Clutch Clinic: Ford Galaxy 1.9 TDI

Rob Hawkins shows how to renew the cambelt and water pump on a Ford Galaxy 1.9 TDI and discovers there’s more room in the engine bay than expected.

Volkswagen’s 1.9-litre PD single overhead cam diesel engine is found in a wide variety of vehicles ranging from most of the VAG models to the Ford Galaxy. There are a number of variations and differences depending on the year of manufacture, so we’ve specifically tackled one fitted to a 2006 Galaxy. This is the 150bhp turbodiesel version and the vehicle in this feature is owned by MJ Motors of Batley near Leeds. According to our local Ford dealership, Lookers, the timing belt and water pump should be renewed every 100,000 miles or 10 years and they charge £499 (including all parts and labour). Budget for around £200 in parts if you want to do the job yourself, plus half a day of your time.

At first sight of the Galaxy’s engine bay, a timing belt and water pump renewal seems to be a finger-crunching experience, but there’s more room than expected once the air filter housing and engine mount have been removed. It’s worthwhile investing in a set of locking tools, which can be used on a wide range of VAG engines. We found a set of these tools, manufactured by Sealey and sold through Demon Tweeks, for a bargain £13.68. They ensure the crankshaft and camshaft can be locked and correctly timed-up.

Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the job is that you need to refill the coolant via the expansion bottle. This is located at the back of the engine bay and is part-hidden under the scuttle panel, so it’s angled. Consequently, coolant can easily spill out when it’s full or when the engine is running and you’re trying to remove any air-locks and keep the coolant topped up at the same time.