Cambelt & Wet Belt Replacement

"Why did the dealer quote me £2,100 but you're saying £1,250?"

Great question! Here's the breakdown:

The dealer charges £200 per hour for labour. We charge less They also mark up parts by 100-150% (it's how they keep the shiny showroom). We mark up parts by 30-40% (enough to warranty them and stay in business).

Same job, same quality parts, different overheads. You're paying for the franchise, the courtesy car you might not need, and the coffee machine in their waiting room.

"I found someone who'll do it for £600 - what's the catch?"

Be very careful here. At £600, they're either:

1) Not removing the sump (disaster waiting to happen)
2) Not including oil and filter in the price (add £80)
3) Using pattern parts from eBay (might last 2 years instead of 6)
4) Not including the auxiliary belts and tensioners (add £150)

Ask them directly: "Does this include sump removal, cleaning, new oil and filter?" Get it in writing. We've fixed too many £600 jobs that became £4,000 engine replacements.

"Why does my mate's Fiesta cost the same as my Transit?"

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't! Here's why:

The Fiesta's engine bay is tiny - everything's crammed in. The Transit has more space but more components to remove. It usually balances out, though vans can be £50-200 more if there's extra pipework or covers.

The belt kit costs the same for both. The sump cleaning takes the same time. The main difference? Wrestling with van undertray's versus squeezing into a Fiesta engine bay. Both make our technicians swear equally!

"Can I supply my own parts to save money?"

We get asked this a lot, and the answer is no - but let me explain why that's actually protecting you:

Think of it like this - you wouldn't bring your own ingredients to a restaurant and ask them to cook it. Why? Because if something goes wrong with the meal, nobody knows if it was the ingredients or the cooking. The chef can't guarantee a meal they didn't source, and the restaurant can't stand behind it.

Same with wet belts. If we fit a belt you bought online and it fails after 6 months, was it a dodgy belt? Fitted incorrectly? Wrong specification? Nobody knows, nobody's responsible, and you're left with a broken engine and no comeback.

When we supply and fit the parts, you get our full 12-month warranty on everything. If anything goes wrong (it rarely does), we fix it. No arguments, no "he said, she said" - just sorted.