Wet belt and timing belt 1.8 TDCI

[Lynxdiesel]

Just wondering if anyone has had the wet belt and timing belt replaced on their 1.8 TDCI engine? Obviously only relevant on certain duratorq engines as others have the chain instead of the wet belt setup and if they have changed the wet belt to a chain assembly instead? Any idea on costs? 

[JW1982]

The wetbelt assembly can be changed for the chain assembly without any problems. However changing the wetbelt for a chain  does not really make a lot of sense. On the 1.8 TDCI used in the Focus MK2/MK2.5 both the wetbelt and the chain have exactly the same service interval. Basically it does not matter if the engine has the wetbelt or the chain. Officially both needs to be changed. Despite the fact that changing the chain is described by Ford many people never replace it.

The benefits of the wetbelt are less friction and less noise than a chain. Most wetbelt problems are cause by using incorrect specifications engine oil or a blocked DPF. As a result of a blocked DPF and continuous regeneration the oil becomes mixed with diesel fuel. Both an incorrect specification engine oil or diesel fuel within the engine oil can damage the wetbelt.

 

Note that Ford fitted both the wetbelt and the chain at the same time during production for quite a long period. The transitional period from the old timing chain to the new wetbelt was pretty long. Next to this Ford also had a pretty large (mixed) engine stock which contained engines with the old chain as well as engines with the new wetbelt. Identifying whether the car has a chain or a wetbelt is only possible visually after the timing cover has been removed. I have seen that some 2009 vehicles still had the timing chain while others of the same production date did have the wetbelt.

 

[Lynxdiesel]

Thanks for this information, thats helpful!

I suppose you don't know then if you have a wet belt until you start to change the timing belt. The 1.8tdci doesn't have a dpf so i guess i don't need to worry about fuel and oil contamination. Current oil in is the car is 5w30 Shell helix ultra af professional. I know the service interval is 10 years or 125K miles for both belts, whichever comes first. If it was your car when would you get the belts changed? Just out of interest, would you do them early?

 

[Dee_82]

I wonder if the service interval is the same because there is no clear consistency between the chains and belts on this engine.  if you could find a vehicle with only the chain on it I wonder if it would have a different service interval

   

[Dee_82]

oh and whilst the max service interval is 120k I think they recommend getting them done at 65k, I assume the logic is that after 65k the odds of it giving up increase as the miles increase, after 120k your well in to borrowed time

[JW1982]

All Focus MK2/MK2.5 versions with the 1.8 TDCI do have the same interval. There is no difference between vehicles with a timing chain or a wetbelt.

In the Netherlands the Focus MK2.5 was never available with the 1.8 TDCI. Because of emission/tax issues (basically because the 1.8 TDCI dit not have a DPF) Ford decided to no longer offer the 1.8 TDCI for the Focus MK2.5 and C-max MK1.5. Because of this the wetbelt version of the 1.8 TDCI (with factory fitted DPF) was only available for the Transit Connect and Mondeo MK4.

Wetbelt problems are common on commercial vehicles used by (mail) delivering companies which use the cars for short trips. Because of the short trips the DPF becomes blocked and the car regenerates continuously. The extra injected diesel fuel needed for the regeneration process does not burn entirely and partly leaks between the cilinder and the cilinder wall into the engine oil. The diesel fuel inside the engine oil damages the wet belt material which causes premature wetbelt failure. Some companies replace the wetbelt with the older chain to prevent problems.

 

If the car has no DPF and the correct (Ford) specifications engine oil is used I do not see any reason to change the wetbelt for a chain. The wetbelt is designed to last longer than the prescribed service interval. If there were a lot of problems within the service interval Ford would have reduced the interval (like they did on some other engine types).

 

[Lynxdiesel]

Thanks for all invaluable advice.

Just put my cars details into Ford Etis and I see recommended service interval for Aux belt 10yr/125k miles, camshaft belt 10yr/125k miles ,and fuel belt/chain 10yr/125kmiles.  My car is around 67k miles and 59 reg, shall I stop worrying until 2019! ... haha  

[JW1982]

Just for your own peace of mind you can decide to change them early but in my opinion it should not be necessary. The wetbelt is not a known problem on these engines.

[stewarth69]

just a question i have a mondeo 1.8 tdci 09 plate i had the upper timing belt changed today but dont know if it has  a wet belt...i called a ford dealership as they recalled wetbelts to be changed back to a chain , but they said they had no recalls for my car , would i be safe in saying it either has a belt that has been changed under recall  or  i have a lower chain in my engine already ?

[JW1982]

A 09 Mondeo should have a wetbelt. As far as I know there has never been a recall for the 1.8 TDCI to change the wetbelt assembly for a timing chain assembly.

On the 1.8 TDCI the wetbelt was introduced as an attempt to extend the production of the already ancient 1.8 TDCI for a few more Years. Combined with some other small changes the lower friction wetbelt reduced emmisions a bit which was necessary to meet European emission regulations. From this point of view it does not make any sense for Ford to replace the wetbelt for a timing chain. This would have affected emission figures and void the European Type Approval of the car.

It should be possible to determine whether the car has a wetbelt or a timing chain by the VIN number. Only on a limited number of vehicles the VIN number will list both the wetbelt and the chain as suitible parts. In most cases the VIN number will list the wetbelt or the timing chain (and not both).

[mjt]

If a wetbelt is lower friction than a chain it seems strange they've changed from wetbelt to chain on the later 1.0L EcoBoost engines.

[JW1982]

I guess that the decision to use a timing chain on the latest 1.0 ECOboost was made from a financial point of view. A wetbelt is more expensive than the flimsy timing chain that is used on the latest 1.0 ECOboost.

Note that the latest 1.0 ECOboost has both a timing chain and a wetbelt. There is a timing chain between the crankshaft and the camshafts and a wetbelt between the crankshaft and the oil pump (and balance shaft on versions with automatic transmission). From a maintenance point of view the timing chain does not have much benefit. Replacing the wetbelt between the crankshaft and oil pump on the latest 1.0 ECOboost is basically the same amount of work as replacing both wetbelts on the old 1.0 ECOboost.