Presumably 2023 van?
First MOT in Jan 2026?
In which case, won't have been done yet.
Couple of years yet.
T6 Service Intervals & Inspection, Flexible & Longlife
- Thread starter Dellmassive
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First MOT in Jan 2026?
In which case, won't have been done yet.
Couple of years yet.
I'd get it done this year then.
Cam belts are now 120,000 miles and no specific age limit. But I would always inspect the belt at each service, belts don't just suddenly snap, there will be plenty of warning signs a long time before a failure!
I'm not saying don't change it earlier, but it doesn't warrant the panic a lot of people get into regarding belts. If the crank oil seal leaks, (fairly common fault) and has to be replaced, the belt may be contaminated with oil, but might as well be changed anyway seeing as it has to be removed.
I'm not saying don't change it earlier, but it doesn't warrant the panic a lot of people get into regarding belts. If the crank oil seal leaks, (fairly common fault) and has to be replaced, the belt may be contaminated with oil, but might as well be changed anyway seeing as it has to be removed.
Thats sadly not always the case. They tend to strip teeth before they snap, and the only reliable means to check that as the remove the belt and fold it in the opposite direction. Of course, once you've removed the belt to eyeball it...
Belts can often go a while with visible signs of wear or damage, but equally they can fail well before that wear becomes obvious during a mere in-situ visual inspection. Its not always the case that having a look tells us anything useful.
And that's the point of the annual inspection! You can see enough of the belt when it's bent backwards round pulleys to see if there are any cracks are appearing, and weather the belt is running true on the pulleys. A proper inspection isn't a 30 second glance, it involves slowly cranking the engine to inspect every inch of both sides, and running the engine to see how it tracks on the pulleys.
In my experience every belt failure I've come across has had a back story!
You'd need a smaller radius than provided by idlers or tensioners to be reasonly sure of identifying issues. We're talking a cm or so, a proper tight radius.
Yes, your method will indeed catch wear or damage, but it can often be critical long before its visible in situ no matter how diligently we peer at it.
Carry on by all means, just don't expect it to be foolproof.
For me is theres enough doubt that id consider closely examining the belt Id just fit a new one and be done with it anyway (or these days pay someone else to donate their knuckle blood on my behalf.)
Yes, your method will indeed catch wear or damage, but it can often be critical long before its visible in situ no matter how diligently we peer at it.
Carry on by all means, just don't expect it to be foolproof.
For me is theres enough doubt that id consider closely examining the belt Id just fit a new one and be done with it anyway (or these days pay someone else to donate their knuckle blood on my behalf.)
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