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Alfa 5 pot Diesel Cambelts - mattbod
Looking at the 159 Diesel. Very nice car at London Motorhow with Auto and the most beautiful red paint and leather I have seen in a car. 210 BHp and the promise of 40 mpg on a run sounds good.HOWEVER I remember reading that a cambelt change for this engine requires the lump to be lifted out of the engine. I shudder to think of the cost.I remember driving a Marea estate hire car a few years ago with the petrol 5 and it looked tight in the bay. That was quite a nice old bus but I suspect if the governments retro car tax goes ahead many will be scrapped(£400 a year for a car worth a few grand but I digress...

Edited by Mattbod on 31/07/2008 at 01:55

Alfa 5 pot Diesel Cambelts - BazzaBear {P}
A few thoughts:

Unfortunately the red paint you saw on that car is Competizione red - specifically the red from the 8c. At this moment in time, as an option on a 'normal' Alfa Romeo, it costs in the region of £15,000.

I frequent an Alfa Romeo forum, and have not heard anywhere that the engine has to be removed to change the cambelt in the 159.

I HAVE heard, but may be mis-remembering, that the 159 engines all run a camchain, not belt, so change periods (if at all) will be very long.
Alfa 5 pot Diesel Cambelts - PR {P}
Thats the new generation petrols. The diesels still have belts. No engine out required but won't be an easy job. By the time that is needed though you will most likely be out of warranty and be able to use an independant, which are fairly plentiful.

Alfa 5 pot Diesel Cambelts - Alanovich
I remember driving a Marea estate hire car a
few years ago with the petrol 5 and it looked tight in the bay. That
was quite a nice old bus but I suspect if the governments retro car tax
goes ahead many will be scrapped(£400 a year for a car worth a few grand
but I digress...

Most Mareas are pre 2001, so don't fall foul. I used to own a saloon and it was a teriffic, vastly underrated car. I wanted to get a Marea estate recently but the wife won't wear anything without ISOFIX these days.
Alfa 5 pot Diesel Cambelts - boxsterboy
Does that mean you can get baby pouches to wear with Isofix mountings these days???
Alfa 5 pot Diesel Cambelts - tr7v8
The cambelt on the five pot is easy on a 156 & the 159 will have a bigger engine bay so should be easier. On my 156 it was around £500 at a dealer & that included aux belt & aux idler tensioner.