Yet another question !-V6 Cambelt change

:behindsofa:
It's me again !!!

Can anyone advise if it's absolutely necessary to use the special locking tools when replacing the camshaft belts on the KV6 petrol engine.
I am doing a bit of homework relating to general maintenance tasks before taking the step to buy a Freelander.
For those that do not know of me, I have been a regular contributor on the Rangie section for a few years and have quite a fair bit of mechanical & electrical experience over the years from doing DIY repairs on Disco's & Rangies (Classic and P38), including engine stripdown/rebuild, transfer box, brakes, steering and electrical/electronic systems.
I have seen that the toolkit for replacing the cambelts costs around £200+ and this is quite an expense for something that's only going to come out of the box once in a blue moon but obviously is an essential piece of kit for a garage or someone who is going to use it on a regular basis.

hippo is the man for this question

Think the real issue is the rear belts as the belt is put on the pulleys and the tool then stretches it to enable you to refit the pulleys.

Nodge68 is doing his without the kit, but he's got eggsperience of the v6. He's got a link in his sig to a write up.

Others have done it without the kit by cutting half the original belt and sliding the new one on. Then cutting the rest of the old belt oft. Some have marked the old belt and put this against the new belt and moved the marks over whilst on the floor. Others have done it without the kit and marks and taken the belt oft only to find out what the words: valve spring and tension mean. Some have done it only to find their efforts don't last long as they either do it wrong or damage the belts. Often caused by doing the rears and allowing the force to be applied to the front belt via the camshafts, which doesn't happen when you put the silver tool from the kit in the rears as below. If you can hold the gears straight then it's ok. As said above, this is the bit which peeps/garages fek up on. Some peeps have allowed the gears to turn which applies stress to the main belt. I know the belts take a fair bit if stress when in use, but leaving the locking pin in the fly wheel means the main belt won't turn. Hence the stress damage. Pin should be removed at this point.

The sealy kit is eggspensive. The laser 4577 kit is much cheaper and you can resell them on ebay. I sold mine for more than I paid. Some peeps rent the kits out.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=laser+4577&_sacat=0&_from=R40

It is possible to do it without the kit. The rear belts would be a bit of a struggle in my opinion, but I did mine with the engine fitted in ma hippo without removing the top manifold bit (or whatever it is). If the engine were removed then it would be much easier to do with or without the kit. Garages sometimes don't change the rear belts and don't tell the owners. Access int too good on the rear bank. If I were doing mine again I would use the kit but that's personal choice. It's easier for me to do it with the kit. My v6 was the first belt I'd done.

Video's on how to do the belts below. Includes knowledge on the operation of the Rover KV6 engine and how to replace the timing and cams belts.







Also a Rover K series engine timing belt change.



Some more stuff:

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/freelander-kv6-cambelt-176621.html

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/v6-cam-belts-change-59563-2.html


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P8171547 NX5mzeD

Irishrover said:

:behindsofa:
It's me again !!!

Can anyone advise if it's absolutely necessary to use the special locking tools when replacing the camshaft belts on the KV6 petrol engine.
I am doing a bit of homework relating to general maintenance tasks before taking the step to buy a Freelander.
For those that do not know of me, I have been a regular contributor on the Rangie section for a few years and have quite a fair bit of mechanical & electrical experience over the years from doing DIY repairs on Disco's & Rangies (Classic and P38), including engine stripdown/rebuild, transfer box, brakes, steering and electrical/electronic systems.
I have seen that the toolkit for replacing the cambelts costs around £200+ and this is quite an expense for something that's only going to come out of the box once in a blue moon but obviously is an essential piece of kit for a garage or someone who is going to use it on a regular basis.

Click to expand...

