Cambelt Roulette
Discussion
How do you handle having a bottom of the market (<500, no pound sign on this keyboard) shed that needs a cambelt change that you can't DIY? Getting quotes in the region of 250 to have a kit fitted to my old Skoda that only cost 350 and has MOT until April.
A cambelt failure would of course be the end of the vehicle but then so could many other things. It could go tomorrow but it could last well beyond it's next MOT.
A cambelt failure would of course be the end of the vehicle but then so could many other things. It could go tomorrow but it could last well beyond it's next MOT.
AJS- said:
Must have been done at some point.
Definitely worth taking a gamble on though if you really can't do it yourself (it's not THAT hard!).
Two things stop me from having a go - the fact I'd need to buy tools to lock the camshaft and the fact that you need to (either raise or lower, I can't remember which) the engine for access, this being the main stumbling block because I don't have the facilities to do something like that at home on the driveway.Definitely worth taking a gamble on though if you really can't do it yourself (it's not THAT hard!).
I'm also pretty cack handed at spannering but that's not stopped me trying to do other stuff
AJS- said:
Usually a trolley jack is enough, if you need to lower the engine. No need to lock the camshaft, just make sure the timing marks are all lined up when you put it back together.
It can be a pig of a job though, I agree.
From what I've read there aren't any timing marks hence the need to lock it using the specified VAG tool - just going on what I've read on Briskoda.It can be a pig of a job though, I agree.
beko1987 said:
I've done this with all of my cars. My trick is to buy cheap enough to make it disposable if it does go snap. Quick bit of breakerage on my mums drive then off to the scrappy they go. Normally break even doing that!
Have you had a belt go on you?It would be a massive pain in the ass having to find another economical car quickly which is a concern
^This.
TBH £250 seems pretty good value. Have you looked at getting a mobile guy around to do it? Plenty of specialist mobiles, often half the price of an independent.
Obviously you know the calculations - very little point in doing it if you're in real danger of the car collapsing into a pile of rust next time you slam the door. But, at the moment, anything with 12 months ticket is worth £300 - so you'd get your money back come sale/weigh in.
If it were me, I'd have it done. Your next £500 motor might not need such a trivial job.
TBH £250 seems pretty good value. Have you looked at getting a mobile guy around to do it? Plenty of specialist mobiles, often half the price of an independent.
Obviously you know the calculations - very little point in doing it if you're in real danger of the car collapsing into a pile of rust next time you slam the door. But, at the moment, anything with 12 months ticket is worth £300 - so you'd get your money back come sale/weigh in.
If it were me, I'd have it done. Your next £500 motor might not need such a trivial job.
Kentish said:
We've been playing Cambelt roulette with our 2008 Nissan Qashqai, it's done over the specified mileage now.
It's worth about £10k though so it'll be done soon.
It's worth about £10k though so it'll be done soon.
- would you like a wheelbarrow for those testicles?Doing it with a #350 snotter is almost justifiable but 10k?
How far over the mileage is it?
I'm in the same boat as my 18/19 year old car has no history of a cam-belt change and looking at the other belts which are genuine Audi I would say it hasn't been done.
On mine you can take the top of the cam-belt cover off in seconds if you can do the same it may be worth doing just to check for any wear or cracks in the belt etc and crossing your fingers and toes when driving.
On mine you can take the top of the cam-belt cover off in seconds if you can do the same it may be worth doing just to check for any wear or cracks in the belt etc and crossing your fingers and toes when driving.
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