Doesn't anyone make a 100K mile timing belt?

nippononly

I bet it was noisy though!

A lot of companies are switching back to chains.

fleetwoodsimca

The middle timing gear was NOT noisy. I never heard it. I DID hear the rush of air rattling my plywood floor I installed over the gaping, dangerous rust hole that used to be the floor.
(:oÞ

Mr_Shiftright

Volvo used fiber gears for years. They were good but they did fail, and you had to be very careful removing the camshaft fiber gear lest you break off the end of the cam.

fleetwoodsimca

I only changed the center timing fiber gear on my Dauphine once, and that was during a blizzard. I had only a driveway (no garage) in those days, and I couldn't put off the repair. Every 20 minutes, I went in my duplex to warm up and change boots. Youth and a hope for the future kept me going.

fwatson

The owners manual for my '01 Mazda Millenia P with 2.5 V/6 does not call for a timing belt replacement until 105000 miles. It does call for an inspection of it at 60000 though. On the other hand, the 2.3 Miller Cycle V/6 calls for replacement at 60000.

That tells me it is not the belt that determines the replacement interval. But rather the type of use it is subjected to.

dwbehrens1

I change timing belts at 100K (or more) on Camrys, Corollas, T-100. No problems if the engine is run normally, with no excessive overheating which in one case caused the belt to 'dry out' and break. It was a low oil condition due to my daughter not checking the oil every time she put gas in it, like I asked. Do not buy interference engines!!! They almost always use expensive premium fuel due to their higher compression, and with one premature timing belt failure have to be completely replaced.

Toyota service manuals have very detailed procedures for changing the timing belts. I strongly suggest that everyone buy the service manual (NOT Chiltons) from the manufacturer of the vehicle. It will save you money after the first repair you have to pay for at $75 per hour. Timing belts cost from $14 for Corollas to $30 for V6 T-100s at aftermarket prices.

bottgers

Being an interference engine has nothing to do with whether the engine has high compression or not. All it means is that the manufacturer decided to design the engine so the valves and the pistons share the same space in the cylinder. My guess is that they build these engines to save R&D money. You're absolutely right about a belt breaking and trashing the engine though.

andre1969

....to make a higher compression engine, they shave a little off the cylinder head, to make the combustion chamber smaller. That brings the valves that much closer to the pistons.

As a result, a design that may not have been an interference engine when it had a lower compression might suddenly become one, once it's set up for higher compression!

fleetwoodsimca

the answer is: cam dwell and lift.

sailorbeavis

used a timing belt that is, according to my Haynes manual, rated for replacement every 90,000 miles or six years. That's for the 2.2 and 2.5 liter four-cylinder engines that were sold in the Shadow / Sundance / Duster. Really wish Chrysler had kept those engines instead of what they put in the Neons, a turbocharged 2.5L Shadow can really haul. :-)

momduf

I am thinking of buying a 1996 Gallant w/65,000 miles. Never had a foreign car. Do they all have timing belts? How do I know what type of engine (interference/non-interference)? How many miles before it needs to be changed. Grateful for any help.

harry31

momduf:

    If you know which engine is in that '96 Mitsu, go here to see the answer to your question. http://www.rovatune.com/tbelt.html>

fleetwoodsimca

Great chart. Thanks for sharing the URL.

harry31

Always glad to help, if I'm able. =;-)
FYI, by following the rovatune.com links, you will find a chart covering late model engine belts at the Gates Rubber Company site. I didn't specifically mention it as momduf was asking about a '96 model and the Gates URL requires Acrobat, which some may not have.

fwatson

Thanks for that link. But it is about 5 years old. It still shows the Mazda 2.5L V6 at 60000 miles, while it has only required a change at 105000 miles for at least two years.

I only mention this to point out that it is still worth a look at Gates for cars built since 1997.

michaellno

....the 1.6L 4-cylinder engine in the 1998 Chevrolet Tracker we just bought as a 3rd car does NOT have an interference engine (Gates site) and that the belt should be replaced at 60,000 miles.

The vehicle we just bought has 59,200 miles on it, and I'm concerned that this will be an expensive service (was at the local Chevy dealer today, and was quoted $650 for the job!).

My question is this: how long can I put this off (I'm not talking about 1000's of miles, more in terms of months, assuming 500-750 miles per month) so I don't have to shell out a ton of money all at once (the 60K service interval covers a lot of ground not including the timing belt, and will probably run several hundred dollars).

I don't want to sound like a cheapskate, just trying to find out if I can spread this out a little bit, instead of coughing up $1K or more at one time.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice and comments.

fleetwoodsimca

That surely sounds "pricey" and I would check out other sources for that service. The belt may last far past 60K, and with the engine not an interference type, you might want to roll the dice and just drive a while. When the belt fails, it fails. That may be in a severe blizzard, five miles of white-out snow from help, or maybe it will happen on your driveway. Again, you may get to 85K and just decide to go in for a new one before the happening. It truly is a gamble. If you decide to just drive a while, keep a cell phone in the car... (:oÞ

michaellno

Thanks for the feedback. The car pretty much stays in town, and everyone who drives it carries a cell phone, so no problems there.

We'll probably do it soon (next month or two) just to get it done and not have it hanging over our heads.

fleetwoodsimca

...when you keep ahead of problems. I let a timing belt go one time, on a 1986 Chrysler LeBaron. My daughter called me at midnight with the car dead in a snow storm. I drove the 5 miles to meet her and the policeman that was warding traffic away from her. I crawled under the car in the slushy snow with a tow strap. The cop held a flashlight for me. Nasty, nasty memory of ice water soaked in from my shoulders to my thighs. That one went nearly 90K when it broke. >:o[