Quote:
Originally Posted by daveo2002
I've changed the cam belt at 45k intervals or 8 years, whichever has come first.
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That's what I have always done, approximately.
When a belt reaches 40,000 I start looking for a convenient slot to fit in a change. I don't want to do it in very cold weather - too uncomfortable- or just before a holiday, or if my wife's taking the car somewhere the next day, or any number of excuses, knowing I've got all the time up to 50,000 miles if need be.
I wouldn't worry too much about the cam shaft seal if it's not leaking. You can spot it anyway without dismantling to look. The easiest inspection method of both belt and seal is the upper belt cover, and you can check for obvious wear or cracking. If you start it up with the cover off you can watch that the belt runs true on the sprockets, and listen to the tensioner.
I've never actually replaced a tensioner. I've always found that a noisy one responds well to removing it and soaking in oil overnight and then draining and drying thoroughly.
The system is pretty robust. Not like a modern car where plastic pulleys and things crack up and wreck the belt and engine. The water pump too is nothing to do with the timing belt, and doesn't suddenly fail without warning.
APART from the upper seal to the cylinder head, which can leak and as I found suddenly fail and blow out.
Even if the cam seal does leak, I've never found it got onto the belt. Oil seems to run down behind the plastic bit next to the block on to the steering rack, and along the seam between the head and block above the spark plugs and down the back of the engine.
I have heard that there is no need to remove the old cam seal - simply move it along and fit another one. I don't know if that is true, and it would obviously work only once.