Recommendations for 172 Cup cambelt change

[hillclimb_clio]

Hi
Sadly my 172 Cup is due a cambelt change, can anybody recommend a decent specialist in East/Mid Devon? I understand that Carlton Garage in Exmouth have had some changes & their Renault man has moved on?
Don't want to use a MD if I can help it.

 

[ilovewilly]

Dan@SJM will sort you out. He's in Street, Somerset - but worth the fairly short trip for piece of mind.

 

[Cub.]

Another recommendation for @Dan@SJM - top bloke, great prices and knows these cars inside and out. He has just done the cambelt on mine.

 

[hillclimb_clio]

Sadly that's about 55mls each way, can't really spare the 2hrs or justify driving 110mls for a Clio! Thanks for the reply though.

 

[Budgie]

Sadly that's about 55mls each way, can't really spare the 2hrs or justify driving 110mls for a Clio! Thanks for the reply though.

50 miles each way is nothing for the piece of mind that it'll be done correctly and probably cheaper than most places.

 

[rdoxenham]

50 miles each way is nothing for the piece of mind that it'll be done correctly and probably cheaper than most places.

This. If you don't want any problems, go and see someone who is well respected and has the correct tools.

 

[ilovewilly]

Sadly that's about 55mls each way, can't really spare the 2hrs or justify driving 110mls for a Clio! Thanks for the reply though.

Get a quote from Dan (may even be listed in his trader section list of services) and a couple from garages in the area.

Then have a read of the 'Had my belt done and now it runs s**t/is slow' and then weigh up if 110 miles of driving is worth the piece of mind and stamp.

 

[l33th3tr33]

Another shout for Dan, he did my belts too and a sterling job at that.

Not wanting to drive 110 miles to have a major job like this done properly is just insane, it's not even far.

 

[hillclimb_clio]

Ok, I'm taking the hint - take it to Dan right?!
Will just have to find a way of getting it there now...

 

[ilovewilly]

Plus he's likely to be much cheaper than other quotes - especially a main dealer.

 

[Fred@BTM]

try 300miles each way! My Scotland lot are committed!

 

[hillclimb_clio]

try 300miles each way! My Scotland lot are committed!

That's because you da man though Fred!

 

[Dan@SJM]

I'm ex-Carlton too

Non-AC, £335 is the basic pricing (timing belt kit, aux belt, cam seal kit+crank bolt) dephaser is an extra £175, but includes oil and filter change. That's supply and fit, using genuine parts.

 

[harry289]

I travelled 70 miles from my house to see Mick at Diamond Motors for my cambelt/dephaser. 55 miles is nothing for a good, proper job. Most likely have lots of enthusiasm for the job too.

 

[George@RTR_Parts]

Worth travelling to one of the specialists on here so you know its done right

 

[Toastfrenzy]

There's also pure motorsport in Padstow, if you're nervous of crossing county borders.

What ever you do, go to a specialist!
hillclimb_clio

 

[ilovewilly]

There's also pure motorsport in Padstow, if you're nervous of crossing county borders.

Geography fail

 

[-KarL-]

I drove 130 miles each way to get mine done, well worth it for peace of mind it’s been done right.

 

[hillclimb_clio]

I'm ex-Carlton too

Non-AC, £335 is the basic pricing (timing belt kit, aux belt, cam seal kit+crank bolt) dephaser is an extra £175, but includes oil and filter change. That's supply and fit, using genuine parts.

Thanks Dan, do you open Saturdays? Does it need dephaser normally? Car needs an oil & filter change anyway, is it worth changing water pump at the same time? Also needs brake fluid change & NSF steering rack gaiter. Also needs a rocker cover gasket I think, weeping slightly & getting oil into one of the spark plug tubes causing a slight misfire.

 

[theduck]

Sod travelling any more than 12.3miles for someone to work on my car.

 

[Dan@SJM]

Thanks Dan, do you open Saturdays? Does it need dephaser normally? Car needs an oil & filter change anyway, is it worth changing water pump at the same time? Also needs brake fluid change & NSF steering rack gaiter. Also needs a rocker cover gasket I think, weeping slightly & getting oil into one of the spark plug tubes causing a slight misfire.

I do, but they book up very quickly. Water pump, is a change if needed kind of part, I think I've had about 4 that needed changing. Dephaser is certainly recommended on the basis, if it fails, it's a whole cambelt change again. I've only had a few that didn't have any play in them. 99% of my customers have had the dephaser done just as preventative maintenance. Rocker seal is £125 on top - are you thinking of having cams installed at any point? Well worth doing now as it's literally no extra cost other than the cams.

