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Cam Belts - Again! Take the money, or Gamble? Rate Topic: -----

#1 User is offline   twinpig 

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Posted 05 February 2007 - 04:40 PM

Hi All,

I know this is a topic that's been mentioned loads of times ..BUT.. ... What's the likelyhood of my bog standard 1.7 Puma going 'pop' if I don't get the cam belt changed? I just want to know if anybody on here has wrecked their engine because of leaving it too long?

The reason I ask is because I'm always sceptical of companies wanting to take my money!! I'm not good at spending money on 'routine maintenance' and so far (I'm setting myself up for a disaster here!) none of the engines on any of my vehicles have ever missed a beat - despite being left to their own devices.

My cynical mind looks at the amount of cars on the road today & divides by the amount of cars that I have ever seen with a 'blown up' engine. If I were a gambling man, then I'd say that the odds are in my favour for my engine surviving longer than the rest of the car.

That said ......I think I'm going to get it serviced, & the cam belt changed when the MOT runs out in April! huh.gif

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Posted 05 February 2007 - 04:43 PM

The original spec was 10 years or 100,000 miles (from memory).

I'd guess that running it to that level you would be about 99.9% safe.

But why take the chance? It really isn't that expensive to get it changed, and you'll only lose it on the trade-in if you sell it privately later.

XIIVVX

#3 User is offline   Dezza 

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Posted 05 February 2007 - 04:44 PM

think of it this way £200-350 for a cambelt change, which only needs doing every 5 years or 80,000miles or £2,000 for a new engine, take your pick.
Dez


#4 User is offline   pumapilot 

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Posted 05 February 2007 - 08:16 PM

I know of at least 3 or more Puma owners with blown engines, that have come through this forum, looking to buy engines as they are becoming rare these days.
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#5 User is offline   pumanurse 

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Posted 05 February 2007 - 08:48 PM

do the cambelt, you don't see that many cars with blown up engines because

a ) people have them serviced
b ) people check their oil regularly
c ) people have their cambelts changed when they should.

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This post has been edited by pumanurse: 05 February 2007 - 08:49 PM

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#6 User is offline   silversarah 

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Posted 05 February 2007 - 08:56 PM

do it do it do it! my engine blew last year while I was driving on motorway, bonnet flew up, smoke and black bits flew past windows and I was very lucky to get to the hard shoulder 'blind' without colliding with anyone else! yes it was about £2k to sort it out and yes engine's are very rare - I waited almost 3 months. Can't say for definite whether it was a cam belt, major oil leak or what as garage said there was too much damage to confirm the cause, but in any case I reckon it's a false economy to avoid paying a couple of hundred quid now then end up in a dangerous situation with a massive repair bill to boot!

#7 User is offline   happy-kat 

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Posted 05 February 2007 - 09:44 PM

the original interval was 10 years and 100k miles, Ford changed this to 5 years and 80k miles. (which ever comes first)
Given that the age interval was cut by 50% implies a lot really.
searching is fruitful | I'm a sponge not a mechanic | please do try that if stuck with a Puma problem whilst waiting for a reply | For the Puma fan this read 'The Inside Story Book' is very nice to own sometimes still seen for sale

#8 User is offline   Sex Kitten 

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Posted 06 February 2007 - 08:45 AM

not worth the risk - get it changed!
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#9 User is offline   twinpig 

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Posted 06 February 2007 - 11:00 AM

Thanks for all the responses! I think I've been persuaded!! Sounds like SilverSarah had a lucky (+ expensive!) escape. I'm on 70,000 miles at the moment, so I should really get it changed ASAP - plus I get a stamp in the log book!

Thanks all rolleyes.gif

#10 User is offline   Pearson 

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Posted 06 February 2007 - 11:08 AM

When an engine is running at a constant speed (i.e. open road / motorway) , it is ‘balanced’ hence the timing belt is under very little stress / strain. During acceleration (and to some extent deceleration) the engine and hence belt is under the most strain – this constant cycling of stressing over time can lead to failure, its under these conditions when a belt will also normally fail

Hence the rule of thumb should be more related to whether you live / use the car around town mostly or on the open roads. I took mine to 100,000 miles before changing it, but it all depends on your perception is risk I guess

Jon
Update (Sept 08): Puma gone after 5 years, now have VW 170 Tiguan TDI Sport and now have my weekends back rather than fixing the rust, HCV's, filling it up every 250 miles and worrying about the next timing belt change

#11 User is offline   Sex Kitten 

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Posted 06 February 2007 - 01:50 PM

strange that then cos most of miles are motorway - mine was changed at 80k and only 4 years old but Alan said it was the worst he had seen
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Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand - strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming WOO HOO -What a Ride!:D

1.7 Moondust Silver Sep 2002 - Aug 2009, 1.7 Silver Thunder Aug 2009 -

#12 User is offline   Swimmingbrick 

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Posted 06 February 2007 - 02:16 PM

their revvy lil cars and chances are your going to drive it that way,plus its to do with the rubber perishing...cool thing about getting it changed is that if anything goes wrong after, ford are to blame not you! ..sort of. i got mine done, i think ford know that its good for business, but its like anything, my saftey and others worth more than £300

#13 User is offline   happy-kat 

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Posted 06 February 2007 - 07:38 PM

keep in mind it is 5 years or 80k miles. It is which ever comes first.

