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[terry paget]

Astra 1.6 H hatchback petrol manual
Reading Haynes, which is all references from section to section, l discover that changing the cam belt involves removing the lower belt cover, which in turn requires removal of the camshaft pulley. This is retained by an angle tightenend bolt, which should be replaced with new on reassembly. Is this really necessary?

[henryd]

Astra 1.6 H hatchback petrol manual
Reading Haynes, which is all references from section to section, l discover that changing the cam belt involves removing the lower belt cover, which in turn requires removal of the camshaft pulley. This is retained by an angle tightenend bolt, which should be replaced with new on reassembly. Is this really necessary?

Crankshaft pulley Terry ??,a new crank pulley bolt is supplied in the kit(I did one yesterday with an Ina kit and actually two bolts are supplied but with different thread pitch)

[dave the builder]

Astra 1.6 H hatchback petrol manual
Reading Haynes, which is all references from section to section, l discover that changing the cam belt involves removing the lower belt cover, which in turn requires removal of the camshaft pulley. This is retained by an angle tightenend bolt, which should be replaced with new on reassembly. Is this really necessary?

Crankshaft pulley Terry ??,a new crank pulley bolt is supplied in the kit(I did one yesterday with an Ina kit and actually two bolts are supplied but with different thread pitch)

er 
crankshaft bolt will be fine re-used if not included ,bit of blue thread-lock
 bolts in a kit tend to be for the deflection roller and the tension idler roller
the gates kit does come with a Crankshaft bolt AND 2 roller bolts ,if you paid the extra for Gates
so 3 bolts in the kit

[Marks DTM Calib]

And if its one of the bolts with the concave washer, make sure its fitted the correct way or the pulley chatters and wears the woodruff key away.....then the crank sensor fault arises.....

[terry paget]

Thanks for advice. I bought a Dayco kit, and on inspection  there are 2 pulleys each with captive bolts, and another bolt with an internal torx head, which I guess is the crankshaft pulley bolt. The torx head looks rather frail for a 95Nm plus angle tightening job, but I shall find out.

Panic early is my rule.

[terry paget]

Here's interesting. This car came no service record, mileage is 150,000. I thought I must change the cam belt and pulleys urgently. Setting engine to TDC, I find blue marks on the camshaft pulleys, which align with blue marks (just visible on pic) on the rear cover at TDC, just as they did on the Omega. This strongly suggests that the cam belt has been changed earlier, so next change is not due yet. Do you agree?

The crank pulley bolt has a male torx head, unlike the spare bolt in the Dayco kit. I prefer the male headed bolt!

[Andy B]

....
 This strongly suggests that the cam belt has been changed earlier, so next change is not due yet. Do you agree? ....

Do you feel lucky ..... well! do ya? 

[dave the builder]

Belt appears to have been replaced ,who knows about the rollers (which if they fail, snap the belt),car dealers often just replace the belt when they sell a car ,Joe public worry about the belt, but are blissfully unaware the  rollers need doing too
removing the belt,you should be able to feel any play in the rollers

as your there,may as well swap it all anyway, 

why someone bothered to mark with blue pen the tops ,when the timing marks are clearly visible (3 o'clock, 9 o'clock ) is  beyond me 

Do you feel lucky ..... well! do ya? 

 

[terry paget]

Hit a problem. I removed the crankshaft pulley OK, but am struggling to remove the aux belt tensioner. I have removed the aux belt, but failed to insert the locking pin. I have removed the tensioner bolt, but cannot remove the tensioner. I have replaced the tensioner bolt, but cannot push back the pulley far enough to allow insertion of the locking pin, as my lever is obstructed by the engine mounting. I know the engine mounting is to come off shortly. Is there any reason why I could not remove it next?

[dave the builder]

15mm spanner (extended with a pipe) on the bolt that goes through the tensioner idler roller will give you the tension back to put the pin in
you will have to re-tension it anyway when you put it all back together

[terry paget]

15mm spanner (extended with a pipe) on the bolt that goes through the tensioner idler roller will give you the tension back to put the pin in
you will have to re-tension it anyway when you put it all back together

I compress the tensioner with a 19mm multicornered socket on the raised projection on the tensioner arm. It engages well, but working from above as I push the handle to the rear it hits the engine mounting before I have achieved full compression of the tensioner, which is presumably where the pin can be inserted.
I suspected I would have to compress it to reassemble it, as I am finding dissembling it. But why should I not remove the engine mounting next?

Haynes says 'using a Torx key or spanner (as applicable) on the pulley centre bolt, or the raised projection on the tensioner arm, turn the tensioner clockwise (1.4 litre engines) or anti-clockwise (1.6 and 1.8 engines) against the spring tension. Hold the tensioner in this position by inserting a suitable locking pin/bolt through the special hole provided (see illustrations).'

I imagined changing a cam belt on this engine would be just like changing a belt on a 2 litre Omega. I was wrong.

[Kevin Wood]

why someone bothered to mark with blue pen the tops ,when the timing marks are clearly visible (3 o'clock, 9 o'clock ) is  beyond me 

Monkey see, monkey do.. "I've always done it this way. What do GM know?"

As good a reason as any to pull it all off and start again, new looking belt or not!

[dave the builder]

the procedures tend to have a logical reason behind them 
removing the engine mount BEFORE tensioning the aux idler will mean the engine is balancing on a jack ,rocking , while you shove it back and forth ,levering ,trying to get the pin in , or, you will still have to put the tensioner in a vice to tension it to get the pin in .

[terry paget]

the procedures tend to have a logical reason behind them 
removing the engine mount BEFORE tensioning the aux idler will mean the engine is balancing on a jack ,rocking , while you shove it back and forth ,levering ,trying to get the pin in , or, you will still have to put the tensioner in a vice to tension it to get the pin in .

Quite so. At 4am I had a better idea. Using a ratchet wrench on the socket I moved the handle part way, put a bit of wood between the pulleys, clicked ratchet back and levered spring to stop, then inserted the pin.

Everything is removed now, having a cup of coffee before removing belt. Thanks for your support.

[dave the builder]

well done , have some cake too 
you'll get there