First ever cambelt change ....

[Tony M]

After the cambelt slipping on the misses X14XE Tigra I've decided to give it a go myself, luckily time is on my side as she has borrowed my car so in no rush to get it done.

(I don't want to be diving in and taking the head straight off etc without running a compression check first)

So I thought about replacing the water pump as that had collapsed causing the slip and loss of tension, time it all back up, turn the crankshaft pulley by hand to feel if anything is hitting and hopefully be able to get a compression check.

Obviously if all is ok I'll change the full cambelt kit after as I dont want to fit a new belt more than once.

Constructive criticism welcome lol

[thespannerman]

your very lucky if it hasnt done any damage, sorry to say it but it probably has! done more than i care to remember x/z--xe's with snapped belts dont think ive had one that hasnt damaged something.

if you have to strip it, make sure you give the followers a bloody good look over, they sometimes take the shock and crack

seeing as though its only slipped and not snapped i hope it goes ok!

[burgo]

+rep for giving it a go yourself. ive got a cam locking kit here if you want to borrow it, im not far from you

[turbojolt]

Are the baby xe engines non contact engines then

[thespannerman]

think most vauxhall engines are interferance engines.........theres always that rare case though!slipped one tooth on tickover you may get away with it

[Tony M]

Thanks Burgo, very much appreciated for the offer mate - I do need a cam locking kit but I would like to buy my own rather than borrowing someone elses in case something may happen to it etc. Does anyone know which one I need?

So far I've got it all stripped down and eventually got the offending water pump out. Think I might buy a Haynes Manual to clear a few things up as I read on another forum that when timing the engine up, the bottom end rotates twice for every one turn on the camshafts? So piston 1 needs to be TDC?

[waggygsi]

my mates water pump broke an it mashed his engine so a would say your lucky

[thespannerman]

i can guide you as best over here if you need any help tony, im a vauxhall mechanic!!the tool you need to lock the cams is the blue one, the gold one is x20xev and x18xe engines

theres two small lines on the outer edges of the cam pulleys, they need to line up, something like this O--O youll see what i mean!lol
take cyl 1 spark plug out and put a long screwdriver or bar down the plug hole, to guide you up to tdc, theres a mark on the crank pulley that needs to be somewhere near 6 o clock, and a groove in the timing cover, if its only slipped a tooth it should be somewhere near anyway,

the 2:1 turns thing is because of the cam and crank pulleys been different sizes.two turns of the crank = one turn of the cams, this would be a whole revolution of the engine

hope this helps!!

[swedge]

i can guide you as best over here if you need any help tony, im a vauxhall mechanic!!the tool you need to lock the cams is the blue one, the gold one is x20xev and x18xe engines

theres two small lines on the outer edges of the cam pulleys, they need to line up, something like this O--O youll see what i mean!lol
take cyl 1 spark plug out and put a long screwdriver or bar down the plug hole, to guide you up to tdc, theres a mark on the crank pulley that needs to be somewhere near 6 o clock, and a groove in the timing cover, if its only slipped a tooth it should be somewhere near anyway,

the 2:1 turns thing is because of the cam and crank pulleys been different sizes.two turns of the crank = one turn of the cams, this would be a whole revolution of the engine

hope this helps!!

1 turn of the crank = 2 turns of the cams

[Tony M]

I found this which has helped me out loads,

http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii195/Daywalker84/tigratiming.jpg

I know that the belt has slipped about a quarter of a turn so I pretty much now know the valves are knackered :(

Thanks for your help guys, I ordered a water pump from GSF today £21.15 inc VAT so should have that tomorrow. Do motor factors or anywhere else sell these cam locking tools on the shelf? Rather than me waiting for delivery off the net.

[staggy_gsi]

1 turn of the crank = 2 turns of the cams

no mate thespannerman was right...

the crank pulley is half the size of the cam pulleys, therefore you have to turn the crank twice in order for the cams to turn once...

[mowgli]

you can get the cam locking tool from any decent motor factors & possibly from halfords..

as you are in leicester, try parkers.

it will definitely be a head off, recon job.

[thespannerman]

no mate thespannerman was right...

the crank pulley is half the size of the cam pulleys, therefore you have to turn the crank twice in order for the cams to turn once...

hope so!clues in the name lol lol lol

erm sounds a bit rough but i have used long nosed mole grips befor to hold the cam pulleys, in a "oh crap iv forgotton the tool" type of error!:tard:

most factors have them on the shelf, failing that ebay, if your stripping it you will only need the tool to build it back up

[burgo]

erm sounds a bit rough but i have used long nosed mole grips befor to hold the cam pulleys, in a "oh crap iv forgotton the tool" type of error!:tard:



everyones done that just be careful as you can break pulleys with mole grips

[thespannerman]

yeah i watched a guy do it!! wouldnt listen that they dont need to be tight, he just went for it lol lol lol === legend!