Hi Everyone,

My son and a mechanic friend have been trying to change the timing chain on his "P" plate 1.3 LXi felly and run into some problems; the new chain does not fit and the cam shaft sprocket is 32mm, not 30mm as per the Haynes manual.

Can anyone help?? It is difficult for me to give much info as he and the car are 45 miles away from me!!! But they are thinking the car has had an engine change at some point and a non felly engine fitted, perhaps a Favorit engine?? (my guess)

What do they need to identify the engine and get the correct timing chain??

ANY help gratefully received!!!!!

I think I have answered my own query, I suspect they have been sent a post 98 kit, nit a pre 98 kit.

Can anyone confirm there is a difference in sprocket size between the pre and post facelift models??

Edited 14 July, 201015 yr by GentleGiant

My son claims they have tried both pre and post kits, and neither fit.

Anyone care to comment??

My son claims they have tried both pre and post kits, and neither fit.

Anyone care to comment??

Any chance of a pic? I've done a timing chain on a 1998 very recently and I've taken a fair few apart so could prob work it out if I could see! Although there are plenty more experienced chas on here who will help I'm sure!

As I said, they are 40 odd miles away (and not answering the phone), the only new info I have is that the replacement cam shaft socket and the one fitted to the engine are different sizes, one is 30mm and the other 32mm.

My best guess is that they got sold a post 98 kit, found it didnt fit, went back and asked for the right part; and got given ANOTHER post 98 kit (from a Skoda garage as far as I can tell).

Now the dealer is confused, he is claiming it is the wrong engine, and emailing Skoda to find out where it has come from.

Do you know if the Haynes manual says anything about the difference between pre and post 98 engines?? My idiot son has the manual, but I have no confidence he has looked at it beyond the page he THINKS he needs.

The difference between the early and late engines isn't the cam sprocket I.D. it's the crank one. No idea about Fav ones being different - I have a selection of cams here from various rally engines and none of them are different on the camshaft.

I had one Felicia (N reg, I think) which had the "wrong" size crank on it, so I guess it does happen, but again, that was the crank, not the cam.

<bump>

as darren says the differance is that the MPI crank is different diameter the cams are all the same size.. except fabia 1.4 ones which are different but i dont have one to measure.

My thanks to Jorily for sorting out this problem; apparently the felly had THREE different versions of the 1.3 engine!!

A (very) few of them were fitted with the same engine variant as fitted to the Estelle, and that is what is fitted to my sons "P" plater.

Jorily has sourced the correct timing chain kit from the Skoda factory and it should arrive Monday.

My son found this out Thursday evening, but his stupid phone broke and he didnt think to email me!!

The local Skoda dealer has yet to reply, so much for him!!!!