wet belt cars.

[8ob]

The Ford Transit forum is full of sad stories about snapped wet belts.

The new Transits seem full of problems, one of my nippers bought a new one a couple of years ago and it's been non stop grief. Among many other things he had the wet belt changed (1k), a week later he had an addblue pump failure and dpf problems (another 2.5k). Probably better to chop them in every eighteen months and let someone else buy the problems.

Bob

 

[brewdexta]

I've got a 2.0 litre biturbo ecoboom Ranger. 4 years old with about 32k on the clock so low mileage for its age and half way to a belt change

I was thinking of getting the oil strainer checked on the next oil change, is it an engine out job, or is it just a quick sump drop?

 

[bricol]

The car I would do unspeakable things for would be a Lancia Stratos. In the 70's I blagged my way onto the Alitalia RAC rally service barges supporting the three Stratos' they were fielding that year. Hamsterley forest at some ungodly hour and the sound they made was distinct and unmistakable, great times.

To be honest I have, at one time or another, had most of the exotics, Ferrari, Bentley, Lotus, Aston Martin, MG and quite a few others, the new Maserati's though look the part. A Gentleman's tourer (as long as you are in no rush to get back from wherever you are I suppose).

I had a replica for a while in the early 2000s. . Was asked several times if it was a real one . . .
The rebodied Ferrari version done a few years ago looks rather vice, but slightly out of my price range.

Did you see the well driven one on the RAC two years ago? Same fantastic sound - seem to recall a water pump failure a stage or two from the end - was at the sharp end all event - close your eyes and just listen

 

[bricol]

The Ford Transit forum is full of sad stories about snapped wet belts.

No one ever goes on a forum to post how fantastic the heater/seat/access/mpg etc though . . . Only to find fixed to problems. Must be a couple out there with no problems

 

[Robotstar5]

The car I would do unspeakable things for would be a Lancia Stratos. In the 70's I blagged my way onto the Alitalia RAC rally service barges supporting the three Stratos' they were fielding that year. Hamsterley forest at some ungodly hour and the sound they made was distinct and unmistakable, great

I saw them come through Sutton park when the RAC had proper Sunday spectator stages, it hit the water splash at speed and blew the engine cover/rear body off!.

 

[m_c]

No one ever goes on a forum to post how fantastic the heater/seat/access/mpg etc though . . . Only to find fixed to problems. Must be a couple out there with no problems

I put 130k on my last Custom with the only issue being an EGR valve.
Which given I used to work for a major fleet company, is the only EGR valve I ever changed on the 2.0 engine, and I only ever seen one other changed at work, which was due to an idiot fixing something else on the engine and managing to fill the EGR valve electrics with coolant.

 

[Tangledfeet]

I used to work for a major fleet company

Who do you work for now?

 

[finyuk2005]

I've got a 2.0 litre biturbo ecoboom Ranger. 4 years old with about 32k on the clock so low mileage for its age and half way to a belt change

I was thinking of getting the oil strainer checked on the next oil change, is it an engine out job, or is it just a quick sump drop?

a decent inspection camera through the drain hole might show you enough

 

[m_c]

Who do you work for now?

Currently an organisation who run things with blue lights on them, having spent a year in between working for a certain major red fleet which is a prime example of how not to run a commercial company.

 

[m_c]

I've got a 2.0 litre biturbo ecoboom Ranger. 4 years old with about 32k on the clock so low mileage for its age and half way to a belt change

I was thinking of getting the oil strainer checked on the next oil change, is it an engine out job, or is it just a quick sump drop?

You can check it yourself through the oil filler.
I used to have a good collection of photos of them, as it's actually part of the service schedule to visually check, and on transits it was better to take a photo then zoom in, but I can only find a couple photos just now.
The back of the belt looks like fish scales from new, and when looked at closely, looks like cracks, which this photo shows quite well.



The back of the belt is designed like that to retain oil, as the belt simply slides on the tensioner.

When you need to worry, is when the scales start flaking off, like this-

That belt is only just starting to fail, but on something that isn't spending it's days idling, would likely go at least another 10k before causing noticeable problems.

 

[roofman]

Well, after giving it all a great deal of thought and weighing up all the variations and permutations, I have decided my next (and prolly last ) car is going to be a Maserati.
Always waned one so I am having one.

I have Just orded 10 bags of microwave popcorn Graham...let me know when it arrives

 

[Richiew]

Mate told us he was buying a Maserati. We were all excited for him, thinking he was getting the fire breathing petrol thing. Turned up with the turbo diesel

 

[Trevorleach]

Bosses son tells me he has a had a quote for wet belt replacement on a 72 transit, 1200 quid!

 

[brightspark]

Bosses son tells me he has a had a quote for wet belt replacement on a 72 transit, 1200 quid!

cheaper than a completely b,uggered engine

 

[DanZac]

Whilst £1200 is a lot of money, it's still less than a days labour plus parts, when you consider that most garages are charging at least £80 to £100 an hour for labour.

I'm sure that lots of guys here can give us a more realistic figure, but It'll cost you a lot of money to get anything done these days, so £1200 for what amounts to a major job probably isn't actually that bad. It was £600 plus last time I had a cam belt done and that was probably 10 years ago.

 

[Monkey Harris]

I'd avoid wet belt engines.!

 

[mechman]

72 transit ? as in 1972?

Bosses son tells me he has a had a quote for wet belt replacement on a 72 transit, 1200 quid!

 

[Bobupndown]

it has a chain driven belt instead of wet belt and only 20,000

Sounds ideal!

 

[m_c]

Bosses son tells me he has a had a quote for wet belt replacement on a 72 transit, 1200 quid!

Probably about right.
I'd only do them using genuine parts, which last time I done one were about £800 trade, and it's about a 5hr job.
They're not a bad job to do, but you do need suitable tools. Without a decent hydraulic puller you won't get the crank pulley off, and without the correct timing tools for the camshafts, you're unlikely to get the new belt on without damaging it (the proper tools allow the belt to slide over them, so it doesn't get caught on the edge of the pulleys).

I think I've still got a kit and a cover kicking around in the shed, along with the proper engine support that allows you to remove both the sump and engine mount without faffing around trying to support the engine with the sump removed, or having to refit the sump in between doing different parts of the job.

 

[Trevorleach]

72 transit ? as in 1972?

I think they were York back then?