Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing CVH cam belt

I have a 92 4/4 with the CVH injection engine
I was reading an article in a classic magazine about the Escort Xr3i and it said the cam belt needs to be changed every 3 years regardless of mileage.
I swapped mine about 5 years ago. But only done about 2k miles. It was easy as I had the engine out fitting a clutch. But when I look now it will.be a pain of a job with very poor access. Not sure if I can do it now as not as supple as I used to be and getting under it even to grease up is a struggle.
Can anyone give any tips to help please. I.may have to entrust it to my local classic friendly garage.
Thanks Ken.

I cant say how you do it but if Ford say 3 years I'd get a garage to do it. I had a mate with 3.0l Capri where it broke on the M1, not nice.
Why car companies don't use chains I guess is to pass on cost to us & money making in spares.

I have the full service history from day one but can only serviced one invoice for a cam belt change..
I need to sort it as I have seen engines where it snapped too.

Cambelt change on a CVH is a piece of piss - used to do them as foreigners in my lunchtime.


Morgan takes about 30 mins and plenty of space to so the job unlike FWD Ford installation.


Change the waterpump whilst you are it it.

Arwyn

Er....neither of the V6 engines fitted to the 3 litre Capri had a timing belt.

The earlier ones with the Essex engine had a fibre drive gear which was well known for shedding teeth.

The later ones with a Cologne engine had a timing chain

Arwyn

I can swap one in 30 minutes if out of the car, but access is poor in the Morgan from what I can see. It appears you need to do it from above and underneath , even then seeing the line up.marks won't be easy. First job is bonnet off.
I fitted a new pump the last time I swapped the belt.

Timing chains - not if they are like those single row fitted by BMW with weak tensioners. Recommended change period 100,000 miles. Replace tensioners, and chain drive to oil pump.

Well Ken I have a Ford background and I fully concur with Arwyn. Firstly the CVH or compound valve hemispherical head engine was a revolution and it made the XR3i go like a scolded cat so I can only imagine what its like in a Morgan! Primarily to compete with the VW Golf Gti and in fact out class it Which IMHO both cars were quite different and drove in very brand like ways although I have to say the Ford G/box was nicer to use and it also had a faster rack which gave a far better feel to the drive.


When in development the CVH was first designed to follow the engine sizes that Ford were currently following, 1100, 1300 and 1600, the 1100 being an old style engine and non CVH. Under testing it was found that the 1300 having a shorter block and a far too compressed route for the timing belt with too many systems to run was destroying timing belts so the block and stroke were lengthened and this resolved the matter, it was then relabelled the 1400CVH. so, this was still at a time before modern materials were incorporated in timing belt manufacture. I would suggest you contact a franchised Ford service centre and find out what the current timing belt replacement practice is. so that you know where you stand in the future. and whether the belts are now improved

As Arwyn has said, it's pretty easy in the Ford when transverse mounted but in the Morgan its a very simple task. If you want more room remove your bonnets. Simply remove the front brass mount,(two small bolts) Place some foam or soft padding that will sit between the raised two halves and pull away from the rear mount, then lift the two sides clear holding them in the raised position as a unit. I rest them over a padded tressle folding one bonnet down each side. You can now literally walk around in there! And yes always change waterpumps and any idlers etc as these are the primary cause of timing belt failures not generally the belts themselves!

Sewin

Why was it that 1.8 CVH fitted to the Sierra Sapphire had an automatic belt tensioner but the other engines in the CVH range had a manual tensioner.

Not that the automatic tensioner was any better as IIRC, it over tensioned the belt

Arwyn

again the routing of the belt and the block height were the factors. If I remember correctly, over 40 years ago now, the horizontal there back and there again route was shallow and different forces tended to build on the different length runs and reset/relax on the long leg. this could overcome a spring loaded tensioner creating belt chatter and protentional damage so a fixed tensioning protocol was used when tensioning the belts. By this time belts really suffered little stretch so setting to a prescribed tension was not a risk factor. I'm sure there was a service tension check though between time or mileage belt changes. I'll look out my paper work and see if I can find that for you.