After a couple of months doing other things (including filling the garden with yet more old volvos!) I finally got back to work on this one at the weekend. The radiator was leaking so much I had to abandon the front valance work to drain the coolant, so I've got distracted and started on other things! Took the rad off and while I'd got that off I thought I'd might as well do the timing belt while I've got good access. Then of course I get distracted again and start cleaning and painting bits and bobs i hadn't really intended too
At the moment I've not got a replacement rad. Nomashedswede is supposed to have posted one to me but I have yet to take delivery
The timing belt kit was relatively easy to get, my local parts shop had one in within an hour of ordering. I was able to check the part numbers against various posts on V3M which was reassuring. There appears to be 2 types, one for the earlier and one for the later 1.7's. Mines the later 125 tooth belt. Also got a new fan belt, air and oil filters while I was there. I was told that they only had 4 oil filters in stock which wouldn't be replaced and they would have to order in the air filter. The timing belt was common enough cos of all the renaults with the same engines still out there. The days of getting even simple filters 'off the shelf' may be numbered!?
so I bought 2 oil and 2 air filters.
Where do you guys get these simple parts from? e.bay, mail order or in person at parts shops? And where do you get the best prices?
I paid:
Timing belt kit (belt, tensioner & pulley) £99 (seen one a bit cheaper at £68+del on ebay, was quoted £166 eleswhere)
Air filter £7 (just seen them £4.50 delivered on e.bid
)
Oil filter £5 (£7.99 on ebay)
Anyway, back the engine. Dismantling went ok, just a seized hose clip and rounded timing belt cover bolt to slow me down. I've cut screw driver slots in the bolts now so that next time, when the rad is in, I can get them with a stubby screw driver. I would have struggled this time if the rad had been in the way.
Looking at the service history, the timing belt has covered 52,000 miles and is 11 years old
I last drove the car on the road 6 years ago. Even so I must have been lucky cos the recommended interval is 4 years or 48,000 miles! The car has now done 131,000 miles.
The timing belt area had quite a bit of oil and crud in it but the belt was oil free. The pulleys were stiff to turn compared to the new ones.
Everything is cleaned up ready and to re-assemble, any tips on what to watch out for as this is the first one I've done? (I've already locked the engine in No1 T.D.C. and marked the cam sprocket etc.).
Learning the difference between directly and indirectly vented goggles the hard way. A+E on Monday, think its off now but eye bloody sore and got to go back tomorrow for check up. Also started worrying if I'm using the correct welding goggles. Think I may have been using too low a shade/class, maybe too much UV getting through. (not being going for hours on end, more time grinding, cutting and messing about than welding 
). Anyone else done much welding? Don't think I've actually got arc-eye yet so want to avoid that at all costs.
Any one got any good caravan mods? 
