thoughts were: the belt was done 20,000 miles ago - that is barely run in. However, I started to do some researching across this forum and others, with a lot of people saying any belt over 5 years old is a cause for concern.
It's got the B200e engine in it, which I have conflicting information on whether it is interference or not (some say aye, some say nay).
You have prompted me to give it some thought, I have done far 'worse' jobs in fairness (like a road-side fuel tank swap!); I will definitely be replacing the aux belts this weekend, as they look a bit shabby and make a squeal - but that is something I am confident with.
I see your point about doing much of the work myself, which is something I generally stand by; however, with the motor car being my only mode of transport (and I'd rather not walk 70 miles each day for work), with jobs that could go horribly wrong, especially ones that I have not done before, I'd much rather the peace of mind of having an experienced set of hands available. (Be that a garage, or more experienced friend / relative).
I shall give the timing belt debacle some more thought, either way it shan't be done tomorrow - I simply don't have the expendable cash.
I will keep you all updated on how things go
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Well, it is up to you of course. If you get a dealer to change a cam belt for you it will cost £300 to £400. I bought a perfectly good Gates belt for a B230e motor I had for £11.75 and fitted it in half an hour (the motor was out of the car, which made it easier). Your motor car has a manual transmission, which makes the job a bit less challenging though (use the handbrake to lock the crank). You will have to take the auxiliary belts off to change the cam belt anyway, so you might as well leave them and do both jobs (or get your dealer to do it - it doesn’t rake any longer to replace a new belt as an old one).
It strikes me that £400 is a quarter of the purchase price for your motor car, for just one issue that may not be all that critical. If it was me (and it is not), I’d watch some YouTubes and learn how to do a few maintenance jobs - your 240 is a really simple motor car.
In my opinion running older motor cars is largely about an attitude of mind: working out ways of driving, maintaining and repairing them often without the correct tools or parts, within a budget but still safely and effectively. There are lots that disagree with me of course.
