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Friend or not, I'm sorry to say that he has not fitted the belt correctly, and my advice stands. You have not answered Gareth's questions about whether the belt and tensioner were also renewed. The curious thing is that the water pump is normally changed as a pre-emptive measure when the cam belt is changed because of the difficulty, and hence cost, of access to the belt.

Thanks Daryl, Valeo as opposed to LUK - why?. Price? Spend once, spend wisely, particularly since you enjoy ‘spirited’ driving. Kind regards, Gareth.

Jack. That belt is far too loose and is clearly jumping sprocket teeth. Since the belt also drives the camshaft there is a real risk of damaging the valves or the piston crowns, which would entail a horrendously expensive repair bill. Do not attempt to run the engine, or even turn it over on the starter, until it has been put right. If that means towing it to a garage or workshop, so be it, but the engine must not be run.

Hello Daryl, Of course Cliff is right - you must claim against the seller. If they don’t respond, say by the end of the week, then I’d be tempted to issue them with a Small Claims court claim. Clutches and costs? Main dealer clutch components are expensive/uneconomical, so resorting to an aftermarket one makes sense in this case. Personally, I would only go for a LUK make. You could then ask for a labour cost from a trusted local garage. ‘Just switched from a Scooby’. Would you describe your driving style as being ‘enthusiastic’ by any chance? Kind regards, Gareth.

Look further down the list and you will see a recent thread on the cost of clutches. They are expensive enough to make pursuing your vendor worthwhile.