MX5 Cambelt
MX5 Cambelt
Hey, I have a 138,000km mx5 with no cambelt replacement sticker under the
hood. I assume the worst, it hasn't been replaced. I want to know if the mx5
motor is a contact motor or not (where the valves make contact with piston
heads if the cambelt snaps). Just to know how urgently i should get it
done...
Anybody know, or know where i can find out?
hood. I assume the worst, it hasn't been replaced. I want to know if the mx5
motor is a contact motor or not (where the valves make contact with piston
heads if the cambelt snaps). Just to know how urgently i should get it
done...
Anybody know, or know where i can find out?
MX5 Cambelt
On Sun, 2004-02-01 at 13:31, Stephen May wrote:
Cheers, Rex
The B series motors ARE interference motors. Replace that belt ASAP.Hey, I have a 138,000km mx5 with no cambelt replacement sticker under the
hood. I assume the worst, it hasn't been replaced. I want to know if the mx5
motor is a contact motor or not (where the valves make contact with piston
heads if the cambelt snaps). Just to know how urgently i should get it
done...
Anybody know, or know where i can find out?
Cheers, Rex
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- Need, more, 5-ing, time....
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- Joined: Sat May 06, 2006 12:06 am
- Location: North Shore
MX5 Cambelt
Errr, no they are not interference motors. You have been misinformed
somewhere along the line.
I personally wouldn't change it until something like the water pump needs
changing. Of all the cam belt failures I have worked on, all were failures
of a replacement belt. These could have been down to poor parts, incorrect
fitting and tensioning or just bad luck.
If it breaks the worst that will happen is that you are stranded somewhere.
If you change the belt, make sure you do the water pump at the same time
while you are in there as they don't like being disturbed once they have
plenty of miles on them.
Mike.
somewhere along the line.
I personally wouldn't change it until something like the water pump needs
changing. Of all the cam belt failures I have worked on, all were failures
of a replacement belt. These could have been down to poor parts, incorrect
fitting and tensioning or just bad luck.
If it breaks the worst that will happen is that you are stranded somewhere.
If you change the belt, make sure you do the water pump at the same time
while you are in there as they don't like being disturbed once they have
plenty of miles on them.
Mike.
MX5 Cambelt
'Ive heard of them being an interference motor ??, Every mx5 book, article,
post I've read says the oppisite!!
post I've read says the oppisite!!
MX5 Cambelt
Hi everyone
I own an MX5 which has done 94000kms and have just changed the cambelt
and idlers. The wear and tear on the old one was not significant but as
I work for a motor company who advises between 90-100000kms, thought it
would be a good idea. Much better to be safe than sorry.
As a matter of course with imports it is always prudent to change the
cambelt if the vehicle is purchased with higher kms, as often the
history is not 100%.
Thanks
Jill Meyer
Taikorea Road
RD 3
Palmerston North
New Zealand
Mobile: +64-29-200-5457
I own an MX5 which has done 94000kms and have just changed the cambelt
and idlers. The wear and tear on the old one was not significant but as
I work for a motor company who advises between 90-100000kms, thought it
would be a good idea. Much better to be safe than sorry.
As a matter of course with imports it is always prudent to change the
cambelt if the vehicle is purchased with higher kms, as often the
history is not 100%.
Thanks
Jill Meyer
Taikorea Road
RD 3
Palmerston North
New Zealand
Mobile: +64-29-200-5457
MX5 Cambelt
On Tue, 2004-02-03 at 19:16, Mike Saint wrote:
compression ratio), i'd say that it was an interference engine.
Oh well. YMMV
Cheers, Rex
If you say so. Having taken a B6 turbo engine apart (i.e. lowerErrr, no they are not interference motors. You have been misinformed
somewhere along the line.
compression ratio), i'd say that it was an interference engine.
Oh well. YMMV
Cheers, Rex
MX5 Cambelt
When I bought my '91 (at about 134,000k), the seller assured me that
the cam belt had been done at around 100,000k. But, hey, I'm just not
that trusting, so I asked my mechanic what it would take to check it
out while he was doing a regular service...
