Clio 182 cam belt with AC

[Rob@Backyardracing]

Ok chaps after some advice from people with the know..

Ive done a few cam belts on clio 172/182 without AC no big deal. But i need to do one with AC, im being told you have to remove the pump and degass? i looked at the car and i feel i dont? is this gob ****e or am i going to end up with fluorescent green hands and smelling of cow pat...

Also im told that the aux belt tensioner can fail? which then can course the cambelt to fail? is this true? or can i just re use the old aux belt tensioner (as they cost a bit) if all looks ok and just change the aux belt while im there...

[Ashy]

Can't see for the life of me why you'd have to? same as you tho I've only ever done ones with no AC... the only thing might be the pulley being in the way but you could just remove that anyway?

The cliosport lads all seem to think that if the aux belt fails it takes the cam belt out, not sure if thats just a myth... I've snapped a couple of aux belts on my 5 and its never taken the cam belt out, can't see how it does when theres a cover between them?

[davefox]

If memory serves right the myth of AUX belt is due to the AUX belt lending inside the bottom of the CAM belt cover cant remember 100% but worth doing while your there those AUX belts are meant to be changed every 37k i think it is

[Hoolio]

Its not one hundred per cent myth and personally if its done the miles I would be fitting the whole aux belt kit.
Not sure about ac.

[Rob@Backyardracing]

Am changing the aux belt anyway i allways do if i do belts , just wanted to know if its worth getting the aux tensioner that costs £125 retail? if these are what do fail so i get told from members of cliosport, and what fails on it? what style of tensioner is it on the AC cars?

To me its gob ****e that they just let go, there must be signs or somthing i can check?

[davefox]

oo i see where your coming from now, tbh i thought it was the belts that were prone to give away other than the tenisoner, but iirc my AUX belt kit werent that much was like £100 trade from renault.

But think you would get away with just the belt tbh, all the Clio sport lot thought that water pumps are prone so when i got my 182 and i had the cambelt done i had pretty much full service to be safe.

cam belt
water pump
aux belt
plugs
filters (not fuel)

Found out after i had it done that the water pump problem is on the smaller engines.

So yes its prob all gob s**** as you said lol

But if you got to warrenty the work your doing its worth chaning it just to cover your back.

[mike r5 gtt]

noooooooooo u dont have 2 take the ac pump off!!iv done loads and never touched the ac.altho iv seen afew alt belt tensioners fail so while its all out u might as well change it!there a bitch!

[Rob@Backyardracing]

Cheers lads...

[mike r5 gtt]

cambelt and tensioners are ok to do.just check coz the cambelt tensioner can only go one way!(clockwise i think)!if u take the grill off it makes the alt belt a hell of a lot easier!!!whatever u do put the cambelt covers back on b4 u put the new alt tensioner on or it gets in the way of the plastic cover and ul b there 4 hours wondering why the cover wont go back on!!!!!

[Rob@Backyardracing]

Cheers Mike, ill be find with belts, done a few before on 172s, just wanted to know about the AC etc....

[SP33DY]

You don't need to remove any of the AC system to change the belts.

Heres a manual which might help you

http://www.fastchip.nl/media/doc/clio2/F4R_730.pdf

[Andrew Cooke]

is this your 182? I'm asking as I have a low milage tensioner off the 172 I stripped for the clio.

[Rob@Backyardracing]

Ok, so whats peeps use to bar the tension to relise the aux belt, reason i ask it seems to be a sqaure looking thingy to the lower right of the tension spring.. its slightly larger than a 1/2 inch? do i need the tool for this as ive not much room to bar on anything else...

[jay28]

The aux belt tensioner has a square hole that a 3/8 ratchet fits in. Mine was seized when the alternator went, actually snapped the tensioner trying to get it off!! New tensioner was only 60 quid off ebay.

[SP33DY]

just done mine today and used a 1/4 miniature breaker bar with a step up drive (3/8) attached.

This jacks it out far enough to clear the tensioner.

Then a long extention bar with a deep socket, placed over the handle to give plenty of leaverage.

[Rob@Backyardracing]

I found out why i was so confused, i dont have the 3/8 square hole in the tensioner, mines broken and opened out larger than 1/2" in size, so i guess its seized aswell.. Will have to order a new one.. arse....

[Ashy]

i must of done mine the hard way? I took the spring tensioner off, compressed it in a vice and made a plate to hold it compressed. Then bolted it back on and removed the plate to allow the spring to tension the belt