Clattering noise from cam housing

[lotustonybassplayer]

Glad you got it sorted. When i did my cambelt i did not change idler or water pump even as they both felt fine. So belt is now due and pump and idler will be done as well this time and hopefully my rattle will also disappear,

[dapinky]

As a matter of course, I change the water pump with the belt, as they are dead cheap.

I have never been able to find an interval (time or mileage) for the tensioner or idler, and nothing to suggest that they are in any way a 'service item'......

..... but they won't last forever.

So If I have no evidence of them having ever been changed, i will fit new ones at the first belt change in my ownership - and then I know they should be good for the next 30 years.

From other cars, I have known them be good for many years, and then when they go, they go quickly - Vauxhall give a life of 80K miles on most of their cars, but it used to be 120K back in the 90's when our cars were current - so I think that if yours has done anything over 80K, and definitely if over 120K, then it is time for a change.

[exeterjeep]

My S2 had its belt change last year by SJ for its previous owner, SJ do not change the water pump at the same time, they wait until they say it needs it. My car seems to suffer the same sort of noise, can't be the CAS as that was looked at/repaired at the end of last year.

[dapinky]

SJ do not change the water pump at the same time, they wait until they say it needs it.

I can't fall out with that attitude - to be honest, if I work on a car that hasn't had the pump changed in the last couple of belt changes, but it has been kept with the right coolant mixture, and lightly used, then it should be okay.

Only very rarely have I seen really badly corroded ones - and they tend to be on un-loved cars.

I can fully understand that for a garage to routinely swap them, it wouldn't be long before it became unviable financially - although it only costs me £15 extra on the whole job, it adds an hour of time and a few litres of coolant..... for a garage it could easily add £100 to the bill, and many owners would query it.

By doing it myself, I don't care about the extra time, and I always have a pump or 2 on the garage shelf, and can re-order from Rock Auto whenever I need to without needing to pay Lotus or Aftermarket retail prices.