7 replies to this topic

[deo1mon]

Hi everyone i have just changed my trusty Mondeo in which i mostly did all the servicing as well as cam belt changes. If anyone knows what its like to do a cambelt on the 1.8 TD Mk2 then you will know that more or less one side of engine has to be dismantled almost.
Well i have a 1.7 Puma now and want to change the cam blet so i know its been done for peace of mind. How easy is it to change the cam belt on these and what special tools are required before any start is made. If you think it wise that i should take it to a garage who has done the cam belts on the 1.7 then tell me but how easy is it to change> Thanks in advance.

[deo1mon]

deo1mon, on 30 June 2011 - 01:59 AM, said:

Hi everyone i have just changed my trusty Mondeo in which i mostly did all the servicing as well as cam belt changes. If anyone knows what its like to do a cambelt on the 1.8 TD Mk2 then you will know that more or less one side of engine has to be dismantled almost.
Well i have a 1.7 Puma now and want to change the cam blet so i know its been done for peace of mind. How easy is it to change the cam belt on these and what special tools are required before any start is made. If you think it wise that i should take it to a garage who has done the cam belts on the 1.7 then tell me but how easy is it to change> Thanks in advance.

Nobody replaced a cambelt on a Puma 1.7 with variable cam?? Come on guys just want to know in all honesty how easy is it to do? Because if nobody replies i will replace the cam blet and will make a full video on how to do it then see how qiuick many are to comment on where i was going wrong or what ever.. So for all you out there who have done this come on and share the info. I have access to the special tools needed. any advice please! Thankyou.

[siruncle]

Only that a valuable companion for the changing process would be a Haynes manual.
Sorry i can't advise as i've never come across one before.
Cambelts are usually a pita nowadays no matter what you drive, (unless its a pinto engined sierra, now they were easy peasy!!!) By the sound of it you are a man that can, have faith in yourself, and if you're really lucky it may be a piece of p*ss.

only thing could find was this.

http://passionford.c...eplacement.html

[deo1mon]

siruncle, on 03 July 2011 - 12:00 AM, said:

Only that a valuable companion for the changing process would be a Haynes manual.
Sorry i can't advise as i've never come across one before.
Cambelts are usually a pita nowadays no matter what you drive, (unless its a pinto engined sierra, now they were easy peasy!!!) By the sound of it you are a man that can, have faith in yourself, and if you're really lucky it may be a piece of p*ss.

only thing could find was this.

http://passionford.c...eplacement.html

Oh yes i recall the Pinto yes this was dead easy and straight forward not having to take have the engine apart or spending a few hours removing engine mountings and other bits and pieces. I know it has been said that Haynes alleged to have said not Economically Viable? Even so the amount of Pumas produced by Ford i am sure there would still have been plenty of profit made from these books. I know if i had the time on my side i would love to produce a book on this car. Even as guide it is needed and without it you are pretty well stuffed to a degree. However my father seems to think that there was a Fiesta Manual produced which did say on the front or somewhere at the beginning also for the Puma?.

I have done a lot of timing belts but it was the VCT that i was thinking about. I have designated a weekend now to do this cam belt and if necessary the whole of the following week also in case i get any problems hehehe!!!
As you quite rightly state most cars today no matter what make you buy now are a pain in the neck to work on. I used to work on the Jags XJS's and Rolls Royce's and to be honest the XJS with all that engine was something to be desired! but then all my work then really concerned automatic transmission working on the GM400's what a lovely gear box that was beat the sh1t out of Borg Warner crap.. Ooh i am going off the subject at hand. No i recall working on Renaults and always vowed i would never buy one of them because everything was a pig to get at, but than looking at most cars today they have all gone the Renault Route by burying everything so you cant get at it without stripping the engine.
Well if anything goes wrong you guys will be the first to know! Thanks for your reply buddy lets hope it is a piece of P*ss as you say hehehe!!!

[siruncle]

iirc the 1.7 puma is a yamaha produced or designed engine, the fiesta book would probably cover the other engines in the pumas, presumably the 1.4 or 1.6's. So i think the haynes book will be of little use. Only thing i can suggest is give the peeps at pumaspeed a call, maybe they might be willing to help, or may even have some literature for you. http://www.pumaspeed.co.uk/contact.jsp

Before i forget, i saw a vid once, a bloke made this 2 pronged "fork" out of some steel that had a stanley knife blade offset inbetween. On this pinto motor he started it up and held his "fork" on the belt as it was spinning, until it split it into two belts, a third on the block side, and two thirds on the outside. Then he turned it off, pulled the 2/3 off and slipped the new belt on till it met the 1/3 of the old one (i think he just tweaked the tensioner a bit so it went on) then with a normal stanley knife cut through the last bit of the 1/3 of the old one, and pushed the new belt on. this took him about 5 minutes tops, but it was mad as f*ck seeing it done so quick!!!

[siruncle]

This is funny though and quite impressive...

[deo1mon]

siruncle, on 05 July 2011 - 11:49 PM, said:

This is funny though and quite impressive...

Now that was impressive as hell wow!!! I laughed when i saw that hehehe can you imagine some customer coming in with their beetle asking you to fit a belt! Yes sure madam won't take a tick hehehe can you imagine if you did that in front of a customer not that you would do of course but none the less funny thatns for loading this up hmm might try that hehe!!
AS for the other guy you mention i have heard stories like that but i don't think i would attempt it.. Doing belt change shortly to be quite honest i don't know what all the fuss is about. I will give myself plenty of time though just in case! But a massive difference £18.00 for a timing belt and paying £280 or more to a garage to do it.....I have quite a few friends who have Puma's but none that would get their hands dirty they take theirs to the garage and get ripped off! So when i do mine they can bring theirs to me a lot of money to be made me thinks! i would do it a hell of a lot cheaper than most garages would do it!

[siruncle]

Give pumaspeed a call and ask them about it, if you sound like a potential customer, tell em you've done cambelts before, and is it any different to a zetec?