UNLIKE the chain-driven Td4 diesel engine that replaced it, the early Freelander 1’s L-Series Rover diesel engine uses a camshaft drive belt that needs to be renewed every 48,000 miles and, while no time interval is mentioned on the standard service schedule, the typical limit of seven years is about the maximum to ensure the belt doesn’t fail through wear, cracking or oil contamination. Failure can cause serious engine damage, and this applies to any engine with a belt-driven camshaft. While the job of replacing the cambelt is different on each engine type, the principles employed in timing the crankshaft, camshaft and fuel pump are similar.
For this engine, the workshop manual suggests removing the front axleshafts in order to move the engine to one side due to the close proximity of the cambelt cover to the right-hand inner wing (transversely mounted engine). With ingenuity, the job can be simplified, but it’s still bordering on keyhole surgery and, as always, essential to follow the workshop manual torque figures and belt tensioning and checking sequences. Nevertheless, it’s still a DIY prospect and, considering a dealership