QUOTE (Pearson @ Feb 6 2007, 11:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I took mine to 100,000 miles before changing it, but it all depends on your perception is risk I guess

but how many years old was it, perhaps it was 100k miles on 5 years, rather than 100k miles on a 8 year old Puma?
searching is fruitful | I'm a sponge not a mechanic | please do try that if stuck with a Puma problem whilst waiting for a reply | For the Puma fan this read 'The Inside Story Book' is very nice to own sometimes still seen for sale

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Posted 06 February 2007 - 07:42 PM

QUOTE (Pearson @ Feb 6 2007, 11:08 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I took mine to 100,000 miles before changing it, but it all depends on your perception is risk I guess

Jon


Like I say, since that was the Ford recommend originally, the risk will be tiny.

After all once they'd had a couple go there was no loss to Ford to suggest shortening the interval. It was too late to affect many purchase decisions and would bring them and their dealers added income. A real 'no lose' decision for Ford.

XIIVVX

#15 User is offline   happy-kat 

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Posted 06 February 2007 - 07:54 PM

but it was the age interval that was cut by 50%, not the mileage attained, so the risk surely is increased as you go past 5 years not as you near 100k miles having exceeded 80k (but within 5 years) ja_stupid.gif

each to their own, not a risk for me smile.gif
searching is fruitful | I'm a sponge not a mechanic | please do try that if stuck with a Puma problem whilst waiting for a reply | For the Puma fan this read 'The Inside Story Book' is very nice to own sometimes still seen for sale

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Posted 06 February 2007 - 11:33 PM

QUOTE (happy-kat @ Feb 6 2007, 07:54 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
each to their own, not a risk for me smile.gif


Nor me. Mine was done at six years and 30 something.

But that still doesn't alter the fact the risk is miniscule.

XIIVVX

This post has been edited by XIIVVX: 06 February 2007 - 11:33 PM


#17 User is offline   ALAN at PUMABUILD 

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Posted 07 February 2007 - 08:47 AM

QUOTE (XIIVVX @ Feb 6 2007, 11:33 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Nor me. Mine was done at six years and 30 something.

But that still doesn't alter the fact the risk is miniscule.

XIIVVX


I have changed 100's of belts and to be honest i have only seen a couple snap or break so i feel the belt is possibly up to the 100,000 mark as quoted by ford.

However i do find a lot of tensioners that have worn bearings which are due to colapse which will fall down into the bottom of the timing belt area. This will snap the belt and cost about £700 to rectify.

Sarah brought her car in and there was a slight ticking noise which was coming from the right hand side of the engine (inside cambelt cover) on removal of the belt and tensioner we found the tensioner spring had fallen out due to a small piece of plastic broken of the spring retainer. Sarah i still think you were so lucky it never droped down cool.gif

The decision is down to the owner of the car but ford would not 1/2 the interval for no reason may be the tensioner was faulty ?

#18 User is offline   jonathann 

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  Posted 07 February 2007 - 10:40 AM

GET THIS!!! I phoned my local Ford dealer and asked when they would rec. changing the cambelt. They said straight off "100k or 10yrs"
In response I said I thought it had been changed to "80k or 5yrs"
He said that was for the "older ones" (How did he know I had a 51 plate?)
Anyway I asked what the cross over year was, he said it was "99 or 00 when they brought in the VCT engine".
Now correct me if I'm wrong but wasn't the 1.7VCT available from '97 to '02 ???
Therefore I reckon he hasn't got a clue!!! mad.gif
I reckon I'll get mine changed, it is showing some tiny cracks.
For the record they quoted £325 for a full kit.

#19 User is offline   Redian36 

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Posted 07 February 2007 - 11:25 AM

QUOTE (ALAN at PUMABUILD @ Feb 7 2007, 08:47 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Sarah brought her car in and there was a slight ticking noise which was coming from the right hand side of the engine (inside cambelt cover) on removal of the belt and tensioner we found the tensioner spring had fallen out due to a small piece of plastic broken of the spring retainer.


Alan, i've got this ticking noise. I'm getting the belts, tensiners and pully changed on saturday. If the spring has dropped down will i still have this noise after getting thm changed? Or can the mechanic get the spring out? Thats if it is the same problem as Sarah's.

Cheers good.gif

#20 User is offline   JamesMalin 

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Posted 07 February 2007 - 11:29 AM

If your getting it all changed the grease monkey will be taking it all apart anyways so even if once of the parts has dropped down it will be visible and taken out.

In my opinion its always better to be safe than sorry smile.gif
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