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Timing Belt Replacement


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Mantaray
New User

Nov 13, 2020, 6:37 PM

Post #1 of 6 (1331 views)
Timing Belt Replacement Sign In

i changed my first timing belt at 90,000ks as the car was still under warranty and that was the interval listed. Now I'm at 190,000ks (10,000ks over the recommended 2nd change) and thinking of getting a new car (brand new) in the early new year.

I'll probably do 5000ks more by then, and do not feel like spending the money on a new belt this late in the game....

Has anyone here ever had a Belt actually break? and if so, after how many ks?

The first belt was in immaculate condition at 90,000ks, and I note that various makes have different intervals recommended. then I read the following at an American site....

"Updated: March 02, 2020
For most cars, recommended timing belt replacement intervals vary between 60,000 and 106,000 miles. For some modern cars, the intervals are even longer."

So why would a belt last 96,000 ks with one car and 170,000 with another? is it all a make-work-for dealers type thing?


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Nov 14, 2020, 1:23 AM

Post #2 of 6 (1303 views)
Re: Timing Belt Replacement Sign In

? You didn't say what this was in all that. The end answer is IDK how long for SURE they can go nor do they apparently it's not "make work'' for the dealers or anyone is a way to turn camshafts, some do water pumps as well are critical and do break.


Do this if you know you are swapping this out why not do it now while it's running and looking OK or FIND OUT IF THIS AN "INTERFERRENCE" ENGINE. Most are and will crash valves into pistons without warning can in no time ruin the whole engine from seconds before was fine and your value just took a fall off the cliff for trade or sale of the thing vs cost of doing the belt.
If trading the car in to new car dealer they would probably know done or not and you'll only get the lowest value for this they can do despite what the deal looks like.
If for a private sale you should at least be honest to buyer that this is due or past due if NOT done now is my suggestion just because these belts are so critical,


T



Mantaray
New User

Nov 16, 2020, 12:49 PM

Post #3 of 6 (1270 views)
Re: Timing Belt Replacement Sign In

Thanks for replying. However, you've missed the point.....

A timing belt manufacturer uses the same compound of rubber, fibres etc on it's entire range of auto belts. It's the car manufacturer who decides when the belt "should" be replaced. Some car manufacturers say the belt made of Compound X is only safe + sure to last 60,000 miles in their cars while another car manufacturer says the same Compound X will last 80,000 or even 100,000 miles in their vehicles, before needing to be changed. Why the difference?

Well, if you ring a belt manufacturer (Gates?) they will be unable to explain the difference....since Gates knows from it's decades of testing, what the real limits are. We don't know, but they know.

So, has anyone on this forum ever had a belt fail?

From Wiki: 'The usual failure modes of timing belts are either stripped teeth (which leaves a smooth section of belt where the drive cog will slip) or delamination and unraveling of the fiber cores. Breakage of the belt, because of the nature of the high tensile fibers, is uncommon.

Again; has anyone had a belt actually fail,and at what mileage.

BTW: New car dealers make very little profit on selling cars. the big bucks are parts and after-sales warranty service.Timing belts are the biggest service of the lot= a strong incentive to over-service= do it more often than might be necessary.


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Nov 16, 2020, 12:59 PM

Post #4 of 6 (1266 views)
Re: Timing Belt Replacement Sign In

You still didn't say what it is? Some not just break or wear out belts they can wipe out engine, totally. Valve crash if interference. Even if not the shreds can wreck lots more and said behaved as new a minute earlier.
I can't go by the belt maker most you don't see or well if oily it's gone right away if found. Some run water pumps too another big bang.


There's risk with anything you take your chances if you know you want to get a new car in just weeks now over XYZ amount of money it's up to you. Still a gamble chances are IMO you'd make it if trading in maybe lose the cost of doing one if they factor it in?


It's up to you and understand don't want to invest now knowing it's gone soon and get squat for it trading if you plan to?


T



Sidom
Veteran / Moderator
Sidom profile image

Nov 16, 2020, 5:48 PM

Post #5 of 6 (1255 views)
Re: Timing Belt Replacement Sign In

All the years I've been wrenching I've never really chased down stuff I didn't need to know that would help me either diagnose or repair a vehicle. I've just never been that curious.
You don't need to know what the belts are made of for any practical purpose. I can give you the pat answer that is true for most of the stuff for manufactures. They make millions of cars so when they can save a few cents here or there make all those cars, the profits add up but they do have to weigh cost to reliability, so this is where some are better than others.

Belts fail all the time. I will say just off the top of my head, I don't recall too many that failed before the scheduled time. Almost all were over due and as you posted the majority were stripped teeth. The ones that broke the belt was usually due to a bearing locking up on an idler or water pump (usually a pump).

As Tom has already said, you never posted what type of car you have. There are two types of engines interference and non-interference engines. Out of all the models I did belts on that were interference engines, I could count on one hand (almost twice) how many didn't do major internal engine damage when they went ou.
If your's is an interference engine, I wouldn't even mess around with trying to figure out how long you can "milk this for" before you change the belt....if it's due change it.

I can always tell a customer who had an T belt break on them with an interference engine. They are the ones who come in 10, 20k ahead of schedule to have it changed......Cuz they are never going to let that happen again!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Nov 19, 2020, 5:00 AM

Post #6 of 6 (1214 views)
Re: Timing Belt Replacement Sign In

You are looking at this the wrong way. The difference from one car to another has nothing to do with the quality of the rubber.

What varies is the design of the engine and the amount of stress put on the belt and various pulleys. Remember, the belt itself isn't the only cause of a timing belt failure. If a pulley bearing or a water pump seizes up, the result is the same. As both Tom and Sidom have pointed out, the result of a failure on most cars can mean replacing the whole engine due to the amount of damage done when a belt breaks. Recommended replacement intervals take all of these factors into consideration. Some engine designs are much harder on belts and related components than others.

Don't push your luck, you will regret it.



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