Hello, when trying to change the cam belt, I gather the main pully has to come off so that the lower half of the cam belt cover can be removed. Is this made easier by removing the front grille and radiator so that you can get at it from the front? Also, any tips on locking up the pulley so that I can get some torque on the nut would be much appreciated.

Put a wrench on the pulleybolt and gently (but not to gently, use controlled brutality ) hit it with a hammer. The inertia of the engine will slow the pulley down enough to losen the bolt.
Atleast that's my experiance...

hi yes the pulley has to come off...normally if the car is in 4th gear with handbrake on and also someone inside with the brake pedal on it will come undone with a long bar and socket...rad or grill dont need to be moved
easy way....put socket and bar on crank bolt turn engine with bar untill the bar is on the chassis and give starter a quick turn....works every time

Wicked ideas. Many thanks indeed and please keep 'em coming.

I've just done this job... The best way with a Renix car is to remove the crank angle sensor from the bellhousing, and stick an 8mm socket in one of the holes. It then locks solid.

You gain nothing by removing the grille, etc - just remove the hot air pipe and all the fan bumph...and get ready to use a LONG extension and a load of force!

cheers

James

Many thanks all. I did it daffodil's way - 5th gear, handbrake on, chocked up wheels and long handle on the wrench.

I'm intrigued to know why that just wasn't working for me - there was too much slack, and when that was taken up the car just started moving. That was in 4th, and with my chum with his foot (I presume fairly hard - perhaps not hard enough?) on the brakes. I didn't chock the wheels, but it was on quite a hill.

It was going nowhere that way, so I went for locking the flywheel.

All my hard work (cambelt change with a cam swap) was in vain - I put the front cam seal in back-to-front (only a couple of days later did I find the tiny arrow on the old one - I'm still not sure there's one on the new one!), and didn't use any sealant on the bearing cap.....which amounts to a big oil leak! So it's all got come out again...probably tomorrow.

cheers

James