[stuartsports05051985]

Hi guys,

Was checking over my new 216 today and I think it could well do with a full service and more importantly a timing belt kit.

I havent done a belt on this particular engine before, wondering if there was anything to watch out for.

Any particular brand of belt kit to avoid?

Any special tools required?

Cheers :+)

[Johnny 216GSi]

Well, the brand to definitely use is Gates - their Powergrip range. Any half-decent, self-respecting garage will tell you that. Forget the rest. Buy their kit rather than just the belt, as it comes complete with a new tensioner. It's good practise to replace the water pump at the same time for obvious reasons. Just get the tension (belt deflection) right...

From http://www.gatesautocat.com

Belt part code: Gates 5237XS
Kit (includes tensioner): Gates K015237XS

You have to source the water pump yourself, if you do want to change it.

The kit comes in at about £55-£60 delivered, typing the part code into Ebay.

There's a seller in Wolverhampton with 2 half-price kits here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROVER-200-400 ... 1658500213

[Paul_1978_yorks]

That's a good point John. I was informed by a garage recently (rightly or wrongly) that for the D series, timing belts are best purchased as a kit, but the downside to the motorist is a £300 bill. Is this correct or is the garage talking rubbish?

[Johnny 216GSi]

That's a good point John. I was informed by a garage recently (rightly or wrongly) that for the D series, timing belts are best purchased as a kit, but the downside to the motorist is a £300 bill. Is this correct or is the garage talking rubbish?

Yep, as a kit. But my garage charges less than £200 all in, including a decent water pump. I think they do 2-2.5 hours labour + parts at a guess. It can be a nasty job and doesn't always go to plan, so I'd say £300 to get it right is fair enough, though do you know what your garage's labour rates are? Then you can work backwards. For £300 I'd be insisting on a Gates kit. The part code for the SOHC D16Z2 engines in the SLi and GSi models is 5233XS for the belt, and K015233XS for the kit.

The belt runs around the cam and crank gears (which are generally just inspected and cleaned) and also the tensioner pulley and water pump, so if you want a sound replacement, replace all the components that could make the cam belt fail prematurely - i.e. the belt itself, the tensioner and the water pump. The cam gears can also fail through corrosion - there's a photo of one on this forum somewhere where the insides have literally been eaten away over the years - but obviously the somewhat sealed timing belt covers are supposed to prevent that. The idea of replacing the tensioner and water pump is that bearings in the bits that turn can fail, stressing the belt or causing it to run less than smoothly.

[GTiJohn]

The run of the belt has an engine mount through the middle of it making it an awkward, but still possible home job, as you've got to have a good way to support the weight of the engine.

Still £300 for 5 years piece-of-mind is probably worth it

[roverman1]

Belt change is easy once you have removed the engine mount and lower crank pulley bolt , which is on extremely tight, it took me about 1.5 hours to change the single cam belt and that was with a new pump and a few cups of tea.

On the twin cam you don't even need to remove the cam cover as the timing belt cover is fitted over it, get a Haynes manual and your sorted

[stuartsports05051985]

kcheers guys, glad u posted part nos as my local shop ordered me the incorrect sohc version, should get right one tomorrow, haynes also ordered off ebay