My Mondeo is just passing 80K miles, which is the recommended belt change interval. On previous cars I've usually replaced the water pump as well.
Is the belt+pump a DIY job on a Mondeo? (Mark 1, 2.0 silvertop zetec)
I've heard something about replacing a tensioner, is there a kit I should be looking for? Any other gotchas?
if your pretty competent you should be able do it & have the relevant timing belt layout & instructions, you need to lock the camshafts, a flat plate is inserted in the grooves in the back of the cams,
In message , PCPaul writes
As Reg says, you must replace the tensioner as that's what normally fails (you are lucky if you have already gone past 80k as they sometimes fail before that).
As for the water pump..... it can't be replaced on the silvertop without removing the cambelt so if you are planning on keeping the car for long then now is the time to change the pump.
It doesn't need the subframe dropping like the clutch does then? That was my main concern - I'm happy enough taking it down to the belt/pump (or at least it still worked when I put it back together on an Astra and a Nova before now...) but I haven't got the gear for heavy lifting or major suspension trauma.
No it doesn't need the subframe dropping but if you do need to replace the pump in the future, you should really replace the belt again as you are not supposed to re-tension them.
Oh, I always would. Anything that causes the pump enough problems to need replacing is guaranteed to have overstressed the belt, IMHO.
And it's not like belts are expensive, just fiddly to change.
What moron ever decided to run the water pump(etc.) off the cambelt instead of an ancillary belt anyway?
In message , PCPaul writes
I never said the water pump ran off the cambelt. It runs off the aux drive belt. Its just that on the silvertop, the cambelt prevents the pump from being withdrawn. On the blacktop, the belt routing was altered and the water pump isn't baulked by the cam belt.
Fair enough.. I hadn't looked at the Mondeo arrangement in detail yet.
I know on my old Ashtray the belt drove the pump - and the point still stands! Given the severity of the damage done when the belt goes and given the likelihood of the water pump seizing, driving the pump from the belt seems like building a self-destruct into the engine...
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