Re:164L cambelt costs

[George Graves <gmgraves@domain.elided>]

$70 for the belt? Is this a 12-valve or a 24-valve motor? If its a 
12-valve, you got took even in Canadian dollars. The Goodyear belt 
available everywhere is about $22 in the USA. Even with dealer markup, 
it shouldn't be much more than US$30.

As to the cam seals and crank seals don't need to be done that often, 
On my engine (142000 miles) they've been replaced once. My mechanic 
says that they are fine. As to the belt tensioner, you couldn't be more 
right. Replace it EVERY TIME you change the belt, but Can$100 seems 
high. Valve clearance is not necessarily part of the belt change. The 
only things that I consider actually 'de riguer' for a cam belt change 
on the Alfa 12-valve six, is the belt, tensioner, water pump (the belt 
and water pump have similar enough 'maintenance lives'  to be done at 
the same time. After all you are 'there' anyway), and thermostat. The 
rest of the stuff gets done as needed and is not really a part of the 
belt change since the cams are in the top of the engine.

George Graves
'86 GTV-6




On Tuesday, Nov 26, 2002, at 19:03 US/Pacific, alfa-digest wrote:


> Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2002 18:00:16 -0700
> From: C M Smith <cmsmith@domain.elided>
> Subject: 164L cambelt costs
>
>  From the bill in Dec of '01:
>
> Belt: $70, Tensioner: $180, Water Pump: $220, Camshaft seals: $31 (bet 
> you
> forgot to do yours, you'll regret that shortcut) Shortshaft seal ??? 
> $15,
> Crankshaft seal: $22, AC Belt tensioner bearing: $98 (if this puppy 
> goes
> you'll regret not putting a new one in), Valve Cover gasket kits: $ 114
> (you did do the camshaft seals? and how about the valve clearances?), 
> Spark
> plug well seals: $31 (don't you do these every time you open the hood?)
> Antifreeze (no point putting a brand new water pump into worn out
> antifreeze): $42.
>
> I figure parts are around CAN$823. Labour is about CAN$500 for a total 
> of
> $1323 plus our 7% GST or over $1,400.
>
> Now what did I change at 140,000 km that I shouldn't have bothered to 
> do?
> This is the third T Belt as the factory one was swapped out at 70,000 
> km
> under the T Belt recall plan ARDONA did when the twincams were blowing 
> up
> regularly. I did not have the water pump, AC bearing, or shaft seals 
> done then.
>
>
> Cheers
>
>
>
> Michael Smith
> White 1991 164L
> Original owner
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