TWO TIMING BELTS

I’m about to change the timing belt on my 1995 MG MGF 1.8VVC. After purchasing the kit I discovered that there are two belts included in the box. Are these both to be fitted and where is the second belt located, also do I need any extra tools to replace the second belt?

I’ve replaced timing belts on my other vehicles in the past and quite confident that with the correct information, I will be able to carry out the job.

Ian Marshall

Yes, your MG does have two belts and the second one is fitted at the back of the engine and connects the two camshafts. The trickiest part about this belt is that it has no tensioner and is a tight fit between the two pulleys. The camshafts do need to be locked at the front using tool number 18G.1570 and this is a very common tool used to lock the camshafts on all K16 engines. The rear pulleys then need to be unbolted and removed.

When refitting, the cambelt and pulleys need to be fitted into place as one unit and the securing bolts on the pulleys should be tightened to 65Nm.

I would always replace the two belts at the same time but complete the fitting of one belt before moving onto the other. The book time for the complete job is 3.0 hours

Due to the fitment of the variable valve timing it is recommended that as well as using the locking tool, the position of the camshaft pulleys is marked before commencing the replacement.