I am hacked OFF ....Cam belt change - HOW important is this?

[Ippon]

So looks like I've been 1st to view two really well presented Mk2's .... but have been unable to agree a deal/price with the seller due the belts NOT being replaced ... however the next viewer HAS bought the car.... would really like a view from the "community" on the importance of the change ...
.... the site FAQ buyers guide states .......
Cambelts are due at either 90,000 miles or 6 years, whichever comes soonest. There are 3 off belts here. Prices range from £350 upwards. If the car in question has no indication of a belt change be wary or negotiate the price down by around £600. If that doesn’t work, walk away!

[petet16]

There's quite a few 180's with the belts beyond the 6 year, 90,000 mile point still running fine, ours is a year overdue, I've got all the stuff to do it, just not the time, but a quick visual of the belts shows them to be looking fine.

[Nor]

Personally, due to the value of the car I don't think it's worth spending £500+ on changing the belts.

My 180 is 8+ years old and has 42k on the clock.

[Ritchy]

Complete gamble if you replace it or not. Cant say for definate when the belts will snap but if they do you are talking major engine damage

[Nor]

Complete gamble if you replace it or not. Cant say for definate when the belts will snap but if they do you are talking major engine damage

Pretty much new engine I'd imagine if belts go.

[petet16]

Good used v6s are a good deal less than a £600 belt change.

[Ippon]

Good used v6s are a good deal less than a £600 belt change.
So ball park figure .... as I can't do it myself .... who can swap + how much to fit?

[petet16]

Lates in Coventry have a very good reputation, not sure on prices.
AMW motorsport in Bradford would be worth a call as well

[mrmick]

Myself i have never worried bout the belts being done had plenty of v6s and never had a prob sometimes i think people worrie too much butt thats me personally

[WalkerDnB]

I puts me right off to be honest
I wouldn't buy one that needed them doing unless it was dirt cheap.

[Alan.F]

When i had the belts done on my blue 180 the belts were fine but when we took the plastic tensioner off it was cracked and fell apart, so really its how much YOU value your car at not the crap valuations that are going around atm

[Alan.F]

Good used v6s are a good deal less than a £600 belt change.

yes but you should change the belts as you dont know any history if bought off the bay

[Alan.F]

I paid £800 for my CAT D ZT but first thing i did was fork out £600 to have head gasket and belt done on it as it had no history, its all down to how long you plan to keep the car, I have owned 2 180's and had belts done on both

[Smokey]

I have found that mk1's seem to have a belt change more so than mk2's, but that might just be coincidence. Thing is, if I (along with Grimmy, Marcus and Stephen) manage to change the engine in the site track car, I think I will have no fear over belts. I will either take on the challenge of the belts with the site tools or if they snap, I'll already know and have a how-to to swap the engine.

Cost of changing belts/water pump myself £250ish?

Cost of replacement engine, swapping myself £350ish?

Both are cheaper than going to a garage and I would enjoy the challenge!

[stamford]

To put things into perspective my belts were overdue on my ZS, I was pushing my luck as the mileage was low but age was the factor. When they were removed they were in a bad way and cracking badly.

I have been in engineering all of my life and have used HTD timing belts etc in alot of equipment. They do last longer than stated but alot will depend on the manufacturing quality and maintenance carried out plus not forgetting the climate as that will have an adverse effect on its expected lifespan.

Okay so an engine can be bought for less than a belt change, but tell me this, do you know what you are buying?

As with any car that is getting on in years you get what you pay for and if you don't like the costs to maintain then don't buy it!

I have had mine 8 years and I will be keeping it and when the time comes for another belt change I won't hesitate to get them changed, better the devil you know I say.

There will be some positive news soon regarding belt changes for forum supporters ;)

[scotttait]

If your mechanically minded. A decent DIY, someone who likes to take his time on doing a job and enjoys getting mucky, get yourself a Haynes manual and DIY

[Ritchy]

I always think of it as perhaps id be in the middle of nowhere. No reception. Belt snaps. Stuck out in the cold.
Or some family emergency needing to get to the hospital. Or even driving to work. Just hastle i cba with. Would rather know its all good and its not going to die on me when i need it. Different people have different circumstances ect but thats my feeling

[vanishing days]

The way I think of it if the previous owners havent had the cambelt changed what else havent they done im looking for a mk 2 180 and have been for a while ive walked away from 3 mk2 180s in the last few months ive got 3k to spend and I wont be buying a badly maintained car as I need it for work.

[Ippon]

The way I think of it if the previous owners havent had the cambelt changed what else havent they done im looking for a mk 2 180 and have been for a while ive walked away from 3 mk2 180s in the last few months ive got 3k to spend and I wont be buying a badly maintained car as I need it for work.
Hope you aren't looking north of Watford :)

[waynester]

Did my belts quite quickly after purchase.. for approx £410 if I remember correctly..
I only paid £700ish for the car, so with the belts added..it was still bloody good value performance car!
I wouldn't have bought any other Z.. it was the 2.5 V6 quad cam engine I wanted.. & I'm not disappointed!:)

[daytona365]

If you really love your 180, you will get the belts done. I had mine done, as I knew the car had been well looked after, so it was worth the expense. Now I have a car that will stay with me for ever, and will get a new set of belts when they due again.
If you put a new engine in, how do you know the belts it that are ok???????

Its down to personally feeling. IS IT A CAR OR A ZS??????????????????/

[petet16]

If the worst happened, and you changed the engine you'd do the belts before fitting it, it would be pointless not doing so, as someone mentioned earlier in the thread the condition of the plastic idlers would concern me more than the belts themselves.

[R8NMG]

I changed my belts right on 6 years as I didn't want to chance my luck being stuck at the side of the road then the hassle of being without a car for a while and sourcing a replacement engine etc.

I have also changed to Sheddist clutch kit even though my clutch was perfectly fine. Again I don't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere with a failed clutch.

Changing all these parts give me more confidence in the car rather than driving around in a ticking time bomb.

[peterzs]

Think it all depends if you are thinking of keeping the car for some time or going to move it on.

Even if you do sell it, its a good selling point, might not add the complete cost of the belt change to the selling price, but should get a fair % back, or make it sell that much quicker.

[DuckFeet]

Watch the water pump too.... Mine was about to pop at 36K / 7years.

[Squeaks]

I have made sure both my 180's had the belts done before I got them, I am currently looking for another ZS Mk2 and if it ends up being a 180 I think I'd only get one if the belts had been done as I have already had the misfortune of buying one total dog off a Mk2 I do not wish to do that again!

[MickUK]

I don't know the history of my 180 at all. The belts were "meant to have been changed" but I have no record of this. So my soloution is to rebuild a T16 to replace the KV6. I toiled over rebuilding the KV6 as I love it but went for the project aspect.

At the end of the day, I would rather be in the know, than not at all & risk engine damage/failure. Each to their own though.