107k 16 year old 2003 Timing Belt - Looks New... Kind of

[schwein]

(Updated PSA: Toyota Recommends replacing the Timing Belt every 9 years or 90k miles, The information below is my personal experience and should not be assumed as standard for all cases)

Hey everyone,

Just thought I would share, I had my 2003 4runner Limited with 107k on the clock in for its first Timing Belt Kit, Radiator and CV Axle today anyhow, I asked the guys in the shop to save the parts so I could see the condition before they tossed them in the trash.

Anyway, I picked it up about 20 minutes ago and to my surprise the parts looked in phenomenal condition, keep in mind this is a North East Rig with 107K miles and is a 2003 so essentially 16 years old and has never had a timing belt done! This has been family owned (passed down to my wife from her uncle at 37K, She had it till about 95K when she got a 2014 4Runner and I have had it since) so I am fairly positive the belt has never been done at least not under my wife and my's watch. Nothing shows up on the Toyota owners website either..

Unless I am missing something, this thing looks like its in great shape.

107k Belt 16 years old!!!!
<a href="https://ibb.co/DLynNJy"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/TrS5ZfS/IMG-7177.jpg" alt="IMG-7177" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/7YDnWHs"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/K0g2qYT/IMG-7178.jpg" alt="IMG-7178" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/XSSZG3B"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/J55RSyL/IMG-7179.jpg" alt="IMG-7179" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/hKQFN6g"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/wKGhqkd/IMG-7180.jpg" alt="IMG-7180" border="0"></a>

Either way, thought I would share as its a testament to the durability of these rigs!

 

[volkinator]

If all that's true and it was the original. I'm feeling even better about mine. I recently got a 2007 with 70k miles and was concerned about the TB. It's still probably good to replace. I thought it was 90k/9years whichever came first. But if that's what it looks like after 16 years... dang!

 

[That_Titanium_4RNR]

I'm still on my original at 166k. I've got all the parts waiting in my garage though.

 

[MikeinNH67]

For those delaying do realize what usually happens on a failed belt is teeth will rip off in a section. You really can't tell just by a visual. Better safe than sorry.

 

[volkinator]

For those delaying do realize what usually happens on a failed belt is teeth will rip off in a section. You really can't tell just by a visual. Better safe than sorry.

I'm still planning on doing mine this summer (hoping to DIY vs bringing in to the dealer...)

 

[aaronmjr]

That's pretty cool! I wish I would've asked my mechanic to see mine! 210k and I couldn't find any documentation that it had been done a second time. Maybe it's better that I don't know if it had been recently replaced. I'd have done it either way!

 

[AuSeeker]

Hey everyone,

Just thought I would share, I had my 2003 4runner Limited with 107k on the clock in to install a Timing Belt Kit, Radiator and CV Axle today any how, I asked the guys to save the parts so i could see their condition before they tossed them.

Any way, I picked it up about 20 minutes ago and to my surprise the parts looked in phenomenal condition, keep in mind this is a North East Rig with 107K miles and is a 2003 so essentially 16 years old and has never had a timing belt done! This has been family owned (passed down to my wife from her uncle, and now to me) so I am fairly positive the belt has never been done. Unless I am missing something, this thing looks like its in great shape.

107k Belt 16 years old!!!!
<a href="https://ibb.co/DLynNJy"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/TrS5ZfS/IMG-7177.jpg" alt="IMG-7177" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/7YDnWHs"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/K0g2qYT/IMG-7178.jpg" alt="IMG-7178" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/XSSZG3B"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/J55RSyL/IMG-7179.jpg" alt="IMG-7179" border="0"></a>
<a href="https://ibb.co/hKQFN6g"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/wKGhqkd/IMG-7180.jpg" alt="IMG-7180" border="0"></a>

Either way, thought I would share as its a testament to the durability of these rigs!

That's great if it's indeed the original belt...have you checked on ToyotaOwner's website to see if there a possible dealer history of the belt being replaced?

Welcome to Toyota Owners

 

[schwein]

From the post above by MikenNH, it seems that the fatal flaw is in the teeth,so perhaps they would have given in some spots that I did not inspect. This being said i was fully expecting to see a belt with cracks in it and with much more physical wear than was on the old belt.

I also checked the Toyota Owners page to see if anything was listed, and the only items that were really posted were when it was under my wife's uncles care and he was having it dealer maintained, otherwise the shops i bring the cars too don't really post things on any mechanics portals or anything hence why i keep paper receipts of work done, haha.

 

[ZiaMan]

You can’t really see the difference unless you compare old to new side by side. Mine had the same miles as you and looks great. However when you compare to new the teeth are much sharper and defined where yours have been rounded a bit.

 

[hinmo24t]

im someone who has experience a timing belt breaking while driving at 40 mph...you want to change them on time i was lucky enough to only have to spend $2800 in repairs for 4 bent valves on my wrx. it had 38k miles on the car at the time.

water pump seized and belt dragged over it until it melted off. black smoke pouring out of bay and then it killed itself before cylinder or piston damage. just bent every valve.

