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Is my cambelt due? #1610025
19/10/2017 17:33
19/10/2017 17:33
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,095
Berkshire
AnnieMac Offline OP
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AnnieMac  Offline OP
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Berkshire
The cambelt on my VIS was last changed in July 2013, and I have done approx 15,000 miles since then. When should it be done again?


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Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610026
19/10/2017 17:41
19/10/2017 17:41
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,366
Staffordshire
Nigel Offline
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Nigel  Offline
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Posts: 17,366
Staffordshire
Last year....


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Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610027
19/10/2017 17:46
19/10/2017 17:46

C
chipped
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chipped
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C



Mine was done three years ago, maybe done around 10,000 miles. Whats the verdict?

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610029
19/10/2017 18:02
19/10/2017 18:02

G
GrahamL
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GrahamL
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Official figures from Fiat are 6 years or 72K miles for the 20v, whichever comes first. That's in every owners handbook, maintenance schedule and service manual that I've seen. People often quote lower figures but I've never seen anything from Fiat saying other than the above.

I left mine until 9 years as it had only done 33K , but I think I was secretly hoping it would snap so I could just scrap the car and wouldn't have to bother changing the belt and clutch myself. laugh

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610030
19/10/2017 18:13
19/10/2017 18:13
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 1,621
Leicester UK
Ballypete Offline
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Leicester UK
When I picked up my Coupe in Feb it had the original belts which were by then 19 years old- but with only 36,000 on the clock. I was bricking it as I drove it at a sedate pace back from Glasgow to Leicester after reading some of the previous belt posts on the forum and horror stories about what went wrong. I booked it in to JBT to change the belts as part of the work I wanted doing and he did this but remarked the old ones were still in excellent condition.


Doris the 1998 Portofino Blue 20V and Zoe the 1999 Alfa Romeo 916 Spider
Bog standard needn't be boring...
Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610034
19/10/2017 18:27
19/10/2017 18:27

G
GrahamL
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My belt still looked fine at 9 years old but there wasn't much tension on it so it had definitely stretched and needed replaced. There's only so much adjustment possible in the spring of the automatic tensioner. I think the 6 years/72K belt limit is reasonable.

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: Nigel] #1610037
19/10/2017 18:40
19/10/2017 18:40
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,095
Berkshire
AnnieMac Offline OP
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AnnieMac  Offline OP
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Berkshire
Originally Posted By Nigel
Last year....


Is it really overdue Nigel? Eek!


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Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610045
19/10/2017 19:51
19/10/2017 19:51
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,450
Scottish Borders
G_Man Offline
Club member 1656
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Scottish Borders
Just thinking this myself. Looking through my documents the cambelt was done 7k miles ago but that was in 2009 shocked. I'm thinking though that a belt change on a 16v could be done by any decent garage as it's less hassle than the 20v? Also I've read that an uprated Alfa pre-tensioner should be used as the original Fiat component is cr*p. Anyone heard of this?


77 77
Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610051
19/10/2017 21:41
19/10/2017 21:41
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,366
Staffordshire
Nigel Offline
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Nigel  Offline
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Staffordshire
Originally Posted By AnnieMac
Originally Posted By Nigel
Last year....


Is it really overdue Nigel? Eek!


It depends on your viewpoint - we tend to be very cautious with cambelts and suggest every three years, regardless of mileage, but I’ll accept that we’re erring on the safe side

4 years is ok, given your mileage, but I would be getting it done soon. Low mileage is just as bad, if not worse for belts, as they can perish through lack of use


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Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610062
20/10/2017 06:23
20/10/2017 06:23
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
Blueboyracer Offline
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Caston, Norfolk
I have finally succumbed to the constant niggling in my mind about the cambelt on my 20vt and I have booked it in with Antz @ AutoSportivo next week to have the job done.

It has been a constant concern since I bought the car in Mar 2015 - as although the seller told me it had been done and it did look like a new belt (in my most humble opinion of course) the best I could get from ringing all of the garages I could find receipts and stickers on the car was a suggestion it had been changed in 2013.

So a huge sigh of relief will be made by me when I drop Blue off next week.

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: Nigel] #1610064
20/10/2017 06:30
20/10/2017 06:30
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,390
Essex
Trappy Offline
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Essex
Is there actually a recorded case of a cambelt going on a 20v / 20v Turbo? It's my understnding that auxillary belt failure is what normally fouls the cambelt?


F****** b****** thing...
Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610065
20/10/2017 06:47
20/10/2017 06:47
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
Blueboyracer Offline
Competition Level
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Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
That is something I heard too so had changed the aux belts and pulleys when I bought the car

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610068
20/10/2017 07:47
20/10/2017 07:47

N
nismo
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nismo
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I used to change my auxillary belt every 2 years as it was only £20 to do for peace of mind and cam belt every 5 years .

