Hi.
I would like to do my timing belt before the summer is out, early I know but once the knees are replaced I'll not be able to kneel.
I'd only use a Gates kit, how do I use the forum discount and with what suppliers?
Any help appreciated.

At face value, you won't beat this: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-GENU...848399&hash=item3b0d108fa6:g:PZ0AAOSwc6JaV3zG

Thanks Al.
I've now ordered it from shop4parts and used the discount, its an OE kit so I'm happy with that. From what I know Gates make the belt for Fiat, have been in Gates factory many times in Dumfries and they have a list of who they make or should I say made them for, last time I was there was 2014.

Good luck with the knees. I've replaced several FIRE timing belts and I'm pretty certain I only needed to kneel when I also drained the system to change the water pump.

murphyv310 said:

Hi.
I would like to do my timing belt before the summer is out, early I know but once the knees are replaced I'll not be able to kneel.
I'd only use a Gates kit, how do I use the forum discount and with what suppliers?
Any help appreciated.

Click to expand...

I too am a devotee of Gates belts, probably because that was the brand we used most when I was on the tools. I'm not aware of one which ever failed and I would put myself to some trouble to source that brand. I fitted a Gates kit (inc water pump) to Becky - our 1.2 2010 Dynamic Eco Panda - a couple of weeks ago and just started the strip down on my boy's 2012 Punto 1.4 8valve this afternoon. Hopefully the belt, and water pump, should be done by midday tomorrow. I also have a full service to do on it. Probably won't finish tomorrow but it should be ready for handover Saturday mid morning.

The Gates belt kits were bought from Mister-Auto at a price just under £60 all in including shipping, which I thought was very good. I have also bought a number of items from Shop4parts and all have been of very high quality, at a very good price and delivered quickly. I would buy from them with confidence. Mick Holdsworth has been particularly helpful on a couple of occasions. Worth noting he gives extra discount to Forum members and delivery is free if you spend more than £25 (I think that's right? You would be best to check). I will soon need some front suspension parts, top mounts, strut fixing bolts and, maybe, road springs. I will be getting them from Mick.

My knees started packing in when I was in my 50's. (Arthritis) I was told that, as the replacement knees probably had a life of 10 years, but could last longer, they would not consider it before I was 60! I was pretty poor by the time my 60th year approached, walking was slow, and painful. Standing still was excruciating! Climbing stairs was accomplished backwards, on my bottom! A few weeks before the operation was due I was informed that my surgeon was overbooked and couldn't do my operation on the scheduled date but I could have it done by another surgeon if I switched to him! He turned out to be a very down to earth Aussie who was on temporary secondment to our hospital. To say he called a spade a shovel would be putting it mildly! But I like people who tell it like it is and don't ***** foot around, so we got on well. I was scheduled to have the right knee done. On the day of the operation, already premeded and about to be anethsetized with Mrs Jock in attendance, he popped in to see me. Right, said he, it's the right knee? And he drew some lines on it with a felt tip pen. Then he said, it's up to you, but as my next patient has not shown up and as you really need both knees done, shall we just go for it and do both at the same time? Sounded a good idea to both me and Mrs Jock so I went for it! Best thing I ever did!

There is pain afterwards but it was quite well controlled with drugs. I would exhort you to rigourously perform the excercises you are given. It's easier and more comfortable not to push yourself to hard but I've seen several of the group I was doing physio with who did not bother and ended up with severely limited ability. I have recovered about 98% of the mobility I previously had. I have slight discomfort on infrequent occasions and I can kneel! Although it is a bit uncomfortable and I only do it if I must. I'm 71 now and my last check up, including an x-ray of the knees, gave a clear bill of health! It's been a life transforming thing for me. I would have been in a wheel chair by now without it. Instead I'm walking literally miles, cavorting with my grandchildren (a great and very precious joy to me) and crawling around and under my cars, old motor cycles and vintage horticultural machines!

