Jan Randall Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I have been quoted £900 for the six year service for a Sigma 140 that includes the cam belt change. Is this a reasonable price and does anyone know of someone who would do it cheaper withing 50miles of Bristol, or Bournemouth or anywhere in Somerset Devon or Cornwall Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martyn Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Who was that quote from? I've only had my sigma a few months so I'll be interested in the answer to this as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Hi Jan,Sounds a tad expensive to me. As you know, I'm a K and Duratec man, but I believe the standard Sigma cambelt kit is around £280-£300 fitted at Ford main-dealer prices (it will include a new tensioner). So that leaves around £600 for the (major?) service. I would have thought that should be no more than £500-£550.Are we talking Millwood here? If so, Eric does good work but is charged out at Mitsubishi main-dealer labour rates. An alternative might be Mike Brend at Midway Motors near Barnstaple. I've used him before and found him very thorough and with reasonable rates.JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisC Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 The cam belt on a 140 (and 125) can't be set using the normal Ford main dealers tools, where they lock the cams using a bar. Therefore you need to find a specalised that knows the actual cam timing used, or be prepaired to pay for someone to get the dial gauges out. I would say most service their Caterhams every year with an oil service as a minimum, So six oil and filter changes could soon add up. Based on Caterham Parts prices 5-50w Motorsport oil at £32.68 and £9 for the filter, thats £250 on just parts DIY. I know other sources are cheaper.Also this doesnt factor upgrade, paint repairs, new batteries, etc etc.I have spent way more that £900 in the two years of ownership, and I have not finished yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisC Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Just looked at James Whiting's web site, they recomend 12,000 service anually at a cost of £266.38 for a Sigma, thats £1598.28 + your cam belt change. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I would say most service their Caterhams every year with an oil service as a minimum, So six oil and filter changes could soon add upIf I read Jan's post correctly, he wasn't asking for the cost of six years' worth of servicing, but rather whether £900 was reasonable for the service in year 6 (to include a cambelt change). In my own case, the first six years' of specialist servicing on my R400D cost over £2.2K. A recent 12K service at CC Crawley cost me £525.Interesting point about not being able to lock the cams. Presumably that's because CC set up the Sigma with different cam timing? JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon_h Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 The 125 engine has standard Ford cams retimed to get somewhere near to the 125 figure. The engine makes about 105hp with the Ford cam timing. The 140 has aftermarket cams so there is no Ford data for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huwp Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Jan I have my Sigma looked after by Neil Garner Motorsport in Kemble. Not that far from you and very reasonable and knowledgeable.Give them a ring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Long Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Premier power Did mine 125 sigma £200 as I remember. Banbury is the location, take your car up make the tea and take it home done. You wont be disappointed.Longy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliW Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Mine is in the queue! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FramerateUK Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Had mine done last year and it, along with a service and MOT cost me £450. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thompster Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Given that most people take pride in having assembled their car themselves it seems odd to then hand it over to somone else to service it. I can't comment on a the specifics of a 140 cambelt change but oil changes, brake fluid, filters and the inspections that make up the rest of any service aren't exactly rocket science and you have the satisfaction and confidence of knowing what was done. Read up on what the service actually consists of maybe think about having a go yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Riches Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Good words Thompster.Never trust anything you couldn't do for yourself, to anyone else, because you'll be out of pocket, and not knowing how to do it.Look too these forums, ask the questions, and in the end, if it's still not good, well, there seems to be plenty of spanner wielding types to help you, and you would have the satisfaction of knowing you did it, and the knowledge and confidence to do it again. Just my Saturday evening input. Regards, Nigel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan Randall Posted January 31, 2015 Author Share Posted January 31, 2015 Thanks everyone who replied. Midway Motors in Barnstable quoted £476 and they are a Caterham approved workshop that should help with the paperwork when I sell the car in many years time. With the prices people have given they are all in a similar ball park to this and way away from Millwoods £900 so you,ve saved me £400 plus. Great work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 That's sounds like a good deal, Jan. Well done. Given that most people take pride in having assembled their car themselves it seems odd to then hand it over to somone else to service it. Well, I built both my 7s and I've done a lot of work on them, but the value of a specialist service to me is two-fold. First, it looks good on the service record, and second (and mainly), I get a regular and independent opinion of the overall state of the car from someone I trust. JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Jonathan Kay Posted January 31, 2015 Member Share Posted January 31, 2015 Given that most people take pride in having assembled their car themselves it seems odd to then hand it over to somone else to service it. I can't comment on a the specifics of a 140 cambelt change but oil changes, brake fluid, filters and the inspections that make up the rest of any service aren't exactly rocket science and you have the satisfaction and confidence of knowing what was done. Read up on what the service actually consists of maybe think about having a go yourself.I don't have much mechanical background but I built my 7. Changing the cam belt (mine's a K series) is precisely one step too far for me. It needs special tools, I won't do it that often, I won't be sure I've got it right, and it will be expensive if I get it wrong. I've got the manuals and I've watched the video. It's just the Eastwood principle.What would help me take that extra step? A buddy standing next to me.Jonathan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SM25T Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I was apprehensive about doing my cam belts (2 on the k-series VVC) ..... but with the cam locking tool and tippex it was easy. Done quite a few now. Understand the Sigma isn't quite as easy ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Vine Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 It's just the Eastwood principleYou'll be pleased to hear that, IMHO, changing the cambelt on a K is, in fact, pretty straightforward (and certainly within the "limitations of a good man") -- much more so than the Sigma, I imagine. OK, so you need a camshaft-sprocket locking tool, but these cost less than a fiver, or you can make one yourself (as I did) out of a bit of steel box tube. Apart from that (and a good selection of everyday tools) , all you need is a big breaker bar to shift the crank pulley bolt, and an assistant to stand on the brakes while you do so (thereby avoiding the need to lock the flywheel). The key is either to first, or preferably, as you say, to have someone experienced standing next to you while you have a go.ETA: I should have made it clearer that, using the "brakes" method, you MUST NOT insert the cam-sprocket locking tool before you loosen the crank pulley bolt, otherwise you risk damaging valves should the crank turn. Once the bolt is loose, you can realign the timing marks and then insert the locking tool.JV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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