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610071
20/10/2017 07:55
20/10/2017 07:55
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,179
Sheffield
X19_pilot Offline
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Posts: 1,179
Sheffield
I dont want to cause panic... but my experience has been VERY lucky due to a couple of very close calls with the belts - the worst by far can be seen in one of my old posts Here See photos on near the bottom of page 2 to see just how lucky I was! ooo

As such I plan on getting mine done in the spring when I plan on putting her back on the road. Admittedly mine is a turbo and possibly more prone to failure due to the extra power? I have probably only done a couple of thousand miles since they were last changed. Expensive job but far cheaper than the alternative. frown

Last edited by X19_pilot; 20/10/2017 07:58.
Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610074
20/10/2017 08:57
20/10/2017 08:57
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
Blueboyracer Offline
Competition Level
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
Woooow - you were lucky

thumb

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: Blueboyracer] #1610078
20/10/2017 09:13
20/10/2017 09:13
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,390
Essex
Trappy Offline
Forum is my life
Trappy  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,390
Essex
Get yourselves a cambelt guard cool

click to enlarge

Leighton added a few short words in my build thread


F****** b****** thing...
Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610079
20/10/2017 09:31
20/10/2017 09:31

S
Slugcatcher1
Unregistered
Slugcatcher1
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S



When I had my belts done a couple of years ago I paid a bit extra and had JBT fit one of his 'Modified Lower Pullys'. This is in the hope of reducing catastrophic engine destruction by stopping the auxiliary belts wrapping themselves around the cambelt. Hopefully I'll never need its services...

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610080
20/10/2017 09:35
20/10/2017 09:35
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,179
Sheffield
X19_pilot Offline
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Sheffield
I had one cambelt guard fitted when the above happened too! I hope I never need to test the theory behind its installation but it does give me a bit more piece of mind...

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: X19_pilot] #1610083
20/10/2017 10:05
20/10/2017 10:05
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,390
Essex
Trappy Offline
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Trappy  Offline
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Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,390
Essex
I've had two cambelts taken out by auxillary belts over the years. One bent every valve so I had a new head fitted - when they were rare (and expensive cry )

It went again in 2012 but only took out half of the cambelt at the time.

For the price of these guards, it's a no-brainer really.


F****** b****** thing...
Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610086
20/10/2017 10:32
20/10/2017 10:32
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
Blueboyracer Offline
Competition Level
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
Anyone have a link to anywhere you can get the guards from?

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610088
20/10/2017 10:49
20/10/2017 10:49
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,112
FCSS 01684 593187
Countrycruising Offline
Club Rep Europe, member 914
Countrycruising  Offline
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Forum veteran

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,112
FCSS 01684 593187
Modified pulleys do not protect from aux belt failures, it's not a 100% safe guard and I've repaired several that have jumped.

To date the only one that works 100% is Flea's alloy plate design, he'll supply and fit only if anyone is interested.

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610089
20/10/2017 11:08
20/10/2017 11:08
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
Blueboyracer Offline
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
That is the one I was trying to find about Joe - thanks
So I will contact Flea

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: Blueboyracer] #1610102
20/10/2017 14:29
20/10/2017 14:29
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,112
FCSS 01684 593187
Countrycruising Offline
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Originally Posted By BBR
That is the one I was trying to find about Joe - thanks
So I will contact Flea


thumb

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610111
20/10/2017 16:50
20/10/2017 16:50
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 33,520
Berlin
barnacle Offline
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Berlin
tl,dr: 16v cambelts are fragile and when they break they kill the engine - change at 3 years or 36000, whichever comes first.

20v cambelts are tougher but they will get wrecked if the aux belts die - change at 4 years or 60000, whichever comes first, but change the aux belts every two years without fail and inspect at every service.

Apropos of breaking cambelts: pootling around at low revs doesn't help, daft as it sounds... what breaks the belt is more tension than it can handle. That's related to the angular acceleration of the crank, and that's greatest at low revs (think how much faster the engine goes from 1000 to 2000rpm vs 5000 to 6000).


[Linked Image]
Don't get no respect! Coupe Fiat 1994-2000 - an owner's guide <-- clicky!
Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610113
20/10/2017 17:58
20/10/2017 17:58
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
Blueboyracer Offline
Competition Level
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Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,388
Caston, Norfolk
I think I can do my 16v myself

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: barnacle] #1610114
20/10/2017 18:12
20/10/2017 18:12
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,095
Berkshire
AnnieMac Offline OP
Enjoying the ride
AnnieMac  Offline OP
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,095
Berkshire
Originally Posted By barnacle

Apropos of breaking cambelts: pootling around at low revs doesn't help, daft as it sounds...


Coupes never pootle, they ROAR!!!!


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Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610115
20/10/2017 18:18
20/10/2017 18:18
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,095
Berkshire
AnnieMac Offline OP
Enjoying the ride
AnnieMac  Offline OP
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Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,095
Berkshire
After reading all the posts I feel nervous to drive my Coupe until it's done!


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Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610128
21/10/2017 06:18
21/10/2017 06:18
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,112
FCSS 01684 593187
Countrycruising Offline
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Posts: 17,112
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It's only 4 years old so it'll be fine Annie, running and driving the car keeps the belts moving so it's healthy for rubber, in the mean time save up to have it done when funds allow, not driving the car will just cause more harm then good.

Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: AnnieMac] #1610139
21/10/2017 07:51
21/10/2017 07:51
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 33,520
Berlin
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Berlin
^
^
^
What Joe said... use is much better than standing; it reduces the chance of idlers and bearings seizing.


[Linked Image]
Don't get no respect! Coupe Fiat 1994-2000 - an owner's guide <-- clicky!
Re: Is my cambelt due? [Re: Blueboyracer] #1610363
23/10/2017 12:50
23/10/2017 12:50
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,462
Kent
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Kent
It's good when you have the belts done, you can happily give the car some beans and not have the nagging doubt which you get circa 5yrs after the last replacement.

I took my last main one up to 7+ years (did replace aux's at 3.5yrs) with 30K miles they looked in good condition. I don't thrash the car from standstill/traffic light grand prix's, I think that helps.

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