I do hope you have such a positive experience as I have, but I would strongly encourage you to be diligent with the excercise. As with most things in this life, the more you put into it the more you'll get out!

Good luck to you
Jock

Hi Jock.
Thank you for a great post, very nice to read about your experience.
Mine has been delayed due to raised BP since I had a double CABG in 2016. Now waiting on what is going to happen at my next appointment in August, BP is now OK with lots of meds.

Pugglt Auld Jock said:

I too am a devotee of Gates belts, probably because that was the brand we used most when I was on the tools...As with most things in this life, the more you put into it the more you'll get out!

Good luck to you
Jock

Click to expand...

Great post - and a real fillip to we over-seventies. Knees still holding up (everything else packing in!).

Hi.
Will be doing the belt and ancillaries replacement tomorrow. I'll take a few photos while doing the job.

Hi.
Well the job is done. I did land up with a couple of showers so no pictures I'm afraid. The job is an easy one with the proviso of the four bolts that go through the mounting bracket to the cylinder head.
I started at the bottom of the car. Firstly I jacked it up on the offside and removed the road wheel, next was to loosen the subframe strap at the bottom and remove the top bolt, next is to remove the plastic liner to reveal the crank pulley, the liner is held by 3 self tappers. Next is to release the alternator/aircon belt, a 13mm ring spanner on the tensioner turned clockwise will release the tension on the belt for removal. Then remove the 10mm bolt from the lower belt cover and the 3 13mm bolts from the crank pulley, don't drop it as it has the segments for the crank position and timing, a bent one here will immobilise the engine. I then put a wooden block under the sump and supported it with a trolley jack, then removed all 6 bolts from both sections of the engine mount. I then removed 3 10mm bolts from the top timing belt cover and carefully peeled the sensor cable from it and released the cable at the clip on its rear. After some fiddling I managed to remove the four bolts from the remaining part of the engine mount, I then peeled the sensor wiring from the lower cover and removed it, adjusting the height of the engine with the jack I wriggled out the mounting bracket. You can get special tools to hold the crank and can but I used the old tippex method but very accurately and even marked the flywheel through the clutch inspection hatch. Releasing the tensioner there was no movement of the camshaft pulley which made assembly easier. I didn't fit a new water pump as its under 24, 000 miles and 4 1/2 years old, there was no play or leaks.
Refitting is a reversal and straightforward, I fitted a new tensioner from the Fiat kit its fiddly to tension but its an idea to over tension first and turn the engine over by hand a few times, then retension correctly, I used threadlock on the nut and made sure the tabs on the tensioner were properly aligned prior to torquing it to 20nm. There is now less whine from the engine as the belt was over tensioned from new, the belt looks worn with outer ribbing showing and no marks visible, there was some rubber debris in the covers. A good job done.

Hi.
One small issue after the job. There seems to be a very slight and I mean slight drop off in power and ever so slight miss. Perhaps I'm being slightly paranoid. There are no error codes or mil light. Ive heard of a phonic wheel reset, could it be that?

Problems!!!
Late last week I noticed a bearing type whine, at tick over, tried the water spray on the serpentine belt with no change, took it off and ran it.... still there, have pulled off the engine mount and checked the notches are in alignment on the timing belt tensioner all OK but a noticeable whine only at tick over. Surely I'm not unlucky enough of an alleged OEM (Canada) tensioner to fail? Really need the car this week with hospital appointments. There is also a buzz at 3000 rpm.

Tensioner for sure.

Was able to get a proper look today with the engine mounting off and the engine ticking over, a stethoscope confirmed it. I'd have put the original on if I hadn't binned it a week ago
Very annoyed now as I could be doing without all this extra work and the neighbour saying I told you not to buy a Fiat.

Wish I had sourced a Gates kit rather than lumping for Fiat's kit!!!

Hi.
I've replaced the tensioner that was faulty from Shop4parts. As can be seen there is grease exuding from the seal. All quiet now and no vibration at 3000 rpm. Hope to get a refund and costs paid, fingers crossed.

