Cam belt change - what's your view?

[Robmac]

No cam belts/valves/pistons were harmed in the making of these engines.View attachment 112262View attachment 112263

I bought Julie one back in the 80's Trev.

I actually enjoyed driving it as long as nobody saw me.

 

[trevskoda]

I bought Julie one back in the 80's Trev.

I actually enjoyed driving it as long as nobody saw me.

Good car, hope you did the mods that let them down, vacuum pipe change, fuel pipes and green hose from rad up wing to bleed valve, and all the hose clips on the cooling sys, also a switch on the dash for the fan as the senders gave up the ghost.
Bet you found it handled well & had fab brakes, 130gl was the best, the coup engine could be fitted to them giving 67bhp in standard tune.

 

[Robmac]

Good car, hope you did the mods that let them down, vacuum pipe change, fuel pipes and green hose from rad up wing to bleed valve, and all the hose clips on the cooling sys, also a switch on the dash for the fan as the senders gave up the ghost.
Bet you found it handled well & had fab brakes, 130gl was the best, the coup engine could be fitted to them giving 67bhp in standard tune.

I don't remember doing any mods Trev apart from making a heat shield near the manifold to protect some pipe or other. All a bit vague now.

I do remember though in the snow at a hill near our house, we were the only ones who could get up it!

 

[Picket]

Chances of it going on your door step are slim, consider the cost of recovery and repair.
4 years or 25k gives peace of mind and for the cost is a no brainer.

 

[trevskoda]

I don't remember doing any mods Trev apart from making a heat shield near the manifold to protect some pipe or other. All a bit vague now.

I do remember though in the snow at a hill near our house, we were the only ones who could get up it!

Thats true about snow, wifes father had no problem down country getting up sister in laws farm lane, all posties in germany used them as nout else would start or drive in min 25c

 

[trevskoda]

My belt on Iveco sofim engine was a breeze as inline, once you spent half a day getting bumpers and front panels off.

 

[mistericeman]

I started my career in the fire service in 1974.
I remember well being told then by some of the old hands that the fire engines being produced then were crap in comparison to those from the 50s and 60s.
I always find it fascinating that when we want to look at better times, better equipment we always look back in time.

The fact was when I retired in 2004 we were using Scanias, the finest fire appliances ever built.
They needed less maintenance, were more reliable, more powerful, better designed, easier to drive, more comfortable, quieter, less polluting, better fuel economy, than what went before.

And I have no doubt that since my retirement what they are using today will be even better than in my time.
But one thing is definitely the case, they will be far superior to what I rode in in 1974.

Some folks are just natural Luddites chap...

Others just like to dislike what they, haven't got at that point..

A very good friend of mine (who I've also worked for for 23 years) is the epitome of this..

Wouldn't drive ANYTHING other what he's got currently...
Bought a XKR and it was the BEST thing ever...
Another mutual friend turned up in a q8... And it got slagged off for EVERY reason he could think of...

He's now been driving a q8 for 18 months and nothing else will touch it...

It's comical it really is ;-)

 

[Fisherman]

R

Some folks are just natural Luddites chap...

Others just like to dislike what they, haven't got at that point..

A very good friend of mine (who I've also worked for for 23 years) is the epitome of this..

Wouldn't drive ANYTHING other what he's got currently...
Bought a XKR and it was the BEST thing ever...
Another mutual friend turned up in a q8... And it got slagged off for EVERY reason he could think of...

He's now been driving a q8 for 18 months and nothing else will touch it...

It's comical it really is ;-)

Yes I agree, and to some extent I can see why.

But to offset my original post let me kind of contradict myself.
A few years back we went with friends to the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart.
And to this day it’s the finest museum I have ever been in.
You are taken to the highest level in a large lift, when you walk out you are greeted by the original first car ever built.
As you progress down the stairs you venture nearer present day, until eventually when you get to ground level you see folk picking up their new Mercedes’ cars.
Quite a trip through time.
we then headed to the restaurant for a great lunch and all for the princely sun of €30 each including the meal with a drink.

