Need to change my cambelt on my TZD

Ian_Fearn · Post by **Ian_Fearn** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 3:42 pm

This will be the first time i've done this on a BX can anybody tell me the correct way to do it, including all the locking.

Stewart (oily!) · Post by **Stewart (oily!)** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 4:46 pm

Haynes is pretty good on the subject, make sure you have 3/8 ratchet at hand to back the tensioner off and a good selection of sockets for everything else, the belt can often be slipped over the crank pulley after plastic guards are removed, it often helps to remove fuel pump locking pin and slightly rotate pump clockwise before putting the belt on its pulley to get all slack out of the front run, turn engine over twice by hand and refit timing pins before attempting to start it, good luck. Its not a bad job.
Stewart

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 8:43 pm

While you're at it, check the tensioners and coolant pump very carefully indeed. If they are anything other than perfect, change them. If you look just below the coolant pump drive, there's a hole in the casting. This is the "weep" hole that lets coolant out if it's gotten past the seal so that it doesn't get into the bearing. If there's even a hint of evidence of weeping, change it.

It's a real bitch when you change a cambelt only to have the coolant pump fail 2000 miles later.

Ian_Fearn · Post by **Ian_Fearn** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 9:22 pm

Cheers David, i'd intended to do the pump and tensioner regardless.

This is a money no object job, i've wanted this car for years!

Mr B · Post by **Mr B** » Sun Jun 25, 2006 10:03 pm

The pump is ok to do but the tensioner and idler will be a pain to change with the engine in the car

The tensioner spring is really strong and difficult to re-fit and the idler sits underneath the large engine mount on the block. All right royal pain in the bum

Ian_Fearn · Post by **Ian_Fearn** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:27 pm

i treated myself to a set of locking tools for the XUD today. Hopefully i'll get this done this week.

Mr B · Post by **Mr B** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 7:44 pm

Ian_Fearn wrote:i treated myself to a set of locking tools for the XUD today. Hopefully i'll get this done this week.

Too posh for me, I use some old bolts

Cornishbx16v · Post by **Cornishbx16v** » Wed Jun 28, 2006 3:12 pm

ive just been doing the belt in the 16v, i found after loosing several layers of skin its a lot easier to jack the engine up int he bay to get into the cambelt area! (on the 16v you cant get a ratchet onto the tensioner with it inplace!) just make sure that you get the timing okay and youshould be fine!

joolie · Post by **joolie** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 12:39 am

I was going to post a picture on here, but I dont know how to, so firstly can someone inform me - can I put one on from file?

. . . anyways, the camshaft is split, sproket is hanging off, bearing mounts are totallly smashed, I made a huge F/&%/kup with the timing (didnt locate that hole on the flywheel . . .) the question is how bad does that sound? What should I look out for, how do I check for damage to other parts of the head/engine.

Im going to investigate further tomorrow, I want to know how far I can go with the engine in the car. . . can I jack up the engine from under, if I can where is the best place to jack it up?

any advice greatly apprieciated. . .

J

jeremy · Post by **jeremy** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:02 am

The best way to raise the car is to use the hydraulics - by turning the pump. You may be able to improvise a drive using an electric drill. Otherwise you may be able to raise it a bit at a time using a scissor jack but I think you'll have to start at the back and work forward. BE CAREFUL!

The problem is that the bearing caps are line bored in the head and therefore are not interchangeable. Some people have bodged other caps to fit but it's not to be recommended. An specialist workshop may be able to assist and have a system for getting round this problem - by for example boring oversixe and fitting shell bearings (like a Jaguar XK engine).

Otherwise it should be another head - and a second hand one is probably the way to go. Make sure it hasn't been overskimmed, isn't cracked (especially important for a TD) and is the right one (early N/A's have a different port shape and are less powerful)

From comments on this board the damage seems to be confined to the head, pistons, rods etc escaping undamaged. Worth turning it over a few times with the head off to make sure nothing is tight.

Ian_Fearn · Post by **Ian_Fearn** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:02 pm

Right then, last saturday i changed the cambelt. Not a particularly difficult job once i'd worked out how it all came apart.

Refitted the belt, tensioned it up, run car.... No probs.

Drove the car down the lane and back (mileish) then left it overnight.

Came to it the next day to check the tension and i felt it was a little slack so not wanting to risk it i did the job again (took me about 30 mins instead of 2 hours).

When i reset it up i made sure the belt was running in the centre of the pulleys.

Tonight i've checked it again and the belt seems to be running right on the edge of the pulleys (guard side not engine side)

What would cause it to shift off centre?

I have a theory that the crankshaft pulley determins where it runs. Could it be the that belt is running off centre on the crank pulley and causing the whole lot to run off centre? The belt runs true when the engine is running.

I'm a little confused and dont feel comfortable with it running on the edge and perhaps even trying to make a bid for freedom.

AndersDK · Post by **AndersDK** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:23 pm

Ian -

The crankshaft pulley holds the belt exactly to the edge of the crank cogs. This will pull the belt to the edge of the cam cogs - despite your attempts to center it.
You should only worry if the belt tries to run even a wee bit OVER the edge of the cam cogs. Becuase this is an indication of a tilted axle on either tensioner, idler or waterpump.
I've seen this once on an '84 BX16. The belt was running against the outer edge of the upper belt cover - and chafed down to some 1/3 the original width

The cause was a leaking, worn & noisy waterpump.

Ian_Fearn · Post by **Ian_Fearn** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:32 pm

The belt i would say is less than a millimetre over the edge. Virtually running right on the edge.

The previous belt wasnt like this, hence my confusion.

I'll keep an eye on it though.

meep · Post by **meep** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 1:45 pm

Ok, so my cambelt change went like this:

The usual suspension on high, jack up the front, axle stands under the front, ramps at the back.

Jack the RH front even higher to get the wheel clear.

Set up the sunshade thingy which is a right laugh on your own.

Look at Haynes. "Remove the upper engine mount". Well that looks nice and easy, four nuts staring up at me. Remove the air tube for a bit more space. Get a 17mm deep socket from my set for the body nut... it slips. Turns out that Citroen in their infinite wisdom have decided to go for a 16mm nut, and my 100+ piece socket set only has 15mm and 17mm in deep

So, now I've put everything back, driven to the motor factor and bought a 16mm deep socket, and I'm too hot and mad to do it today. Ho Hum.

The moral of this story is Make sure you've got a 16mm deep socket before you start!!

Any other gotchas?

And how tricky is it to change the tensioner and water pump in situ?

As my BX has unknown history, I want to get everything done at once...

BX Club Forum

Need to change my cambelt on my TZD

Need to change my cambelt on my TZD

Camshaft questions. . .

Aaaaaarrrrgggghhhh