Timing Belt, Tensioner & Pulleys 3.0 Tdv6 & Sdv6

Models Affected:

Whilst many Jaguar Land Rover engines are driven by timing chain these days, some engines are still use a reinforced belt and pulley system to connect the bottom of the engine (crankshaft) to the top of the engine (Camshafts), including the 3.0 Tdv6 and Sdv6 units.

The timing belt on the 3.0 Tdv6 and Sdv6 needs changing every 7 years or 112,000 miles, whichever comes first. It is essential to make sure this is done on or before the scheduled interval, as if it were to snap, The pistons will likely hit the valves and you’ll be looking at over £6k for an engine rebuild instead of some simple preventative maintenance.

This guide covers a Timing belt replacement including the idler and tensioner pulleys on the 3.0 V6 Diesel engine at K Motors.

Symptoms

  • Timing belts can present with fraying and surface cracks upon inspection

  • Pulleys can feel and sound rough to turn by hand when the belt is removed

  • Warn water pumps can also be rough to rotate by hand and may be leaking coolant as the engine runs

  • Very Worn Timing Belt and pulley arrays can make rough worn bearing noises as they rotate (PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A RARE SYMPTOM AND WE STRONGLY ADVISE THE TIMING BELT AND PULLEYS ARE CHANGED BEFORE ANY NOISES ARE HEARD)

Diagnosis & Cause

In reality, there is no actual way of telling if a timing belt has been replaced until its removed for inspection unless you have an invoice in the service wallet, or if it has been logged in Land Rover’s online service history database.

It’s essential when purchasing a second hand Jaguar or Land Rover with the 3 litre engine that you see proof the timing belt has been changed within the required timescales.

How is the problem solved

Replacing the timing belt on the 3.0 diesel is a relatively straightforward task, particularly as the Water pump is driven be the auxiliary belt system, so it is generally not replaced at the same time:

• Disconnect battery

• Remove engine cover

• Drain cooling system

• remove boost hose and auxiliary belt to get access to the timing cover.

• Remove cover then rotate the engine by hand to Top Dead Centre on cylinder 1

• lock the crankshaft and camshaft with Land Rover locking pin kit.

• Release tension and remove crank pulley and belt.

• Install new belt, tensioner and idlers

• remove locking pins then rotate engine by hand two full revolutions back to TDC and make sure the locking pins go back in properly, if they do then remove again and follow above instructions in reverse.

• Reverse remaining steps above.

When replacing the timing belt on the Range Rover Sport L320 & the Discovery 4 you will also need to remove the fan cowl and viscous fan.

Timing belt changes are done by our team of highly trained technicians who have extensive experience working on this specific engine using the Jaguar Land Rover timing tools and equipment.

Part numbers for the timing belt kit are:

1311306 x2 – Idler pulleys

LR016655 – Timing Belt Kit Gen 1 (M8)

LR078913 – Timing Belt Kit Gen 2 (M10)

The difference between the Gen 1 and Gen 2 kits is that the hole and fixing bolt in the tensioner pulley was changed from M8 to M10.

Estimated Repair Costs

This estimate includes the removal and replacement of the timing belt, tensioner pulley and idlers and all labour associated with this work. Auxiliary drivebelt (fanbelt), water pump and pulley replacement is not included but can be added to any timing belt replacement for an additional fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

The interval for timing belt replacement on the 3.0 Tdv6 and Sdv6 engines is 7 years or 112,000 miles WHICHEVER COMES SOONEST, this is to factor in the various different driving conditions an engine may be subjected to in its lifetime. Eg. Frequent short journeys including lots of cold start starts and heat cycles will be far more damaging to a Kevlar/rubber timing belt than 100,000 miles of gentle motorway cruising.

At K Motors we would actually recommend erring on the side of caution and proactively reducing the service interval for the timing belt to 6 years / 100,000 miles (whichever comes soonest) to eliminate any risk of potential failure.

No, we would not recommend this, as the belt or any of the pulleys may fail at any time causing severe engine damage.

Not reliably no, as mentioned, there are extreme cases where a worn pulley could be making an audible noise shortly before catastrophic failure, but the belt is simply a service item that must be changed within its scheduled intervals.

With this engine, certain other jobs that require timing cover removal (such as cam cover replacement) allow us to check the condition of the belt free of any extra charge, however, a visual inspection is not a concrete confirmation of a belts remaining lifespan, as they may have stretched internally and we also cannot check the pulleys without removing the belt.

Need help fixing this issue?

Call us on 01772 368807 or get in touch online to book a repair or get friendly advice.