Cambelt Change

Balance Motor Works like doing Cambelts so call us today to book your car in.

FIAT pioneered the mass production of engines with Belt driven Camshafts. At first sight, a Cambelt may seem rather flimsy when it has to drive the substantial load of the cam train, via metal pulleys. However they use a composite of materials including Kevlar, which is the same material used inside Jet Engines to prevent bits of fanblade piercing the cowling in the event of disaster.

New DAYCO Cambelt 94976 - suits Alfa Romeo and FIAT (also Vauxhall and Saab use these engines)
A new Dayco Cambelt showing the rubber backing of the belt with the Kevlar composite fibre teeth

So they are very tough, and catastrophic failures are fortunately quite rare. Problems occur when the belts are not inspected/replaced along with servicing recommendations. if the belt has been incorrectly installed, or used for much longer than its intended service life, it could delaminate and fail.

Sometimes a manufacturer makes a mistake in their engine design, which causes problems with the Cambelt. A good example of this is the K9K engine from Renault. After a number of major failures they issued a notice to the DVSA to warn owners of the issue. They stopped short of a recall.

Renault K9K CAMBELT FRAYED FROM MISALIGNED FUEL PUMP
Cambelt as removed from Renault K9K engine

We recently fixed some running issues on customers Renault Scenic, only to spot a bit of Cambelt flapping out of the cover, when the engine was running. We turned the engine off quickly and took a closer look. The belt was about half it’s original width. The engine had been changed under warranty as the Cambelt had snapped before, and yet here with the new engine was another shredded Cambelt, where failure was imminent.

We found Renault dealers reluctant to help, or even acknowledge the issue. In the end we found out it was the misaligned fuel pump via the DVSA alert, that was causing the belt to rub against the crankshaft pulley. It also seemed that Renault informed the DVSA of an incorrect range of engine numbers. The car we had was allegedly not a problem car.

Checking Fuel Pump Alignment on Renault K9K engine

We aligned the fuel pump and ensured the new belt ran without rubbing. We suggested, due to the design flaw, that the customer get his car serviced with us, so we can check the belt is not wearing through its service life.

Here’s a new Cambelt installed on an Alfa 2.0 JTDM engine – none of the design flaws of the K9K here!

Get in touch for a quote for your Cambelt today on 01273 915045