Thread: 200tdi timing belt change

hello there
i have a 1994 200tdi defender (and yes it has V belts) that is just about to click over to 250,000km's and i am about to do the timing belt and head gasket for its bday from what i have been told (by a person that knows landys inside and out) is that before him and i start work on it i need to purchase an idler pulley he also said that the second or 3rd timing belt change is a bit of bastard for some reason just remember that everything needs to be ligned up via holes and marks that are provided if not VERY bad things will result ..........Kabooom!

cheers!

Apparently there is no mistaking the difference between 200 & 300 tdi bits - a picture will sort it out. As for the tensioner, it's a guess but it may be the boffins have gone the way of the 300tdi - the flanges are now on the crank pulley not the tensioner, which means you need a new one of them as well.

Can't answer the bit about no idler - could be anything from a rough modification with a different belt to the earlier 2.5 NA diesel.

oh and if it has lots of crap under the bonnet well it is probably a 300tdi but i dont think they were introduced until some time in 1994 when i say crap under the bonnet i mean covers and other attachments on the engine which fills the engine bay almost completely unlike my 200tdi that has a nice gap on the right hand side of the engine you could fit a baby elephant in and if it is a manual well the 200tdi's usually "usually" had an LT77 gear box (the reverse is situated up at the top left hand corner beside 1st were as usually the 300tdi has a r380 gear box that has reverse like a normal car) um apart from that i cant remember any more things off the top of my head apart from the 200 has a cast iron block and the 300 has a alloy block (forgive me if im wrong)

Originally Posted by dieseldo

Hi All,
I am in the middle of a timing belt change on a 93 disco with what I think is a 200tdi. The first timing belt kit that arrived had the wrong tensioner, belt was OK. A bit of research and I find that most 200tdi don't look like mine. Mine has an idler and all the ones I have seen don't. Where there any 300tdi with v belts for fan etc and with a cable throttle and round air cleaner? A transition model maybe.
Any advice would be great.
Ian.

Should be a 200tdi. Dipstick colour is a usual tell. Green for 200tdi and yellow for 300tdi.

Pete

Originally Posted by c.h.i.e.f

hello there
i have a 1994 200tdi defender (and yes it has V belts) that is just about to click over to 250,000km's and i am about to do the timing belt and head gasket for its bday from what i have been told (by a person that knows landys inside and out) is that before him and i start work on it i need to purchase an idler pulley he also said that the second or 3rd timing belt change is a bit of bastard for some reason just remember that everything needs to be ligned up via holes and marks that are provided if not VERY bad things will result ..........Kabooom!

cheers!

Hi Chief, let me know how you go please. I also have a 200 Tdi and mine is due a new timing belt in 30k or so at 500,000k's. I plan on replacing all the belts at the same time. I wonder why it's so much harder on the 2nd or 3rd replacement. Also why are you doing the head gasket ?

Regards

Martin

Originally Posted by langy

Apparently there is no mistaking the difference between 200 & 300 tdi bits - a picture will sort it out. As for the tensioner, it's a guess but it may be the boffins have gone the way of the 300tdi - the flanges are now on the crank pulley not the tensioner, which means you need a new one of them as well.

Can't answer the bit about no idler - could be anything from a rough modification with a different belt to the earlier 2.5 NA diesel.

That's just the problem, the only "how to" I can find for the 200tdi has a picture of a very different belt set up than mine. It did not have an idler and a centre line drawn between the cam and injector pump pulleys was on an angle, not horizontal like mine.

What is the go with the flanged crank pulley? Will I need one for a 200tdi (Thanks to everyone's help I'm pretty convinced that is what it is) or was that just a fix for the 300tdi and not necessary for mine? The old belt had done 92000km and was showing no signs of wear to spite there being a bit of oil in the housing. I am replacing the crank and cam oil seal too.
Cheers,
Ian.

Originally Posted by martinozcmax

Hi Chief, let me know how you go please. I also have a 200 Tdi and mine is due a new timing belt in 30k or so at 500,000k's. I plan on replacing all the belts at the same time. I wonder why it's so much harder on the 2nd or 3rd replacement. Also why are you doing the head gasket ?

Regards

Martin

I think it would be because you have changed it twice already and it's pain in the arse to have to do anything more than twice.......except drive the thing!

Originally Posted by martinozcmax

Hi Chief, let me know how you go please. I also have a 200 Tdi and mine is due a new timing belt in 30k or so at 500,000k's. I plan on replacing all the belts at the same time. I wonder why it's so much harder on the 2nd or 3rd replacement. Also why are you doing the head gasket ?

Regards

Martin

no problem ill post up all that i can and i dont know why its harder but thats what my mate told me and he also said that 200tdi's are renouned for blowing head gaskets so since i have a brand new one i mase as well do a full job and replace it while im there along with all the hoses and coolant etc etc on its bday