Cursed cam-belts.

110 on mine, but local mechanic (not dealer) recommends 90. My 214 only had one belt change in 160.

No doubt that's what the majority of drivers say, 'after' it happens!

As that was a randomly guessed number i'll bet it's nowhere near that, I'm currently running on one broken belt in the last half million miles (with no damage).

I think the assumption that any significant percentage of the public know this is massively biased by this group, if you don't service a vehicle there's no shortage of expensive things that will fail before the cambelt.

What car was that?

Peter

-- "The truth is working in television is not very glamorous at all. I just go home on my own at night and sit alone and eat crisps."

Much unloved maggot, used to see them with extra long engine numbers, all the additions stamped on when they went in for another warranty modification.

Mine resembled that remark :-( More infamous though is the appaling electrics, almost as bad as the Italians...

Adam

Specially as there is a tool for compressing the springs to change rockers out without removing cylinder head, though if unlucky can get a bent valve and snapped valve guide, got the t-shirt.

Adam

The message from "Adam Aglionby" contains these words:

I loved mine. Oddly flingable for such a lardy bike - with a lardy rider, too.

I wouldn't know. My father replaced the entire loom except the alternator and points using a Honda loom as a donor. I never had an electrical failure on it. It's a sweet bike, 160k on it now and my father has pinched it back after ten years and commutes in summer on it.

Only the 750's and 800's - the 400's were chain driven.

Land-Rover 200 and 300 TDI engines use a belt to drive the cam and fuel pump but are not OHC engines.

Donor regulator rectifier off the Honda SoupDragon was the usual replacement, rest of loom seems like a good idea though.

Apart from duff rectifier set up and chain rattle , rest of thing was a bit overengineered, who still makes roller bearing cranks.Admittedly whole plot felt like it was heavily engineered ;-)

Rectifier is a little bit of an overstatement. It was a simple bloody diode and that was it!

I agree. I pulled that engine apart after it had been stood five years and sadly rusted it's bores, needing a rebore and new pistons/rings. It's just like a large two stroke - big roller cranks, etc. Built to last. The only annoying thing that goes is the springs on the balance shaft whcih make a knocking noise on tickover. Otherwise it still goes strong, and for 1978 it has a superb handling frame as well. I loved that bike.

Are they the ones that if the 'pushrod lifter cam belt' (or whatever we would call it if it's not turning the OHC) snaps and pistons hit valves, the pushrods are designed to bend, are 1s 6d each and easy to replace?

Sounded like a good idea ..?

All the best ..

T i m

;-)

Bless em .. "let's fix what's not broken" (and when it does break it writes their cars off ..).

I was cleaning a Capri sump in my mates garage the other day (like you do .. till I realised it was a Capri sump when it should have been a Cortina one (doh!)) and I heard my mate showing his customers the removed clyinder head from their Renault people carrier thing .. and mentioning that it might be best if he put's it back together and they stick it in PX on something else "as it's 6 years old now" (or similar)?

A couple of points came to mind ..

1) There seem to be loads of cars blowing head gaskets these days ...?

2) Cars aren't worth repairing once over (say) 6 years old any more .?

This struck me as a shame (in a way) as I sat there working on a sump to allow me to put the 22 year old engine out of my Sierra in my 26 year old Escort based kit car ..?

All the best ..

T i m ;-)

I think that's the idea - although a mate had the belt break (pillock hadn't changed or even checked it in over 130,000 miles) and it broke a couple of the rockers. No valve damage oddly - I suspect it's because the valves offer a 'flat' face square on to the piston.

1/6- each is a bit steep though... In my day you could get a complete engine for that, and have enough change for a night out and your tram fare home.