GTi 8v Cambelt Change

[Ian_Fearn]

Before i start this is my experience when it comes to changing cambelts:

Once on a Citroen AX 1.1 (35 mins)

Once on a Cavalier 2.0 16v (2 hours)

Twice on a BX TD (down to 40 mins now)

Once on a BX 16v (1h 30m)

So i'm not exactly a cambelt virgin....

Today i changed the cambelt on our GTi. What a bloody nightmare of a job. I started at 10 this morning and finished at 4:30.

OK, i changed the water pump as well (not bled the coolant yet) but SIX and a half hours is mad!

Reasons it took so long:

Awkward tensioner setup

Hydraulic pump AND alternator belts on the same side on the petrol model

Ages spent scraping the old water pump gasket off the block.

Sod all access and dropping/lifting the engine gives you no real benefits

NOTE TO SELF: Take it to the garage next time!

Anyway, its now got a new water pump, cambelt, alternator belt, hydraulic pump belt, thermostat and fresh coolant.

Sigh of relief......

[docchevron]

They are a little fiddly, it's so much easier with the engine on the floor!

Give us a shout next time it's due Ian, I got 8V GTi's down to about 40mins now, small hands see!!

Cheers
Chris G

[Stewart (oily!)]

That tensioner is a bugger isnt it.no shortage of sharp edges either.
Stewart

[Ian_Fearn]

They are a little fiddly, it's so much easier with the engine on the floor!

Give us a shout next time it's due Ian, I got 8V GTi's down to about 40mins now, small hands see!!

Cheers
Chris G

Cheers mate! Its the missus car so it only does about 7K a year now.

In true Ian_Fearn style it had a new tensioner too so as not to skimp!

Tis getting new gearbox oil tommorrow.