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MG MGF Technical - CAM Belt Change, When's It Due?

Hi Guys,

Does anyone know when the F need a CAM belt change, I have the VVC if it makes a differance..

Many thanks

Mike Gibson
Mike Gibson

Mike,

The cam belt should be changed at 60,000 or 5 years whichever is soonest. I understand that this is an age related part so if ur F is 5 years old and only done say 35000 then it still needs changing.
Having said that i searched this board and haven't found any reported belt failures yet!!

Cheers

Darce
darce

Thanks Darce,

I have a R-reg 1997 VVC which is 5 years old, so I guess I better start thinking about a new belt!,

Have you got any ideas on prices?

Thanks again

Mike Gibson
Mike Gibson

Best not to be one the first though.

I'm currently 5k off being required to have it done and I can't decide whether to pay over £600 for MGR to have a play or take it to an F specialist and pay half the amount.

Neil
Neil Stothert

or as it should have read - best not to be one of the first.

Failure that is.
Neil Stothert

Mike,

I think the five year service for the MGF is about 500-550 +VAT in the UK and includes the cambelt change. Bear in mind that it is a bit more expensive on the VVC than the MPi as the VVC has two cambelts (front and rear). It would also be a good idea to ask for the cambolts to be replaced at the same time and make sure they are torqued correctly. There have been some cam bolt failures reported on this BBS (have a look in the archives) on VVCs with catastrophic consequences.

Spyros
Spyros Papageorghiou

Mike

Mine was replaced at 31000 as the car was 5 years old; done by dealer pre-sales as part of a full 60000 scheduled service.

Will you be doing your own servicing? or getting a dealer / independant to do it?

When I get home I will email you a service schedule for the VVC unless this BBS shows that somebody else gets in first.
JohnP

I've just booked my 97 F into a dealer to get the cam belt done separately, they've quoted me £275. Its only done 33k, but as its coming up to 5 years thought I should get it done as recommended.
C Barclay

I live in the south east and got my 5year service done at Beadles in Dartford. They charged me £500 for the service including cambelt change - another £150 for 2 new tyres and wipers. I am only at 37,000 though but 5 years came first.
emma

Also - I was advised by an MGR approved garage that it is best to get the 5 year service does at the dealer as the parts used will be gauranteed. Apparantly a part that Rover put in on the 5 year service isn't that reliable (suprise suprise!) - so they don't like to do that one. On that advice - I would recommend going to the dealer for the 5 year service.
emma

Thanks for your advice I think that I will get it done as part of the service. I have a friend who was a specialist for Rover/MG who has now gone on his own, so I'll be getting him look at it.

The cars R-reg VVC 1997 that's done about 40,000 now so it's recomended yeah?

Regards,
Mike Gibson
M R Gibson

>>The cars R-reg VVC 1997 that's done about 40,000 now so it's recomended yeah?<<
Yes, very strongly recommended !

You may also want to take a look at (at least) :-
HT leads (plugs should be changed as part of service)
rubber suspension bushes / mountings.

Steve
Steve

The thing is that the service book ses that the cambelt needs to be changed at 90,000 miles and not 60,000?. Any ideas why?

Regards,
MG!
M R Gibson

Been to the MG garage and they said that it would cost, with labour £340, plus they said that they will NOT need to change the bolts. As they said the bolt issues have been resolved when they called the early F's back..

Regards,
MG
M R Gibson

>90,000 miles
this was the old value, before it was revised.

Damn I can't remember her name... but someone on here last year (but not anymore so I guess she got bored) had a garage 'do' the 50k/5yr service on her car, a _very_ short time later the cam belt broke, it had not been changed, but they said it was _her_ responsibility to check(!) the cambelt had been changed, I mean hard enough on a normal car, but on an F ????
Will Munns

Mike,

The 90000 interval was subsequently changed to 60000. The cost of replacing the bolts is minimal. The manual doesn't specify new bolts but according to some experienced people here they could break which would destroy the whole engine. Mike Satur does some uprated bolts for less than 10 pounds. As I said above search the archives for cambolt failures.

Spyros
Spyros Papageorghiou

A guy in the office here had the cam belt on his Vauxhall Omega changed at an independant group of garages. 13,000 miles later the cam belt tensioner failed. He is currently in 'discussion' with the garage about who is responsible for the subsequent damage to the valves and head, as Vauxhall recommend replacement of the tensioners along with the belt.

Question here is does the tensioner (if its got one) on the F need to be replaced?

Ralph
Ralph

60k or 5 years for the cam belt. Same for the plugs. That's generallly why the 5 year service is so expensive. 2 cam belts on the VVC, and the Mk1 has a coolant change at this service. Incorrect bleeding of the system is thought to be a major cause of HGF on older cars. Bleeding the system is tricky and whilst MGR dealers have been known to do it wrong, you at least have recourse if they bog it up.

One of the other things as the coolant is being changed is to check the undercar metal pipes. These corrode and I had mine replaced at the 5 year service.

After 60k, the plugs are due to be replaced, but you ought to do it sooner. And the OEM leads are usually shot after 3/4 years. Get some magnecor or good silicon ones rather than MGR OEM. They are about the same prices and are often better.

Overall in the south £500-£600 inc VAT at a dealer. Mike Satur or Brown and Gammons will be as good and cheaper. Northern dealers I believe have lower labour rates and so the overall job should be cheaper.

If you search the archives, I posted full cost of 5 year service parts and labour about a year ago.
David Mills

Guys,

I have just bought this R reg VVC F and the garage did a service but without doing the cam belt, so this is why I thought I'd only need to get the belts done at this point.

But do you think that I should still go ahead with the full 5 year service too.?

Regards,
MG
Mike Gibson

Mike,

I too only bought my 5yr old F last weekend.
I specified that i would only purchase if full 5yr service would be carried out (ie: change the cam belt).
I was assured it has had a full service with all timing belts changed.
Now call me cynical but i have asked for proof of all work carried out at service. Response "Oh..why yes of course sir, but we haven't received the invoice yet but will forward you a copy!)

What i'm asking is, this was purely a verbal contract if cam belt wasn't changed do i have a valid legal arguement?
Invoice stated that a service was to be carried out.

Any help would be appreciated.

THX
darce

This thread was discussed between 04/09/2002 and 06/09/2002

MG MGF Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGF Technical BBS is active now.