This is where my own Luddite tendencies come to play.

If you asked me what cars impressed me most it was the cars from the 20s and 30s, the workmanship was far superior to anything I had ever seen before.
I cannot reccomdnd more a visit to this museum, particularly if cars are your thing. Here’s some photos I took that great day in October 2015.

 

[mistericeman]

R

Yes I agree, and to some extent I can see why.

But to offset my original post let me kind of contradict myself.
A few years back we went with friends to the Mercedes Museum in Stuttgart.
And to this day it’s the finest museum I have ever been in.
You are taken to the highest level in a large lift, when you walk out you are greeted by the original first car ever built.
As you progress down the stairs you venture nearer present day, until eventually when you get to ground level you see folk picking up their new Mercedes’ cars.
Quite a trip through time.
we then headed to the restaurant for a great lunch and all for the princely sun of €30 each including the meal with a drink.

This is where my own Luddite tendencies come to play.

If you asked me what cars impressed me most it was the cars from the 20s and 30s, the workmanship was far superior to anything I had ever seen before.
I cannot reccomdnd more a visit to this museum, particularly if cars are your thing. Here’s some photos I took that great day in October 2015.View attachment 112278View attachment 112279View attachment 112280View attachment 112281View attachment 112282View attachment 112283

Trust me I'm a frequent flier around both Gaydons motor museum (work)
And various places like the science and, industry museum in Manchester etc...

I'm constantly amazed at some of the stuff we built before we had masses of tech to do it
And J Whitworth was a son of my home town of Stockport...

Incredible stuff.... But I also appreciate modern developments in all sorts of fields
And working at JLR for a fair part of my working life...
They make some pretty trick stuff too...

 

[barryd]

No cam belts/valves/pistons were harmed in the making of these engines.View attachment 112262View attachment 112263

My mates dad had a Datsun / Nissan dealership when we were kids and teenagers. We loved it as we got to drive all sorts once we were 17. One night Dennis (his dad) picked us up in one of them for our weekly outing to a country pub. We all fell about laughing and made the usual Skoda jokes. Us teens were all driving escorts, minis etc and we fell silent as Dennis gave it the beans round the country lanes as it was clearly a nippy little car that seemed to handle well. Way quicker than a standard escort of the day. I seem to remember it sounded alright as well.

 

[trevskoda]

My mates dad had a Datsun / Nissan dealership when we were kids and teenagers. We loved it as we got to drive all sorts once we were 17. One night Dennis (his dad) picked us up in one of them for our weekly outing to a country pub. We all fell about laughing and made the usual Skoda jokes. Us teens were all driving escorts, minis etc and we fell silent as Dennis gave it the beans round the country lanes as it was clearly a nippy little car that seemed to handle well. Way quicker than a standard escort of the day. I seem to remember it sounded alright as well.

Tuned they go like stink, I still have 4 of them hidden away, 105 lux, 2 130gl & a 136 black rapide coup + a shed of parts.

 

[trevexess]

Our MH has a 2017 Fiat Ducato base which has done 25k miles. The cam belt change was due at 4 years I believe.

Given that the Ducato is basically a van and therefore perhaps expected to do more than 5k miles a year, what are your views on changing the cam belt at 5 years/25k miles (i.e considerably less than a normal van would be expected to do in that time)?

Not sure if this is of any use but my 2011 Ducato was 8 years old when I did my first change, at 30,000 miles, no wear on the belt /other components at all.
But as everone says its insurance.......................... I'll do my next one at 60,000....

 

[ricc]

our youngest bought a pug 206 , took it into local garage for mot... better have a look at cambelt whilst its in. the workshop was a tad busy so one of the mechanics whipped the cover off in the yard, they pushed it into the workshop to work on it, wouldnt risk driving it 20 yards.