Go Back   The 75 and ZT Owners Club Forums > The 75 and ZT Owners Club Forums > Technical Help Forum
Register FAQ Image Gallery Members List Calendar Mark Forums Read
Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 1st May 2020, 09:40   #1
drewbie
Loves to post
 
drewbie's Avatar
 
Rover 75 Club SE 1.8T 03 plate.

Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Tenterden
Posts: 277
Thanks: 28
Thanked 41 Times in 37 Posts
Default !.8 Timing Belt

Just removed the top timing belt cover for my annual timing belt and tensioner condition check, and both look perfect. The belt has now been on the car for 12.5 years but only covered 16138 miles. Anyone else running a low mileage K Series engine got vast different time/mileage ratios between timing belt changes, or do you all change the belt between 6 to 10 years regardless of mileage.
drewbie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1st May 2020, 11:54   #2
skellum
Avid contributor
 
MG ZT

Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Stornoway
Posts: 115
Thanks: 17
Thanked 41 Times in 27 Posts
Default

I couldn't leave a belt on for 12 years.
Cheaper to change it than rebuild or replace an engine.
No, I've never had one fail but know 2 folk who have had failed belts. One Mondeo, one Astra, both were a huge pain to put right.
Low mileage means the belt isn't regularly moving and sharing the load- there will be long periods when the belt is static, with different parts under different amounts of curvature and stress.
Impressed you do a regular annual inspection, though.
Cheers!

Last edited by skellum; 1st May 2020 at 22:04..
skellum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1st May 2020, 12:00   #3
marinabrian
 
marinabrian's Avatar
 
MG ZT

Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Posts: 20,151
Thanks: 3,565
Thanked 10,837 Times in 5,718 Posts
Default

I would change the belt, but not the tensioner, on the proviso that it spins smoothly and quietly.

I've just done this on my own 1800, as low mileage does not always equate to being fit for service, and 12 1/2 years is well overdue on time.

The belt part number is 5497XS and with tensioner and water pump is KP15497XS

The original Rover number is LHN100560 and were Gates HTD belts, not Dayco which I won't fit.

Unfortunately there is often no visible indicators that a belt is at the end of service life until it is too late, but at least in the case of the 1800 75 and ZT, they are a complete doddle to replace

Brian

P.S. the car in question has covered 15000 miles since fitting seven years ago, so low mileage
marinabrian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1st May 2020, 12:45   #4
DMGRS
Discount MG Rover Spares
 
DMGRS's Avatar
 
Rover 75 CDTi, 2x MG ZS180

Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Hythe, Southampton
Posts: 11,317
Thanks: 456
Thanked 3,377 Times in 2,027 Posts
Default

Brave - but not too uncommon; there's some 1.8s on quite a lot of miles / years without the belt being changed.
The official interval is 5 years / 60K for the 1.8 / 1.8T, which seems quite conservative.

As a side note, we prefer the upgraded metal tensioner to the original - but so does everyone else it seems, and we've been run dry for weeks now!
__________________



Your trusted MG Rover specialist!
Tel: 02380 001133 / Email: [email protected]

We now have a 'chat' function on our site for even quicker replies. Give it a try!

Remember - discount code FORUM5 for 5% off
DMGRS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1st May 2020, 13:31   #5
planenut
Regional Secretary
 
planenut's Avatar
 
Rover 1.8T Tourer

Join Date: May 2007
Location: Heathrow
Posts: 6,935
Thanks: 1,551
Thanked 2,036 Times in 1,264 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by marinabrian View Post
...............................
at least in the case of the 1800 75 and ZT, they are a complete doddle to replace

Brian

................)
Nothings a "doddle" until you've done it once, up to that point it can be the most frightening daunting thing in the amateur mechanics life.
planenut is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1st May 2020, 14:20   #6
marinabrian
 
marinabrian's Avatar
 
MG ZT

Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne
Posts: 20,151
Thanks: 3,565
Thanked 10,837 Times in 5,718 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by planenut View Post
Nothings a "doddle" until you've done it once, up to that point it can be the most frightening daunting thing in the amateur mechanics life.
Fair enough Fred, I maybe should have qualified that statement with something like "compared to an MGF, which is akin to wallpapering the hallway through the letterbox"

They are straightforward though, even a complete beginner with basic tools can carry out a belt change on the 1800 75 in less than a day from start to finish, without shortcuts.

Brian
marinabrian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1st May 2020, 14:27   #7
trikey
Premium Trader
 
trikey's Avatar
 
Rover 75

Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Devon
Posts: 33,714
Thanks: 8,837
Thanked 14,831 Times in 8,030 Posts
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by marinabrian View Post
Fair enough Fred, I maybe should have qualified that statement with something like "compared to an MGF, which is akin to wallpapering the hallway through the letterbox"

They are straightforward though, even a complete beginner with basic tools can carry out a belt change on the 1800 75 in less than a day from start to finish, without shortcuts.

Brian

I agree.. I did a head gasket on a TF once, I swore a lot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
__________________
Lest we forget..
trikey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1st May 2020, 22:13   #8
skellum
Avid contributor
 
MG ZT

Join Date: Mar 2020
Location: Stornoway
Posts: 115
Thanks: 17
Thanked 41 Times in 27 Posts
Default

I've just fitted my first timing belt, on my ZT 1.8.
No, I didn't do it in a day. Strip down went fine, including the water pump change. I had to have 3 or 4 goes at getting the timing right, although I'm sure the next time will be easier now I understand the process better.

Compared to the TF access and visibility is great.
skellum is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 1st May 2020, 22:20   #9
trikey
Premium Trader
 
trikey's Avatar
 
Rover 75

Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Devon
Posts: 33,714
Thanks: 8,837
Thanked 14,831 Times in 8,030 Posts
Default

Well done, lining the timing marks up on the cam wheels can be difficult as vision is impared by the angle of the engine.
__________________
Lest we forget..
trikey is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 12:46.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright © 2006-2023, The Rover 75 & MG ZT Owners Club Ltd