Hi I am about to get the annual service done on my gt and looking at history the timing belt was changed in in 2011 so it's just coming up to 3years
During the 3years it has done 9000 miles
Do I change it or not some say 3 years some say 4years.
Not sure what to do expect service to be approx £350 cam belt approx £450
Car runs perfectly no issues what so ever
Honest appraisal appreciated
Cheers
Jeff
You should be ok cos of low mileage but it should really be done. V6 are a lot better on belts than TS's. If it was my GTA I'd be changing it.
Belt service is £800 from a specialist. Not £350-£450. If it is I'd question what they aren't changing and also suspect thy aren't using 3.2 timing blocks or worse tipex. :tut:
The 3.2's intake cams put more strain on the tensioner. You can see it sometimes if the engine stops in the right position; the backlash on the cams can be such that the belt is loose around the idler pulley in the middle of the V. So much so, you can actually remove and refit it with the cam belt in place.
For the reason outlined above, I wouldn't leave it any longer than 3 years, regardless of mileage. In this particular instance I wouldn't bother replacing the idler pulleys though. Just the belt and the tensioner.
But, you could have a look here and make your own mind up...
This is interesting to read. I was always lead to believe that the V6's were fine for 4 years or 48,000 miles. Seems I was pushing my luck before I got mine changed along with the engine rebuild recently
From what i,ve read only ... this is how i will treat mine..
mileage can make the biggest difference on them as seen a few do five years with low mileage in between
myself I would do 36,000 or four years .. more so if you know the pump idlers tensioner's etc where all replaced with quality parts on the last change by a good garage using the correct camshaft locking tools ...
On mileage or age though?
If it was 36k miles on it since it was last changed, id change it. But were talking **** all miles done on this belt and still within the age recommendation.
For peace of mind, if it were mine, I'd do it, spread over three years and driving at the weekends the service cost with belt works out at only about £2.56 a day taking it out for two days at the weekend over that time. The joy of driving it - priceless...
Thing is, my parents are strong believers in peace of mind, they have everything in their house insured like their freezer contents, their sofa, their carpets! They say peace of mind is worth the cash, I say waste of money.
If I still have my GTA in 4 years it'll get done again, not before.
Very interesting reading all the posts.
The 3years comes up in 2.5 months time and to heck with it I'm going to get it changed.
I know water pump etc was done originally so the car has been looked after correctly and serviced correctly. I might only use at weekends but I tend to have a heavy right foot and use the whole range of revs available.
Service and cam belt it will be. These engines are getting very rare and I really want to keep this car completely original.
Thanks again really appreciate the feed back
Get mine done every 5 years, like the book says, about 36k on both the GT and the 156. The Tipex had only just faded from 5 years previously when I had them done again this year. I never buy additional cover insurance for white goods, the risks outweighed by the savings. if the belts go on the cars then so be it, I'll take it on the chin and scrap the cars. I'll let you know in 5 years time when they're due for the next change.
By the way, as a marker, about 10 years ago the belt snapped on my previous V6 156 at 55k, 5 years old. That was a company car with a poor service record and often driven by heavy footed youngsters in the office.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Alfa Romeo Forum
7.1M posts
216.7K members
Since 2001
The friendly Alfa Romeo Club - If you are looking to buy or you are already an Alfa Romeo owner, join alfaowner.com today to get the most from your ownership