Not a big deal... "20 minutes in... 20 minutes out", he said. So for
less than an hour's labour I found out that the guy who sold me my
Roadster was true blue. Belt was fine - I'll change it again at
175,000k.
But I am a whole lot happier now that I KNOW!
Ross Bryon
BRG V-Spec 1991 Roadster
On 1/02/2004, at 1:31 PM, Stephen May wrote:
[...]
the cam belt had been done at around 100,000k. But, hey, I'm just not
that trusting, so I asked my mechanic what it would take to check it
out while he was doing a regular service...
Not a big deal... "20 minutes in... 20 minutes out", he said. So for
less than an hour's labour I found out that the guy who sold me my
Roadster was true blue. Belt was fine - I'll change it again at
175,000k.
But I am a whole lot happier now that I KNOW!
Ross Bryon
BRG V-Spec 1991 Roadster
On 1/02/2004, at 1:31 PM, Stephen May wrote:
[...]
MX5 Cambelt
Take my advice and get it changed. Mileage is only one part of the equation.
Age also causes the belt to deteriorate. I had a 90 that had 130k on it and
I kept on putting it off, guess what, it went at a most inconvenient time.
The $150 towing fee would have gone a long way to paying for the labour if I
had got it done first.
The engine is not a contact engine but come to a grinding halt on the open
road at 100kph and it may be the car behind you that makes the contact!!!. I
was lucky as it went at about 60kph under no strain. I wouldn't want it to
break at high speed or under load.
The old saying ''Prevention is better than cure' Would you want the
embarrassment of the belt giving way on a club outing !!!
I learnt the hard way - Nigel
Age also causes the belt to deteriorate. I had a 90 that had 130k on it and
I kept on putting it off, guess what, it went at a most inconvenient time.
The $150 towing fee would have gone a long way to paying for the labour if I
had got it done first.
The engine is not a contact engine but come to a grinding halt on the open
road at 100kph and it may be the car behind you that makes the contact!!!. I
was lucky as it went at about 60kph under no strain. I wouldn't want it to
break at high speed or under load.
The old saying ''Prevention is better than cure' Would you want the
embarrassment of the belt giving way on a club outing !!!
I learnt the hard way - Nigel
-
- Black is the new black.
- Posts: 601
- Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:20 pm
- Location: An Eastern Beach
MX5 Cambelt
they are all non-interference engines. Worst case is that you will be
stranded - I have an AA card and a mobile phone...
Refer to Randy Stocker's pages
Mazda engine comparison:
http://members.aol.com/solomiata/MX5Engine.html
some 94-96 pistons:
http://members.aol.com/solomiata2/94-96 ... ompare.jpg
1999-2001:
http://members.aol.com/solomiata/2001pistoncompare.jpg
cheers
zorruno
stranded - I have an AA card and a mobile phone...
Refer to Randy Stocker's pages
Mazda engine comparison:
http://members.aol.com/solomiata/MX5Engine.html
some 94-96 pistons:
http://members.aol.com/solomiata2/94-96 ... ompare.jpg
1999-2001:
http://members.aol.com/solomiata/2001pistoncompare.jpg
cheers
zorruno
(z)
MX5 Cambelt
And the day it does decide to break it will be perfectly fine, 25 deg and
you'll be in the middle of nowhere.
My suggestion - Carry out all recomended maintenence and worry about other
things - like where was that dairy that sold real ice-cream...
you'll be in the middle of nowhere.
My suggestion - Carry out all recomended maintenence and worry about other
things - like where was that dairy that sold real ice-cream...
-
- Black is the new black.
- Posts: 601
- Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:20 pm
- Location: An Eastern Beach
MX5 Cambelt
I wasn't suggesting now to do preventative maintenance, but my (not very
well made) point was, don't stress that you have to get your cam belt
changed at 100,000.0000kms and your oil changed at 20,000.000000000 kms etc
etc
Your car's engine can't talk to the odometer, just get the maintenance done
'around' the time it is recommended, and maybe combine it with a few other
tasks to save labour costs like an oil change, radiator flush, trans fluid
etc.
