Cambelt change - Citroen Saxo 1.5D '99

PS Peugeot TUD5 engine if you hadn't already worked that one out.

A quick tip on cambelt changes (applies to any car)

You can assume that the belt as fitted now is right, cos it runs!!!!

Remove the covers. Time the engine and lock Get some tippex Mark the belt and the pullys, crank, cam and pump. Remove the belt Transfer the marks to the new belt Fit the belt as per the marks.

Doing it this way just gives you that extra reasurance that you have fitted the belt correct, as with a diesel you dont get 2 x chances.

Finally, whilst doing the job, put your keys in an envolope and write lock pins in big letters on the front, cos you wouldn't want to do a good job the try to start it with the pins still in, would you ???

I have been changing belts for years and still leave the keys in a lock pin bag just to make sure.

The belt on this engine is not a hard job, but the 1.5 diesel engine is a troublesome piece of shit!!

Regards Slim

Whaaaaat? This is the fourth car I've had with a TUD5 in and I've never had a day's problem nor heard anything bad about them. You sure you're not thinking of the head-gasket-blowing 1.4 TUD3?

I was going to say - I've never heard about any problems on the 1.5, only the 1.4 for having a weak head gasket.

-- Coming Soon: The British Apathy Party - though I bet nobody'll vote for them.

when I did my 306d I bought a crank locking tool and belt from a web page ( on the internet some place.. sorry ) Also bought a waterpump off the shelf from Halfords , at 175K miles it can take its chances for now. ISTR that Peugeot only wanted =A3150 to do it, have you had a quote for changing yours ?

Has any one changed there own belt on the tdci focus ? The engine has a funny alloy sump, and you need a hoist ( according to Haynes )

Yeah, cheapest was 200 quid until today, which is why I was going to do it myself. Then a local Citroen specialist (so he says he is in Yellow Pages anyway) said he'd do it for 70 quid plus VAT. I almost fell of my chair and asked him if that was just the labour, he said no, that he did these all the time and therefore a) bought the belts cheap in bulk and b) could do it with his eyes closed in under an hour. I asked whether that included tensioner and idler and he said no, although he always checked them and would do them if there was any wear, but he had never encountered any on this engine nor ever known them fail. I asked when he could do it and he said it depended where I lived. I asked why and he said because he included collection and delivery in the place, and I nearly fell off my chair again.

Or in the *price*, even. Dur.

I'd go for it then, spend your Saturday drinking beer in front of the TV ( or what ever you normally do.. ) It probably took me an hour just to find the tools and stuff I needed. :)

With you on that. I still can't get a straight answer on what tool I need to set the tension or where to get it, and it's cost me nearly as much as that just in parts 'cos I'd feel obliged to do the idler and tensioner anyway because I wouldn't trust myself to be able to tell if it was worn or not.