Shop4parts are replacing the parts.
I'll change the belt again due to possible grease contamination.
Glad they have decided to replace the parts, good customer service.

not surprised to hear Shop4parts are replacing your kit, I've had good experience with them and got good "vibes" when I 'phoned Mick about parts identification.

Your post installation experiences are very interesting and quite similar to mine. It's been a couple of months since I did mine and I intentionally omitted to do a Phonic wheel relearn as I wanted to see what would result. Like you I noticed a very very slight fall off in power, especially mid rev range (say 2000 to 3500 rpm) like it's running a little lean? There was also a very very slight erratic miss fire at tick over which wasn't there before, like you no codes or lights - I'm really splitting hairs here as you had to concentrate hard to notice it. Both these effects have now disappeared but I would be hard pressed to tell you when, it just sort of crept up on me. I think probably some self learning was going on with the ECU (and that was one of the things I was wondering about).

Before I changed the belt, water pump and idler there was a small noise just like a water pump bearing or idler/tensioner failing. Prior to doing the work I ran the engine with no auxiliary belt to try to isolate the noise and it was still there so as I was doing a complete kit I didn't bother trying to find out if it was the tensioner or water pump bearing as I would be replacing both anyway. When I removed the water pump I gave it a spin by hand and it span very easily (usually there is resistance due to grease and seals if the pump is good) there was also a hint of "grittyness" about it so I guessed the noise had been the pump. Now though, with all the new parts fitted, I too have a slight whine! I thought it might be just a new belt settling in, it's not loud, but the new tensioner I fitted was identical to yours - made in Canada, even the same orange grease seal! Now I'm worried (mind you doesn't take much to worry me and make me anxious these days!) Think I'll have to take the covers off, run the engine and have a good investigate with my automotive stethoscope (long screwdriver plugged into MK1 ear'ole) Especially as the identical kit which I used on No1 son's Punto 1.4 8 valve is running very quietly and nicely. Come to think of it when I drove it a few days ago I thought how nicely it was running, no lack of power (the little it has anyway) and a nice smooth tick over. The upside is that I've got two used tensioners both of which are not leaking grease and spin very smoothly!

I too get my leg pulled over my love of Fiats. "Fix it again Tony" gets a lot of mileage as does "Fix it again Tomorrow". I rather like "Found in a Trench" or "Found in a Tip" as that was where a lot of my earlier motors might have been found! By the way, hope you don't mind me asking but, how are things with the knees? Still on indefinite hold or are you "go" in the near future? What ever, good luck with it when the time comes.

Kindest regards
Jock

PS I'll do an update when I've checked out the belt noise situation - which should be soon as Mrs Jock is having her Cataract surgery on Wednesday and won't be able to drive for some time which means I can disable "Becky" for a while without causing inconvenience.

Hi Jock.
Yet again a brilliant post, thanks for such a good read.
The knees are holding up but only just, we've got a leaking toilet right now and I've had to buy a B&Q special this morning and a new vacuum for my daughter too, with the seats down it all went in well and a bit of shopping at Lidl as the missus was out of some things. I'll hopefully be installing the new loo tomorrow but I worry about taking the old one downstairs. Allegedly I'll be back on the list for the knees at the end of the month if the BP is still OK. Due to this I think I'll do the pump and flush out the system when I get the replacement tensioner.
Could really do without another stripdown but I'm not sure how I'll be after the knee jobs.
I have to laugh, there are neighbours here that are half m age, perfectly fit and are useless, just about everything is done by me and the missus, she's had a hysterectomy this year, I've the knee probs, lumber spinal stenosis and heart issues, us old TV engineers are a tough lot, ha ha.

Hi.
The replacement tensioner arrived yesterday (Thank you Shop4parts) it is marked "Made in Italy" and has Japanese Koyo seals and possibly bearings just like the OEM one fitted to the engine from new, the first replacement was marked "Made in Canada".