It's a long winded affair as there is a lot to remove simply to get at the belts. I just lock the engine in the correct "safe" position and mark up the front pulleys and back plate so they can be refitted!! I would say that you need to have done lots of cam belt changes on lots of different cars as experience counts!! The rear "link" belts are the easiest to change, it takes me 5 minutes to do one with the engine on a stand but in the confines of the Freelander more like 20 minutes or more for the one closest the bulkhead!! Lots of folks say the timing will be out and it doesn't work correctly but i'v never had a problem!.
There have been a few reports that some of the cheaper tools bend as the bolts are being torqued up which can strain the belt or alter the timing nether of which is ideal!!

See this for info
http://forums.xpowerforums.com/showthread.php?t=60892

How do you hold the rear gears while removing/fitting the bolts without the tool?

Hippo said:

How do you hold the rear gears while removing/fitting the bolts without the tool?

Click to expand...

I made up a simple tool that engaged with the inlet cam spokes to hold it. But it is also possible to do the link belts first by using the old front belt to keep the pulley still. As long as the engine is locked it works ok even if it's a bit of a cowboy job but if you have nothing els?.

Hippo said:

Nodge68 is doing his without the kit, but he’s got eggsperience of the v6. He’s got a link in his sig to a write up.

Others have done it without the kit by cutting half the original belt and sliding the new one on. Then cutting the rest of the old belt oft. Some have marked the old belt and put this against the new belt and moved the marks over whilst on the floor. Others have done it without the kit and marks and taken the belt oft only to find out what the words “value spring tension” mean. Often followed by the word “fek”. Some have done it only to find their efforts don’t last long as they either do it wrong or damage the belts. Often caused by doing the rears and allowing the force to be applied to the front belt via the camshafts, which doesn’t happen when you put the silver tool from the kit in the rears as below. If you can hold the gears straight then it’s ok. As said above, this is the bit which peeps/garages fek up on. Some peeps have allowed the gears to turn which applies stress to the main belt. I know the belts take a fair bit if stress when in use, but leaving the locking pin in the fly wheel means the main belt won’t turn. Hence the stress damage. Pin should be removed at this point.

The sealy kit is eggspensive. The laser 4577 kit is much cheaper and you can resell them on ebay. I sold mine for more than I paid. Some peeps rent the kits out.

laser 4577 | eBay

It is possible to do it without the kit. The rear belts would be a bit of a struggle in my opinion, but I did mine with the engine fitted in ma hippo without removing the top manifold bit (or whatever it is). If the engine were removed then it would be much easier to do with or without the kit. Garages sometimes don’t change the rear belts and don’t tell the owners. Access int too good on the rear bank. If I were doing mine again I would use the kit but that’s personal choice. It’s easier for me to do it with the kit. My v6 was the first belt I’d done.

Video’s on how to do the belts below. Includes knowledge on the operation of the Rover KV6 engine and how to replace the timing and cams belts.

rover kv6 - YouTube

rover kv6 - YouTube

kv6 belt change - YouTube

Also a Rover K series engine timing belt change.

Cam Belt change K Series - YouTube

Some more stuff:

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/freelander-kv6-cambelt-176621.html

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f9/v6-cam-belts-change-59563-2.html

Click to expand...

:behindsofa:

To Hippo and all the other posters raise:

A valid point was made by Hippo-"Hire the tools"...never thought of that !!-after all, how many times would I be using them ??
I have the toolkit for replacing the belt on our Vectra, 2.5, V6 but it cost around £60 but that said, it's not as complex (Contents wise) as the Freelander V6.
I am sure that if I was still at work, I would have made something up in the toolroom to do the job. Retirement means that I don't miss the work but do miss the opportunity of using a well equipped machine shop and access to materials !! Most of the tooling I made for the P38 was made from offcuts in the scrap bins.
From what people have posted, and what I have read on RAVE, the work complexity involved does not frighten me.
Thanks..one and all !!

The laser 4577 kit I used seems ok and was good to use. If you can't find one to rent, buy it on ebay then sell it on afterwards on ebay. Fix the price and put it up a bit lower than the others. It will sell first if your add/pic's are clear.