Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Cam belt change 1800 blacktop Zetec

On my to-do (or rather, to get done) list this year is the cam belt on my 2005 4/4. It's a blacktop Zetec, and I assume it requires belt and tensioner pulleys etc. Any idea what this should cost, parts and labour?
Thanks, Nigel

You also need the cam locking tools.
I can find out tomorrow a full costing if you would like?

That would be great thanks, wouldn't a garage capable of changing the belt have those tools? Realistically, I'm not going to do this job myself.

Very much so, a friend asked me to change his (the tool is essentially a flat steel bar, available from Halfords or online for a few pounds) but at the time I was awaiting a new knee, we rang a Morgan dealer who wanted close to £500, then we tried the local garage who MOT'd my tin-tops and they supplied and fitted a genuine Ford belt and pulley kit for £250. They also did it in half a day and not the 2 days the dealer wanted. It's a Ford unit and very common throughout Fords range so any local garage with experience of Fords should have no problem doing it, there is nothing special with it's installation in a Morgan in fact access is better than a Focus.

Just checked the locking and cam timing kits are available on eBay for £11.97 from a range of sellers.

£500 is an absolute rip off, even half a day is stretching it I would say. The tool for locking cams is as SJ says nothing more than a flat bar of the right thickness to slot into the cam ends, I made mine up from a bit of scrap. Access on the Morgan is a LOT easier than on a Ford. Its straightforward enough to do if you fancy having a go. Change both belts while you are at it and the tensioner pulley. Cam cover gasket is normally reusable. Probably find a how to video on u tube for a Focus..

Just to clarify Steve they did not WORK on the car for half a day, that's how long they wanted it for...when I was on the shop floor we used to book cars in as half day or full day jobs and that reflected the time to schedule the work in and do it not the actual working time on the car, many jobs are done in sections anyway, strip....find the problem.....order the parts and maybe later in the day rebuild, customers often ask why the car is required all day for a 2 hour job? Its because you cant afford to carry all the parts in stock and sometimes you find extra things....and before you ask about pre ordering parts, yes we used to do that but many customers no-show or get several quotes and book in and then go to the cheapest ;-)

Understood, and I take your point. I was once a spannerman too, although it was a different world then. Pre picking parts wasn't really heard of and I can remember having cars for days! Guess there wasn't the urgency so much then or we hadn't yet raised customer expectations to the heady hights they are today. I still work in 'the trade' but for one of the manufacturers now and rarely mention the old days as so much has changed. A half day slot is a good way of working, the dealers I work with are still asking customers to come at 8 and pick up at 5 regardless, and then they moan about lack of parking on site! We introduced a day minus 1 call to help overcome the no shows, it helps. All good fun eh...

Sounds like we had similar backgrounds ;-), started my apprenticeship in 1968, joined BL in 1977 at the Midland Service Centre (where warranty 'problem cars' went) from there to Jaguar Experimental as a test driver (not as glorious as it sounds) before joining the training school as a Product Instructor. Stayed there until the school moved back to Cowley then worked for a main dealer group as training manager and service manager for a year when apprenticeships collapsed. Then went to Volvo Cars UK where I stayed for 14 years ending up as European Training Manager before starting my own company of training consultants so we supplied trainers to Volvo, Jaguar, LR, Aston Martin and Ford, also worked for the MAA (became the RMIF) as Operations Manager for 6 years in there somewhere. Having my own business allowed me to pull the plug early after 30 years of not being here and missing the kids growing up. No regrets stopping, more time for Morgan's

£100 for bits and two hours labour, you can reduce both of these with Ebay and 'cheats'.

Full procedure can be seen here (and the following part 2).....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4IgVvfovhA

Possible 'cheat' is to duck the alignment process by marking and holding the wheels, sticking it all together with the belt, then simply checking the alignment slots at the back of the cams for reasonablenes. (Go ahead, shoot me down....) Of course, if the slots dont line up, you'll have to loosen it all off and do it properly!

cheers, Colin