 

[MikeinNH67]

im someone who has experience a timing belt breaking while driving at 40 mph...you want to change them on time i was lucky enough to only have to spend $2800 in repairs for 4 bent valves on my wrx. it had 38k miles on the car at the time.

water pump seized and belt dragged over it until it melted off. black smoke pouring out of bay and then it killed itself before cylinder or piston damage. just bent every valve.

That sucks but goes to show it's not just the belt to worry about. Many failures are brought on by failed pumps and idlers. An oil leak that is getting on the belt will also give it a short life.

 

[tom4416]

That's how they all look right before they start chunking out teeth, then they slip and take out more teeth or break, and then the pistons contact the valves. I've changed many a timing belt (not on a V8 Toyota) and never had one look like it was ready to die. Given the cost associated with bending valves on a Toyota V8, it's not something I would ever push.

 

[ac1617]

It really depends on the climate your vehicle lived in. Up here in Canada I just had the timing belt done after 12 years and 138k kms (85k miles) and the belt was cracked to hell and water pump was leaking.
I bet if I lived somewhere warm and humid the belt would've looked brand new.

 

[AuSeeker]

It really depends on the climate your vehicle lived in. Up here in Canada I just had the timing belt done after 12 years and 138k kms (85k miles) and the belt was cracked to hell and water pump was leaking.
I bet if I lived somewhere warm and humid the belt would've looked brand new.

The fact that your water pump was leaking will make the belt fail or wear prematurely, another member on here replaced his timming belt but not the water pump, the pump developed a leak and his new belt failed within if I remember correctly in about 30,000 miles or less, it appears that the coolant will deteriorate the belt rapidly.

 

[ac1617]

The fact that your water pump was leaking will make the belt fail or wear prematurely, another member on here replaced his timming belt but not the water pump, the pump developed a leak and his new belt failed within if I remember correctly in about 30,000 miles or less, it appears that the coolant will deteriorate the belt rapidly.

Coolant causes rubber to crack? How does your coolant hoses survive many years of use if that's the case?

 

[AuSeeker]

Coolant causes rubber to crack? How does your coolant hoses survive many years of use if that's the case?

Different rubber formulations, the timming belt rubber is formulated for strength not to resist chemicals, the rubber on the hoses is formulated to resist chemicals, heat and to expand.

That being said I wouldn't have though that antifreeze would be that bad if it got in contact with timming belt until I read what a member here reported happened when his water pump leaked coolant onto his relatively new belt, which was an OEM belty not a cheap aftermarket belt.

Also thinking back to my past and old school V-belt and the mnay water pump replacements I have done over the years, I have always had to replace the V-belts when replacing a waterpump that was leaking, most all were deteriorated, I never put 2 and 2 together I just figured they were old, but now in retrospect I believe it was the antifreeze moreso than age or wear.

 

[info4tim]

(Updated PSA: Toyota Recommends replacing the Timing Belt every 9 years or 90k miles, The information below is my personal experience and should not be assumed as standard for all cases)



Hey everyone,



Just thought I would share, I had my 2003 4runner Limited with 107k on the clock in for its first Timing Belt Kit, Radiator and CV Axle today anyhow, I asked the guys in the shop to save the parts so I could see the condition before they tossed them in the trash.



Anyway, I picked it up about 20 minutes ago and to my surprise the parts looked in phenomenal condition, keep in mind this is a North East Rig with 107K miles and is a 2003 so essentially 16 years old and has never had a timing belt done! This has been family owned (passed down to my wife from her uncle at 37K, She had it till about 95K when she got a 2014 4Runner and I have had it since) so I am fairly positive the belt has never been done at least not under my wife and my's watch. Nothing shows up on the Toyota owners website either..



Unless I am missing something, this thing looks like its in great shape.



107k Belt 16 years old!!!!











Either way, thought I would share as its a testament to the durability of these rigs!

My 03 bought new...orig belt(which I believe is really a timing chain), alt, starter, rad, cvs... 252K


Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

 

[AuSeeker]

My 03 bought new...orig belt(which I believe is really a timing chain), alt, starter, rad, cvs... 252K


Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

If you have the V6 then yes you have a timing chain and not a belt, the chain is good for around 300,000 miles for the most part, if you do have a V8 it has a belt and it should of been changed twice at this point and coming up for another replacement in about 18,000 miles, should be every 90,000 miles if it's never been changed then you're WAAAY overdue, if it breaks then the engine will need to be either replaced or rebuilt!!

 

[anonymousgromers]

2004 v8 limited here, changed original belt with 170,000 miles pics below.

 

[AuSeeker]

2004 v8 limited here, changed original belt with 170,000 miles pics below.

Man as I'm sure you know you're very lucky that belt didn't break and do a lot of damage to the engine!!