cam belt change

  1. Infrequent Poster Joined: Sep 2014 Posts: 234
    #1
    Alright folks.

    Its time for a new cambelt... I'm just wondering what sort of price i should expect from a garage? I dont feel confident enough to undertake this job myself yet. Ive been quoted 222 quid fitted from the one garage i have asked. Is this reasonable? Also... do garages usually change the water pump at the same time??

    Cheers
  2. Established Member Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 2009 Saxò VTS 16v
    #2
    VTR or VTS? Price changes considerably.
  3. Infrequent Poster Joined: Sep 2014 Posts: 234
    #3
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by VeiRoN View Post
    VTR or VTS? Price changes considerably.
    Sorry, its a 52 plate vtr
  4. Super Moderator Joined: Nov 2009 Cambridge(ish), UK. Posts: 10581 BMW 5x M50d.
    #4
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mrrwill View Post
    Alright folks.

    Its time for a new cambelt... I'm just wondering what sort of price i should expect from a garage? I dont feel confident enough to undertake this job myself yet. Ive been quoted 222 quid fitted from the one garage i have asked. Is this reasonable? Also... do garages usually change the water pump at the same time??

    Cheers
    Your quote should tell you what is included ... surely?

    It's common sense to change the tensioner and water pump when it's being done as it adds only about 15 minutes to the job time and obviously can't be done with the cambelt in situ.

    Cambelt kit with waterpump etc for a VTS is about £50. It's no more than a few hours labour, so a local garage charging £40 per hour should see you with a price around £150.
  5. Infrequent Poster Joined: Sep 2014 Posts: 234
    #5
    I stupidly forgot to ask what was included, like you say i want the tensioner and pump doing as well.
  6. Established Member Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 2009 Saxò VTS 16v
    #6
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ross View Post
    Your quote should tell you what is included ... surely?

    It's common sense to change the tensioner and water pump when it's being done as it adds only about 15 minutes to the job time and obviously can't be done with the cambelt in situ.

    Cambelt kit with waterpump etc for a VTS is about £50. It's no more than a few hours labour, so a local garage charging £40 per hour should see you with a price around £150.
    You sure this isn't a cheap Ebay kit? For a fair bit more i fitted an OEM equivalent kit,can't remember the brand now but i wouldn't buy a 50 pounds one.
  7. Super Moderator Joined: Nov 2009 Cambridge(ish), UK. Posts: 10581 BMW 5x M50d.
    #7
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by VeiRoN View Post
    You sure this isn't a cheap Ebay kit? For a fair bit more i fitted an OEM equivalent kit,can't remember the brand now but i wouldn't buy a 50 pounds one.
    yes it's a cheap kit - but it's going on a £500 car...

    Pay £75 for the posh kit then if you're really pushing the boat out
  8. Infrequent Poster Joined: Sep 2014 Posts: 234
    #8
    Cheers lads. You reckon 225 is too much though even if its a decent kit?
  9. L-plater Joined: Oct 2014 Posts: 42
    #9
    i know you said you don't really feel confident doing it yourself but i think you should reconsider. i had never done a cambelt before and was bricking it about messing it up. got the cambelt kit and water pump from euro car parts for about £50 in the sale. that was for a belt and tensioner and a new water pump. locked the camshaft with a drill bit and marked up the crank pulley. took me and my mate with limited knowledge and a few basic tools about 3 hours all told from start to finish. the first 30 minutes was spent waying up the job as well. honestly with a single cam its easy. there are plenty of good guides and videos online and if you lock the camshaft up before you start then its hard to mess it up. ask someone to help you, as long as they've got limited mechanical knowledge you will do fine. mine runs sweet as a nut now. just remember to turn the engine over by hand twice before you attempt to start it. if it locks up then you know you've done something wrong but its not a disaster.
  10. Established Member Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 2009 Saxò VTS 16v
    #10
    I would say 180 is a fair price for a VTR.
  11. Established Member Joined: Dec 2006 Fleetwood Posts: 2244 2002 Saxo VTS
    #11
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by VeiRoN View Post
    I would say 180 is a fair price for a VTR.
    This. £200+ seems a bit steep to me.
  12. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Apr 2011 Posts: 9100 Amazon green VTR 16v, Inferno RS clio 182
    #12
    do it yourself,as its really really simple on a VTR. The water pump is what will get you though 9 times out of 10 they will be seized in so added a couple of hours of smashing it out which is a real pain. Once that is done its plain sailing!
  13. Infrequent Poster Joined: Sep 2014 Posts: 234
    #13
    Anyone from here live in Derbyshire and would take 100 quid fo4 doing me cambelt and water pump? Id give a hand and would feel more comfortable doing it with someone who know and will hopefully learn something.

    Cheers
  14. Infrequent Poster Joined: Sep 2014 Posts: 234
    #14
    Or sheffield... i lodge there with my gf part time...
  15. Saxperience Post Whore Joined: Aug 2008 The wrong carpark Posts: 5152 Xantia 1.9TD
    #15
    i'm sure you can lock the flywheel too to stop the crank, could at least on the 206.

    i had to remove the belt from mine after the AUX belt shat itself, the hardest part is getting the covers off without snapping bits! as long as you've got it all locked in place its no harder than the alternator belt. and with the saxo you have a nice wedge of space between the inner wing and the engine!