Brake fluid change with ATE Superblue will be £65

I'll price a gaitor up Monday.

 

[hillclimb_clio]

Thanks Dan, going down the cams route sounds expensive? From what I've read it would require a remap too adding further expense + is there actually anybody in the SW to remap it?
As it's used for hillclimbing more power is always an enticing option though...

 

[Chip-mk1]

Is it road legal? If so Dan can relatively cheaply remap it for you, if not and it has to all be on the rollers its a real pain to get right on the standard management.

Really needs to be with him for about a week if you want the map totally sorted on something as dramatic as new cams as the key with these ecu's is getting some miles onto them as you are mapping them as the ECU kind of fights you as you are doing it as it confuses the self learn side of things.

I believe he can collect and drop off if its not road legal as he has a trailer.

If you do go to him for a saturday then there is the clarke's village near by which has loads of clothes shops and places to eat etc so its not too bad a day out.

 

[Dan@SJM]

As above really, I've been mapping Vikki's over the past few weeks, I do a datalog and adjust the map, then let her have it for the week and when it comes back the datalog has changed again, but each time it's by a lesser amount, last one was done last week and only needed a 2% fuelling change in places. Otherwise it's running 12.7:1 pretty much perfectly. Must say it pulls like a bloody train too.

I can do a collection service, I can also map if they aren't road legal by way of trade plates between my place and my local RR.

 

[hillclimb_clio]

It is road legal, runs in standard production car class in hillclimbs.

What sort of cost would be involved in cams & remap along with aforementioned belts, dephaser & rocker cover gasket?

 

[Dan@SJM]

An extra £250 including an engine health check for the map.

 

[hillclimb_clio]

An extra £250 including an engine health check for the map.

Do you supply the cams Dan? What cams would you recommend, catcams 438's? They seem to be about £595 + £250 mapping + £335 + £175 +++!

 

[Dan@SJM]

I can, however as I'm not a massive dealer with them my discount is pretty pants tbh which means I'm far from the cheapest. I do a cam/remap package at £1549.99 fitted/mapped with new belt kits and dephaser. But it's certainly cheaper for yourself if you supply the cams. For someone like you, where the car isn't a daily, I'd certainly recommend 421's over 438's. Same profile just different timing, and you get more top end at the expense of a lumpy idle.

 

[hillclimb_clio]

I can, however as I'm not a massive dealer with them my discount is pretty pants tbh which means I'm far from the cheapest. I do a cam/remap package at £1549.99 fitted/mapped with new belt kits and dephaser. But it's certainly cheaper for yourself if you supply the cams. For someone like you, where the car isn't a daily, I'd certainly recommend 421's over 438's. Same profile just different timing, and you get more top end at the expense of a lumpy idle.

Thanks Dan, despite the car being hillclimbed it is still my daily! I'm assuming all of your prices are inclusive, no nasty VAT to add?

 

[Dan@SJM]

All inclusive, not VAT registered.

 

[hillclimb_clio]

Dan, I have PM'd you.

 

[hillclimb_clio]

Many thanks to all that recommended Dan, had the car back almost a week now & very happy so far, as everybody said, worth the 110ml round trip & Dan even dropped the car back as he was attending a meet locally

Would be happy to recommend SJM based on my experience, my car was booked in for cambelt/dephaser, rocker gasket & brake fluid change. Dan noticed that the front brakes were shot so these were changed & he also did a datalog which showed the car was running too lean. He remapped the car which has smoothed out the power delivery noticeably, will be hillclimbing it in a few weeks so we'll find out if it's any quicker then.

A very large bill sadly, especially considering the value of these cars now but hopefully worth it in the long run!

 

[Chip-mk1]

Glad to hear its all sorted now.

Cant go wrong with Dan


Will be interesting to see if its gained enough power to actually show up on a hillclimb result, seems unlikely unless it was very bad to start with.


Yeah its a shame that as cars get cheaper the bits and labour dont.

Ive just spent FAR more on bits to fix my T4 van than I could buy one for, but it would only have similar issues at some point so I figure its worth it!

 

[hillclimb_clio]

Well I had my 1st hillclimb of the season @ Wiscombe yesterday, can't really compare performance as the weather was very wet! Car did feel slightly punchier though, took me to 2nd in class behind a very quick 205 so I'm very happy! Had the option of using 3rd through the Esses, be interesting to see what difference that makes in the dry...

Have to hope the next one in 3wks is dry so I can compare times.

 

[Dan@SJM]

Excellent news.

Look forward to the good weather results. Congrats on the 2nd place too!