anyone able to help and tell me if there any major hitches in changing timing belt on my octavia vrs 1.8t. not undertook one on this model. or would it be better off in a garage. anyone got a diagram showing the timing marks on how to set it up to replace belt. gonna replace water pump at same time as dont trust the impellor, hearing too many stories about them breaking up.

cheers

The hydraulic tensioner can be a pain, you can either wind a long thin bolt into it in situ to compress it or remove the whole thing and slowly compress in a vice then lock into position with a very small metal pin, if your not very confidant I'd recommend you get an experience garage to handle it

I've just had the cambelt kit and waterpump changed on mine. I paid £300 including parts at an independant VAG specialist, so that would be what about £130 to cover labour and VAT?

Just got a quote to do my belt and pump at my local Skoda dealer and was quoted £405 so i think you did well .

edit: thought that was a bit high so tried another dealer and they want £425 .

I am down in the south east area so if anyone can recommend a garage that are charging sensible prices it would be appreciated.

Edited 30 October, 200916 yr by doggzy

I've just had the cambelt kit and waterpump changed on mine. I paid £300 including parts at an independant VAG specialist, so that would be what about £130 to cover labour and VAT?

Thats about right, similar to what we charge:)

Bob

They are a bit awkward to do.... not much room to work and the engine mounting brkt is a right pain, its in your way most of the time and you can only get it out the way once the tensioner has been removed.

Otherwise its straight forward, the timing marks are easy to see (recommend you use a Haynes manual for timing marks and torque settings).

To give you an idea of time... I'm an HGV fitter and it took me about 5 hours to do mine (cam belt, tensioner, idler, water pump).

Make sure you change the RH engine mounting stretch bolts, they are the three on the right in the pic below

For the belt, kit and pump I paid 290 at my local Skoda dealership two weeks ago. For me the extra I paid in labour is well worth it over my inability to tackle the job on my drive with 100% confidence.

Ive been looking at doing this myself, but reading this I think ill go with a garage to!

Out of curiosity how much is a belt, pump and strectch bolts? I tend to prefer doing things myself as although im inept atleast i know whats been done and what parts have been used.

J

Ive been looking at doing this myself, but reading this I think ill go with a garage to!

Out of curiosity how much is a belt, pump and strectch bolts? I tend to prefer doing things myself as although im inept atleast i know whats been done and what parts have been used.

J

For belt, tensioner/damper, idler, water pump, 7 engine mounting bolts and G12 antifreeze I got stung for £200 :eek:

On the up side I saved about £150 on labour

holey poop :eek:

J

I did mine the other day and plastic water pump impeller came out in bits.

Timing belt kit £91 water pump £20.8 from euro car parts.

Hi, i think that timing belt is something you can't be risky with it. I changed mine a month ago (Octavia 1.6 MY 2002, 53.000 Km) at a local dealership here in Greece. I paid 480 euros including water pump change, oil and oil filter change. I know the price is little bit salty but this is the only way to have two years warranty if the belt gone by the wind.

I had my timing belt done a couple of weeks ago, along with having the revised metal water pump fitted by JKM Performance, Portsmouth. I would recomened them, a good job & fair price of £309.

I know they are not near you BOB69VRS, but it gives you an idea of what to expect to pay.

Advantage of also using a garage rather than doing the job your self, you have some come back if you have any problems...

I'm part way through changing my belt & pump on my VRS (2006 but definitely an 1800 Mk1), so can speak from experience.

Whilst the jobs can be done by a confident DIYer with a good tool set and a Haynes manual, they have so far almost exhausted my repertoire of swear words.

The Haynes manual is often inadequate or misleading, there isn't much room, the engine mount is a real pain (exacerbated by Haynes being wrong) and you'll need more than a basic tool kit (I bought a purpose-designed tool pack with tensioner clamp & lock pin and even then found I also needed an 18mm socket (a rarely used size)).

With the hours that I'll spend doing the jobs, even allowing for my taking things easy, my hat goes off to the garages who do it for the prices they charge - doing it for the first time and without a second brain/pair of hands, I reckon it will take me 8-10 hrs.

Ian

Blimey! It seems that paying a garage is worthwhile then as it would take me more than that do do the job.