Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing T16 cam belt swap

I’ve a low mileage Plus 4 with the T16 engine. It’s done <12k miles but it is 1994 model. Looking thro’ the history file ( not much) there’s no record of the belt being swapped. Searching the web most people suggest swapping at 50k miles but nobody mentions any time frame. Should I swap it and anybody any idea of the cost ? I’d like to have it done at a main dealer but I do have a local reliable garage who could also do it.

Thanks

Had my 93 plus4 T16 cam belt and Auxiliary belt replaced at 42,00 miles at the cost of £275. - Local trusted garage. Probably not the first one its had but cant be sure.

At that age its more likely the rubber degrades rather than the mileage.
When I bought my car I found a lot of perished rubber, ie grommets and various rubber fixings so worth checking pipework also. Plug lead rubber was a bit perished also, sidescreen rubber and windscreen seal replaced, not perished but a bit aged.

You might want to see how old your tyres are too?

John k

I would get it done ASAP.

It is one of the jobs that should not require a Morgan specialist.

All reputable engine builder's will tell you that timing belts have a time Life as well as wear/milage life.

The engine in Rover 800s etc had a recommended time of 4-5 years I recall back in period. Don't risk it! Get it changed without delay.

Worth doing the water-pump and any tensioners at the same time really.


Very good point about the tyres - at that mileage they may be originals and well past their best even if they look Ok. Rubber will be hard and you'll not be doing the car justice or getting the best from it.

Cam belts usually ten years

I seem to recall it cost me about £250 when I had mine done on my T16 +4 a year or two back, which included the tensioner kit and auxilary belt. This sort of thing is bread and butter to lots of smaller, independent garages so you shouldn't have any concerns about going to one of those rather than paying main dealer rates, where they'll probably get the apprentice to do the job anyway.

If it were mine I'd forget mileage and replace it every five years regardless.
Most engines do not have valve to piston clearance in the event of the timing being thrown out through a belt slipping or breaking, so the cost is a minor consideration compared to a rebuild.

BTW even the more recent Sigma 1.6 VCT in the modern 4/4 is not any more so fresh as it was starting 10 years ago with production. Does this engine use a timing belt or a chain? And does anyone know, if it is a belt, how many miles or years are the maximun amount recommended regardless which comes first? My car is 4.5 years old but has driven 62.000 km.

The T-series was 8 years or 96,000 miles. They are not known to fail early, but it will still need doing along with the nylon tensioners. They are an interference engine. They are very straight forward to do.

The M-series was a lot more fragile requiring a change at every 48,000 miles.