Coolant change + cambelt help

[W1ll]

Hi guys,

Doing a coolant change and cambelt on the HDI.. erm.. few questions..

How much coolant does the HDI take and how/whats the best way to bleed the system?? (I have blue coolant is that okay?) I was going to remove the bottom hose to drain the system, and them fit it back in place and refill with the car running. This sensible? - whats the best way to ensure that all the air has been bled out? Bit conscious of trapping air..

Cambelt.. easy/hard? Do I need to lock the fuel pump? (if so why?) and with the cam locked is it simply slide off and new one on?
Sorry for the maybe daft questions just some guidance needed rteally as fairly mechanical minded but just unsure of the jobs that could have serious after issues!

Thanks in advance!

[Ricky]

Hardest part of cambelt is the covers, they are a nighmare. Don't need to lock the pump, just the crank and cam. There's a coolant drain on the left bottom of the rad, and it needs red coolant. Unsure on volume of the system.

[Alan_M]

2ltr bottle with bottom cut off, shoved into radiator and filled with coolant. Raises the height of the system to purge out air, but it doesn't always work. Found it best to have the car fast idling and stat open whilst operating the bleed points with bottle in. Bit hairy but it works!

[DeeTurbo]

I think it says 8ltr in the Haynes manual.

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There's a coolant drain on the left bottom of the rad, and it needs red coolant.

Never seen that before on a HDI. I thought the HDI's didn't have one.

[Toms306]

All the HDi's I've worked on have had the drain plug....

[DeeTurbo]

All the HDi's I've worked on have had the drain plug....

Really, where is it exactly as I need to change my thermostat this weekend?

On my rad there is a blank where there is a screw for the drain on the old XUD's.

[Toms306]

On the bottom corner of the rad on the passenger side. That blank might be the 'tap', is it like a flat lump of plastic? Really hard to describe lol. This is the tap thing, lefthand end would be in the rad if that isn't obvious.

[DeeTurbo]

Where that goes it's blank, like the plastic was molded without an opening.

I shall take a pic tomorrow.

At the moment I take the bottom hose off from the back of the block. It's a pain to get it off and messy.

[Toms306]

Ah ok, fair enough. Is it an aftermarket rad?

[DeeTurbo]

Genuine Peugeot.

[Toms306]

Oh, that's definitely odd then!

[DeeTurbo]

I've just checked on Servicebox via my VIN and it doesn't show that part you put a photo of but if I look up 1.9dt it does show it for that car.

[Poodle]

Well mine definitely has one too, in fact all three hdis have had one. Dont suppose the tab has been snapped off at some point..?

[Toms306]

Well I didn't imagine it lol, mine definitely had it!

You're right about servicebox though.

[DeeTurbo]

Well mine definitely has one too, in fact all three hdis have had one. Dont suppose the tab has been snapped off at some point..?

Nope, it's like it's molded like it.

Perhaps some lucky few do have it. Like I said it's a pain not having one. The first time I had to drain the coolant I was proper pissed off for Peugeot for penny pinching and not installing one on mine.

[Poodle]

Hahaha yeah i'll bet, what a pig. Do you just have to use the outlet to the water pump to drain it?

[DeeTurbo]

Yeah I think it might be as it's right behind it. I thought about draining it from the other side of the pipe where it connects to the rad but I feel there isn't enough room there to get to the clip.

[Poodle]

Yeah it's a sod to get that pipe off without having to worry about coolant going everywhere too.

[W1ll]

Why does the pump not need locking then? Ah.. What's the difference between the blue coolant and the red coolant then? Should I not use the blue at all?

[Poodle]

The pump doesn't need timing as it pumps to the rail rather than individual injectors, hence the term common rail diesel.

I think the difference in coolant is to do with ally engine components, shouldn't use blue on our cars though.

[Ricky]

Got a couple of pictures that may hep you, you may know all this already.

There's the eccentric tensioner at the rear of the block, which I think needs an 8mm square drive tool to tension, and there's the idler at the front of the block. The setup is pretty simple on the HDI tbh.


This is roughly how much tension you should put on the belt


Also one of the cambelt cover bolts is also a water pump bolt, so water will probably leak out slightly when you undo it. And remember to loosen toe crank pulley bolt before locking off the engine.

[W1ll]

Thanks for them pictures, really useful! May seem daft by why do I need to loosen the crank pulley bolt before locking off the engine? Can't think of a reason in my head so must be missing something obvious! I've only done k series cambelts in the past and found them to be fairly ok to do just a bit of a squeeze really.

[Ricky]

If it's the original it will be very tight, if you try and undo it just using the locking pins to stop the engine turning you could end up snapping one and creating a lot more work for yourself.

[Quinny]

I would also be tempted to do the rear crankshaft oil seal as well while the belt is off.

[Piggy]

I would also be tempted to do the rear crankshaft oil seal as well while the belt is off.

why!?

if it isnt leaking, leave it well alone!!!

[DeeTurbo]

I would also be tempted to do the rear crankshaft oil seal as well while the belt is off.

why!?

if it isnt leaking, leave it well alone!!!

One of those while you're there jobs as it'll be easier to do it while everythings off already. I know a lot that do this but I don't bother.

[Quinny]

I would also be tempted to do the rear crankshaft oil seal as well while the belt is off.

why!?

if it isnt leaking, leave it well alone!!!

One of those while you're there jobs as it'll be easier to do it while everythings off already. I know a lot that do this but I don't bother.

Sods law will dictate that you change the belt, and within months, the seal starts leaking.

[Poodle]

I get where you're coming from, but I have never seen one of those seals leaking on an these engines, it's certainly not known as a common issue.

[Piggy]

its a lot of bother to do to be honest.

I have NEVER changed one on a xud or hdi...and done more cambelts on them than I dare to remember....or seen one leak!

[Quinny]

I get where you're coming from, but I have never seen one of those seals leaking on an these engines, it's certainly not known as a common issue.

You want to see mine then.