Club Motorhome Magazine

Details: Written by: freespirit

Sincere thanks to 'freespirit' from the 'FiatForum' for this superbly detailed guide on the DIY replacement of the cam belt on a 2.8 JTD Ducato engine. Usual disclaimers apply but if you feel confident enough to carry out the work then you will certainly find this article of huge interest.

Timing Belt Replacement Ducato 2.8 JTD 2003

Here is my step by step guide & what I encounted in changing the timing belt on a 2003 Ducato 2.8 JTD fitted with A/C.

As this is a JTD Common Rail Electronic Injection there is no injection pump timing to set (thank heaven). With the 2.8TD it would necessitate the upper timing cover & associated parts removal to enable enough room for timing of the Injection pump.

1. Disconnect the battery, remove front engine cover by undoing the 4 retaining clips.

2. Remove engine top cover , which necessitates the removal of part of the engine lift bracket retaining the 4 electrical cables for the injectors at the bottom right corner as the top cover has a projection under the wiring so cannot be removed until the part of the bracket is moved out of the way. I also removed the bracket bolted to the intake behind the cover as it has some wiring harness retaining clips & two studs with nothing attached to either which hinders easy removal otherwise.

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Details: Written by: Neil Mac

Just 5 steps to hopefully save the inconvenience and expense caused by frost damage.

Frost precautions are essential at these times! With the onset of winter it is really important to prepare your motorhome if you're not using it.

When a liquid, in this case water, freezes its volume increases by nearly 10%. If this happens within a confined space, in this case your sealed water system, there is nowhere for that extra to go! End result? Burst pipework, connectors, couplings or tap bodies!

The way to avoid this catastrophe is is properly drain down the water system, not just empty the tank.

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mothy54 — Do all cassette toilets have a drain bung?...

Details: Written by: Neil Mac

How to use your toilet...

Now this might seem a bit basic but if you are new to motorhoming you may just be a bit concerned about this essential aspect of using your motorhome – we certainly were!

Preparation is the key and this is what you do.

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NEILMAC — Good point about saving capacity ianandsue :D We've been using a 'sprayer' lately with diluted Thetford cleaner (yellow), seems to work well....

ianandsue — Neat idea! I'm sure it works a treat, especially if you are on a campsite and can empty the cassette easily. However our problem is normally trying to avoid filling up the cassette between suitable disposal points. To this end we use a small refillable hand spray canister, topped up with Thetford pi......

Details: Written by: Neil Mac

How to connect to and disconnect from mains electricity

For safety there is an order to the process of plugging in to mains (EHU).

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Anne1959 — Thanks Neil have finally worked it out, much appreciated. Happy new year when it comes!...

NEILMAC — If you mean on your fridge then it wouldn't normally be powered by your battery anyway. They only usually get power from EHU or by 12v when you are driving. Otherwise a fridge would drain your leisure battery very quickly.Please feel free to ask any questions on the forums. You may get more advice a......

Anne1959 — Lights etc on but not sure if it is the battery powering . Should the 240v light be on? So thick I know! Thanks again...