Need to change cambelt should I do water pump?

[howellj1989]

Need to do my cam belt on my vrs. Should I just do the cambelt for 40 or buy a kit for 100 what's included in the kit and is it worth the extra?

Thanks

[Trevor Kick]

Hi

I would always pay the extra and have waterpump done .

Thanks Trev

[hutchysrs50]

Yes change the water pump, iirc it's about £26 from the dealers.

[eric87]

Yes

[Rob.]

Yes, do the pump... but just to put that cat amongst the pigeons.. I got 87k out of my 1st pump..

And, to REALLY highlight it... BMW water pumps, with plastic impellers, have exactly the same reputation for failure... However, on the 94' car I just bought, the pump bearing had a lot of play so it was replaced... when it was removed, it turned out to be the original plastic pump, the impeller had out lasted the bearing!... There's 205k on that car!

Has anyone actually had the plastic impeller fail on a vRS, seen it, 1st hand?? ...

[booke23]

Need to do my cam belt on my vrs. Should I just do the cambelt for 40 or buy a kit for 100 what's included in the kit and is it worth the extra?

Whatever you do, use a proper cambelt kit. It contains replacement rollers, and bolts and nuts for the rollers along with a the new belt. These items need replacing at every cambelt change.

As for replacing the water pump, the advice is to replace it too. Personally, I don't bother if the car has reasonably low mileage......I didn't do the water pump on my Octavia's last cambelt change at 60,000 miles, and my Fabia didn't have a new pump last time at 40,000 miles, and 20,000 miles later the original pumps are still going strong. However I will replace them at the next belt change (100,000 miles and 80,000 miles).

Edited 21 May, 2013 by booke23

[Trevor Kick]

Never had one fail, because I always change them, when they meant to be changed , lol

Thanks Trev

[Kyle_vrs]

I changed my dads water pump on his 911 yesterday that's not even done 30k!! Was leaking so put a new one on and luckily I did as the play in it was unreal. Shoddy vw's lol

[howellj1989]

So u suggest new cambelt with rollers and pulleys but also change the water pump too. Cars done 112k and not had any of that since 30k. Any thing else people would recommend for a fabia vrs that's not been looked after properly

[robbieh]

A very big YES! Always change the full timing belt kit AND water pump if its a t/belt driven pump. (which the fabia is)

If a timing belt has (for instance) a 4yr/80k service interval, if you choose to only replace the belt then you are assuming all the other belt-driven components will last another 4yrs/80k. They probably won't!

Also...the belt on this engine runs very tight. When you fit a new belt onto an old water pump it adds a greater strain on to the pump's bearings which will accelerate failure of the pump.

Good practice is to replace the lot.

Also...coolant should be changed regularly so to do it at the same time as the new timing belt kit and water pump is perfect. :-)

At 82k on one belt you are well into borrowed time my friend!

If you are local to Kent I could give you lots of pointers on things to look out for?

Regards, Rob

[bluecar1]

things to look at on a VRS that has not been looked at

console bushes (crack and breakup leading to tyre wear and poor road holding as tracking not staying constant)

cabin pollen filter (if not changed gets blocked, can cause heater resistor to overheat and fail leaving only fan speed 4, also due to lack of airflow cans cause condensation)

good look at CV / driveshaft gaiters for splits and damage

two wires on front of gearbox to the alternator (common fault they break and can cause flat battery)

just a few thing off top of my head