Uh ho...Cambeltchange and now starting problems developing ...

**The Pipsqueak** · 10th July 2008, 00:58

Hi all. Does this sound strange?
Had my cambelt changed recently, + oil and filter too. Ever since, my '54 1.9Cdti 150 has suddenly become difficult to start from cold . Never fires up first turn when it always used to, and now sometimes takes a minute or two and usually two or three goes. Starting from warm seems almost normal.
Don't really want to take it back to the dealer who changed the cambelt without a clue first ...because I had a right load of hassle with them. Any ideas?

**parapaul** · 10th July 2008, 02:06

From my VERY limited knowledge, none of which is practical, it's entirely plagarised and gleaned from others on here who know what ther're talking about...

I reckon they haven't put the belt back on exactly right. Something to do with turning the engine over by hand several times to make sure all the teeth engage properly and go where they're supposed to...

Maybe?....

**Gsi3.2** · 10th July 2008, 07:09

how does it run when you finally do get it going?.. are there clouds of white smoke when it starts ( and not the usual steam)?..

**The Pipsqueak** · 12th July 2008, 10:22

Aaarrgghh....sorry , done a few long nightshifts and couldn't access t'internet at work to see if anyone had posted anything. Thanks for the reply

Anyway, when I do finally get her going, everything's fine...no smoke, no noticeable difference in anything, and when the engine is warmed up, starts first time, every time. It wasn't a gradual decline and definitely started immediately after my huge local "dealer" did the cambelt. I really don't want to take it back there because i had loads of hassle with them. It's '54 with 58000 miles and I'm guessing it hasn't had a fuel filter change and maybe one or two other 'recommended' replacements but it's too much of a coincidence to just go downhill the very next day the way it has. S'pose I could try Thurlby Motorsport. They're meant to know their stuff.........?????