Citroen XM Forum

Other than slapping the Aux belt on it I am calling this done for now.


Assuming all is well after putting on the belt I will now move onto more general service items and jobs

Is the pulley ready to refit yet, or is that the reason fitting the auxiliary belt can't be done?

Other than that, it does all appear finished. Good work.

I hope to get the pulley on today....

My method for cam bolt tightening............ to prevent the engine turning over whilst rotating the bolt to the ridiculous torque required I used an old belt, mole grips, socket extension. worked a treat.


(this was the test.... I DID put the cam-belt cover on before it was applied with force !)

Hmm...interesting - not seen that before.
Shifts the strain on to the keyway, as the crankshaft will try to rotate inside the anchored pulley.

TBH Jim Es't suggested such a method....took a fiddle to get it to self tighten and secure on the suspension arm, but after that it worked a treat.

I can see how it worked, but am surprised it provided enough grip to ensure absolutely no pulley turning, which as you were using angle tightening is essential to avoid.

I would have locked the ring gear as well, just to be sure.


When you performed the last stage of tightening with the torque wrench, was there any further tightening from the 2nd stage of angle tightening?
I'm trying to decide if the three specifications given are all equal, or if the one from Haynes' is missing a step.

I grips very well, the trick is to put the mole grips close to the pulley as shown so the belt then self tightens.
I think this method would also be ideal for Removing the bolt as an alternative to the rather "aggressive" starter method.

I just torqued it up then advanced 60 degrees (one flat).

Stickfinger wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 6:48 am
I just torqued it up then advanced 60 degrees (one flat).

That is the Haynes' setting, the others require a 3rd step to 170 Nm. I wondered if this was met by only the two steps.

Shock force is good for undoing tight fasteners, so the starter method is a good idea, but awkward to employ.

A 450Nm impact gun works very well for undiong tight fasteners.

As a "guess", it felt like it.....it is bloody tight

Just to clear it up....I used this, not the 40nm/60degrees
Citroen Private car book:
Stage 1 = 7+/-0.7 m.daN
Stage 2 = angle tighten 60 degrees.