Too many people stress that their car will blow up if they don't drive up
the mechanic's driveway at 99,999kms. There are many stories of cars with
150,000 km or more cam belts, and some who never made it to 100,000kms
without a cam belt breakage.
incidentally if anyone is interested in seeing a 'Mazda Recommended'
service/maintenance checksheet, I've put one here. It is in miles though.
http://www.mx5club.org.nz/downloads/maz ... ksheet.pdf
Some of these I do more often, some less.
cheers
zorruno
PS: mmm, ice cream...
PPS: and ok, yes Karl, the mechanic's driveway has to be 1km long...
well made) point was, don't stress that you have to get your cam belt
changed at 100,000.0000kms and your oil changed at 20,000.000000000 kms etc
etc
Your car's engine can't talk to the odometer, just get the maintenance done
'around' the time it is recommended, and maybe combine it with a few other
tasks to save labour costs like an oil change, radiator flush, trans fluid
etc.
Too many people stress that their car will blow up if they don't drive up
the mechanic's driveway at 99,999kms. There are many stories of cars with
150,000 km or more cam belts, and some who never made it to 100,000kms
without a cam belt breakage.
incidentally if anyone is interested in seeing a 'Mazda Recommended'
service/maintenance checksheet, I've put one here. It is in miles though.
http://www.mx5club.org.nz/downloads/maz ... ksheet.pdf
Some of these I do more often, some less.
cheers
zorruno
PS: mmm, ice cream...
PPS: and ok, yes Karl, the mechanic's driveway has to be 1km long...
(z)
MX5 Cambelt
It all depends on each engine. If the belt has had oil on it it'll break
sooner, etc. But an extra 5,000 km's isn't critical. There is no doubt that
proper maintenance will make your car last. Mine did 200,000km's with very
few repairs.
A cam belt change is so easy, there's no point in putting it off. I don't
subscribe to the 'change waterpump, oil seal while your in there' school of
thought though. Unless they show signs of wear I leave them. Then again I do
my own maintenance.
Lou
sooner, etc. But an extra 5,000 km's isn't critical. There is no doubt that
proper maintenance will make your car last. Mine did 200,000km's with very
few repairs.
A cam belt change is so easy, there's no point in putting it off. I don't
subscribe to the 'change waterpump, oil seal while your in there' school of
thought though. Unless they show signs of wear I leave them. Then again I do
my own maintenance.
Lou
MX5 Cambelt
On 3 Feb 2004 at 6:23, Janet & Jeff Curtin wrote:
"
Martin,
Thank you for contacting us and bringing this to our attention. The latest
edition of the Timing Belts book does indeed quote the Mazda MX-5 as being
an interference type engine. However, recent information we have received
from our operations in the USA, where this model is very popular, and
further research in the UK has revealed that it is in fact a freewheeling
type engine. The Mazda workshop manual information is very ambiguous in
this respect and in these cases we always default to quoting "interference".
We have made a note of this and the next edition of the Timing Belts manual
will reflect this changed information.
Regards
Peter Cook
Technical Origination Manager
Autodata Limited
Some correspondence I had ...'Ive heard of them being an interference motor ??, Every mx5 book, article,
post I've read says the oppisite!!
"
Martin,
Thank you for contacting us and bringing this to our attention. The latest
edition of the Timing Belts book does indeed quote the Mazda MX-5 as being
an interference type engine. However, recent information we have received
from our operations in the USA, where this model is very popular, and
further research in the UK has revealed that it is in fact a freewheeling
type engine. The Mazda workshop manual information is very ambiguous in
this respect and in these cases we always default to quoting "interference".
We have made a note of this and the next edition of the Timing Belts manual
will reflect this changed information.
Regards
Peter Cook
Technical Origination Manager
Autodata Limited
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