Cambelt /Water Pump Quote and other belts
 

My Cambelt is due, it was last done 10 years ago. The car has done 150k and I am hoping to run it for another year or 2.

It is not my pride and joy, but I do take care of my cars and want a safe , reliable car.

I have had a quote for 260 GBP to replace the cambelt and tensioners. Is this fair in your experience? I think it sounds reasonable.

Did any of you change your water pump and or any other local belts the last time you had your cambelt done? Just want to make sure there's nothing local i should be asking to be changed at the same time that I might have missed.

Thank you for your help

That is cheap for a first class job. Do not change the water pump, they go for hundreds of thousands of miles - I have had two cars 270,000mls and 370,000mls still on the original pumps. If you do change it make sure it is genuine Volvo; I would never change an original pump for a pattern part. Also change the auxiliary belt and the tensioner. My old P1 only let me down once in 370,000mls when the aux belt tensioner decided it had had enough at 75mph on the motorway. Luckily it did not take the cambelt with it.

Hey buddy, thanks for the reply. I thought it sounded reasonable , but I wanted to check. They are a reputable garage that I usually use, they did mention the Water Pump and Aux belt, hence my post.

I will tell them to leave the Water Pump and I might ask them to change to Aux belt as well.

You should change the aux belt while they're at it. It'll have to come off anyway, so putting a new one on instead shoulnd't cost anything more than the cost of the part.

The water pump may still be ok if it is still the original volvo water pump, but if it has been replaced before with an aftermarket pump, then replacing it again might be worth consideration ? ,. but whoever replaces the belt will most likely check it for play, etc.

Mine had a bit of play -- it probably wasn't the original. If it was, it's done 289K

Volvo pumps are £89 with 15% discount from FRF, belt was 30% discounted, you can get a/m pumps for about £50 but for the extra peace of mind I plumped for it. My entire job cost about £400 all in, including the oil and service filters, but it included labour for some other bits and bobs so probably £300 for the cambelt and pump, I guess? I'd done the aux belt a few months earlier so just left that out. My mechanic only charges £35 an hour and he's very good

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I am going to get the AUX belt done as well, and I have decided to leave the water pump. It is the original, to the best of my knowledge.

The car has now done 150k and I reckon it has another year or 2 left so I am considering that when factoring in costs. If it was an 83k car and I reckon I was going to keep it going for 5 years , I would go for all the belt changes, I am just being realistic to costs.

I wish my garage charged 35 an hour, they charge 52 GBP an hour now.

I have just paid to have both belts and all idlers & pulleys replaced. A day later the aircon pump seized. I don't know if that could have been foreseen, but it has been an expensive month! :(

Certainy worth checking what make components are going to be used -E.g. Genuine Volvo from the like of FRF Swansea using discount code C3? or aftermarket. I consider this to be as important as price. If aftermarket (as the second alternative) then personally I would only use Gates kits - there are cheaper, but you get what you pay for, and this is a critical application, so price is not really king.

I have just replacved my timing belt, tensioner and waterpump at 86K. I confirm the comment about the waterpump, it was in excellent condition and would have gone on for much longer. The same for the belt tensioner. And yes, I should have done the auxiliary belt as well, that looks well tired. Guess what I'm doing at the weekend, sigh.