Cheap cam belt change for v6

[mh007]

Originally Posted by trikey

Not a lot at those prices!!

Exactly. From a retail point of view, I certainly couldn't (and won't) do the job for that price when you consider what parts are required to do the job properly.

[Dansrockin]

Originally Posted by mh007

Hmmm......sounds ridiculously cheap to me & I think I'd be concerned as to what exactly was being replaced.

To be honest that was my response when I heard about it, but there seems to be a few that have used him for various services and have been very happy with the results.
Personally, my belts aren't due for another 4 years, so I won't take that risk at the moment, but I guess if someone is really hard up and needs them doing, they may take the risk and try him out.

[RPWC]

A certain Geordie MGR specialist in my area, who has posted on this thread,goes by the saying “ buy cheap,and pay twice,or even thrice”.
So you apys your money and takes your choice. At £250? I would steer very clear.

[hrissim]

Originally Posted by RPWC

A certain Geordie MGR specialist in my area, who has posted on this thread,goes by the saying “ buy cheap,and pay twice,or even thrice”.
So you apys your money and takes your choice. At £250? I would steer very clear.

It is yours contribution to the World:
"I`m not rich enough to buy cheap things"

[Dorchester2]

As a personal contribution, I may add that belts & pump were fully serviced by the second owner in 2014, 70k miles on the odo, and they were the genuine ones, so they lasted 15 years.

But I don't want to say I'm giving any advice of the kind, just a testimony.

Now the 2014 ones have made 32k miles only within 4 years.
I'll have a good & close check in 2020 with my mechanic. If I can, I'll try to gain 2 years until 2022, given I'm doing only 6k miles a year or thereabouts. I hope I'll not take too huge a risk...
The car is very well cared for now, every niggles & gremlins already expelled or in progress and I'm looking under the bonnet almost every week.

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by Dorchester2

... I may add that belts ... were fully serviced by the second owner in 2014 ... they were the genuine ones, so they lasted 15 years.

Thank you for this evidence Arnaud. Mine were still perfect after 19 years!
I hope that MarinaBrian takes note, though I doubt that he will. He’ll no doubt claim that the second owner was “lucky” too, along with other testimonies on the same theme.

Now the 2014 ones have made 32k miles only within 4 years.

Now you know that the time factor is irrelevant. After the benefit of my recent timing belt experience, my advice would be to listen for bearing noise from the tensioner and/or idler pulley. That’s the time to consider replacement of those and the belts. It’s pointless doing it every six years which, incidentally, is not mentioned in RAVE only in the consumer check list given to the customer. That tells you something doesn’t it.

Simon

[marinabrian]

Originally Posted by SD1too

Now you know that the time factor is irrelevant. After the benefit of my recent timing belt experience, my advice would be to listen for bearing noise from the tensioner and/or idler pulley. That’s the time to consider replacement of those and the belts. It’s pointless doing it every six years which, incidentally, is not mentioned in RAVE only in the consumer check list given to the customer. That tells you something doesn’t it.

Simon

Simon, why don't you keep your penny pinching advice to yourself, less informed members may take this as gospel and end up wrecking their engine

Manufacturers of rubber products place a date of manufacture on their items? this is because they have a shelf life, best before date, call it as you wish.

In particular, your own front belt was stretched, as evidenced by your own picture, and Gates the manufacturer state a shelf life of five years, so why is that? money making venture.

Rubber degrades, hardens, and certainly on older engines especially ones that have not been run regularly, acquire a "set"

You can't seem to grasp the manufacturers give this servicing advice for a very valid reason, and it is not simply to make money.

Now I have dealt personally with two KV6 front belt failures, and for the sake of adhering to the correct servicing schedule these were totally avoidable.

Brian

[wraymond]

The penalty for ignoring professional advice, and that's all it is, advice, is your own risk if you are minded to take that route.

The difference between the low price (by an unknown hand) and the highest (by an expert on here with a reputation to safeguard) on average is, what, around £100?

On the other hand, consider your tyres. They revolve as many times as your cam belt and pulleys. If it was suggested that you leave them on, or even buy tyres that had not been used but were 8 years old - would you?

Then consider the possibility of you changing your car at some time in the future. If you were buying another and choosing between two, one with the job done and another that wasn't, which one would you opt for, and even pay more for? Most people ask the question before they actually travel to see it!

[SD1too]

Originally Posted by marinabrian

Simon, why don't you keep your penny pinching advice to yourself ...

Brian; your insulting remarks are not welcomed by anyone in this club. Kindly keep them to yourself. They are becoming tiresome. Some people are trying to help fellow members achieve best value for money. Not all of us adhere to your philosophy of throwing money down the drain whilst practising scaremongering tactics.

... less informed members may take this as gospel and end up wrecking their engine ..

Nobody will wreck their engine Brian, don’t be silly. Try to understand the evidence placed before you and you’ll be able to lead a more contented and less combatative life.

In particular, your own front belt was stretched, as evidenced by your own picture ..

That’s utter nonsensical conjecture Brian. It was not stretched. If it was, the teeth would have jumped out of the sprockets. They didn’t, for 19 years. If any variations do take place, the tensioner adjusts accordingly. That’s why it’s there, to keep the belt tight. Can you understand that Brian (apparently not)?

... and Gates the manufacturer state a shelf life of five years, so why is that?

Well that is obviously nonsense too isn’t it Brian. You point out that MG Rover’s consumer service check list states that a belt will last 6 years. Now you’re saying that Gates says it’s five, but only on the shelf. So if one of these has spent two years on the shelf, would you expect it to last a further 6 years fitted to the engine? That’s eight years in total.

Rubber degrades, hardens ...

Belts are not pure rubber Brian, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if a synthetic substitute is used. But nevertheless, my belts were perfect after 19 years so that proves your belief to be incorrect.

You can't seem to grasp the manufacturers give this servicing advice for a very valid reason, and it is not simply to make money.

The 6 year time period is not quoted by MG Rover anywhere in its technical literature. It only appears on the customer checklist. That should tell you something Brian, if you feel inclined to start using your brain instead of posting insults and propaganda.

Now I have dealt personally with two KV6 front belt failures, and for the sake of adhering to the correct servicing schedule these were totally avoidable.

Excellent! Can we have some detail please? Why did those belts break? Was it garage incompetence perhaps? Or did the tensioner pulley fail because MG Rover didn’t specify checking and routine replacement? Or perhaps the garage didn’t set up the tensioner properly because neither MGR nor your beloved Gates provide a warning or instructions how to do so. One thing is certain; it won’t have been spontaneous and unexplained belt failure. I, and the others whose engines have exceeded six years by a large margin, have proved that.

So, less of the preaching please Brian and more intelligent engineering debate.

Simon

[maxi_crawf]

It's a bit like playing Russian roulette, keep pulling that trigger and eventually it will go bang