12 yrs and 200k miles later on timing belt

[mtbtim]

Yes one change and that was it. Used the valvoline full synthetic stuff but I really didn't need to change it as it was red and still clean. I've had not issues with my transmission at all. I probably will not change it ever again cause its not on my list ever again. To tell the truth I have never changed Trans oil in any of my cars. Lol

Like I said, that is truly amazing. Knowing what I know about transmission temps and how long the lubrication properties of the fluid will supposedly last in relation to the temps tells me your interval of renewing the fluid, or more appropriately lack of renewing the fluid, is not good for the life of the transmission.

I don't know if you're just lucky you haven't developed a transmission problem or everything I've read about this subject is wrong. Anyway, I'll stick with my maintenance schedule of renewing the fluid on a regular basis because I doubt I'd ever want to try out your method of not changing it and then regret that decision when my transmission dies and early death. I do drain and refills every 10,000 miles to keep my trans fluid in good shape. And, some people just wait longer and renew the entire capacity doing a DIY flush.

 

[Lindenwood]

This is certainly good to hear about how ruggedly reliable these powertrains are, but this is not a practice to which I'll subscribe haha.

I admit am probably one of the more anal guys about preventative MX on this forum. But, Murphy tends to follow me around so I don't like to tempt fate, and I definitely don't like being stranded! That said, I would have no worries about stretching my TB interval to 120k (I just did mine at 134k, and will probably do it again at 250k).

Also, this thread is exactly why I am always so skeptical about the condition of used cars . "Runs and drives great" might be true at the time, but when they rattle out from under you 3 years and 50k miles later it is kindof frustrating . (And really, I am more referring to 100k+ transmission fluid changes and such).

 

[nissanh]

I'd do the timing belt 100K miles or 10 years. Even if it is non-interference engine, I am not going to get stranded on a lonely road in a desert without AC on a hot summer day!

 

[NegroTundra]

Purchased my 1998 with 190k miles on original timing belt. I pulled cover when I bought it, and it was badly weathered. Replaced it recently for peace of mind. Impressive number, OP, but I do wonder what it looks like.

I'm with Tim about the tranny situation, your playing with fire on that one!

 

[mtbtim]

Also, this thread is exactly why I am always so skeptical about the condition of used cars . "Runs and drives great" might be true at the time, but when they rattle out from under you 3 years and 50k miles later it is kindof frustrating . (And really, I am more referring to 100k+ transmission fluid changes and such).

This is why I ask if the owner has maintenance records and I check the CarFax for service records as well. Lack of service records is why I shy away from buying a used vehicle from a dealer. If the vehicle was always dealer serviced, you'd be able to pull a good service history from a CarFax but if the PO got it serviced mostly at independent shops, you're not going to know shit about the history which makes the purchase a big crapshoot.

Some people look at shiny paint and a nice clean interior and think that means the vehicle was well taken care of, but in reality, that doesn't mean a whole lot, at least not to me. Shiny paint and a nice interior are good things but I'm mostly interested in how they took care of it mechanically.

 

[boulder]

Ill take a look at it soon here and take pics of it to see if it's weathered. Tim the tool man I must have the best transmission ever but for some reason this thing just doesn't seem to want maintenance. I have really bad worn shocks but I've been driven so long like this I'm used to it. It also handles better thru I70 on the curves due to stiff suspension. I kinda feel bad for her and I almost got rid of her but it would be like losing my son so I am keeping her. It needs new shocks and springs badly. Lol. This thing is a ****ing beast. That's all I got to say period.

 

[Lindenwood]

I hope people take this thread simply as a testiment to the overall quality of these vehicles, and not as justification to skip out on basic maintenance "because it hasn't broken down yet!"

 

[idlingmike]

Despite the difference of opinion, I'll have to admit you do have a logical point.

If the belt inspection looks good, I keep it in there.

 

[darrinholst]

I find it interesting that nobody has posted anything about having their TB break. I just bought a 98 with 141k and zero maintenance records. I'm now thinking about canceling the appt I have this Friday to get it replaced and putting the money into maintenance that I can do myself.


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[Tyler James Inc]

I love this thread [emoji1376]
My 4Runner doesn't appear to have been taken care of overly well before I owned it.
I noticed my valve covers are seeping, so I checked the bolts- yup, all only hand tight ATM [emoji23] To be expected [emoji1360]
I doubt the TB/WP has been done, because there is no writing or sticker indicating so. I can't say for sure, but I'm assuming it's original, and has 250k+ miles on it. I have checked it, and there are no cracks, so I'm not worried about it.
The transmission oil? Hm, never even checked that! Has it been changed? No idea. Is it low? * Does it shift great through all the gears with nice firm shifts? Yup. And I have a R150F waiting to go in if the auto happens to go ( • )( • )'s up on me!
Now, LBJ? IDFW those. I think the OEM lasted 240k(without failing), but I replaced them as soon as I was able to do so.
These are built bulletproof [emoji1360]
Aside from those things, I have been religious with oil changes, have fresh fluid in the diffs and tcase, replaced the fuel filter, intake filter a couple times, etc.
I'd like to replace my engine and trans mounts. I know it's not a common thing to replace, but I've heard of very pleasant improvement with new mounts. I'd love to have my rig drive just like it did when it rolled off the lot. I think the most expensive component is going to be a new OEM steering rack.
Edit-
Talking about the trans reminded me: if you haven't taken the slack out of your cables at the throttle body, I highly suggest you take a few minutes to do so!
My rig feels a little peppier, and definitely shifts better, as well as grabs much more seamlessly when I set the cruise! I remembered seeing a thread about it, so I finally did it a few weeks ago. Night and day difference on my '97!

 

[thegipper]

I hope people take this thread simply as a testiment to the overall quality of these vehicles, and not as justification to skip out on basic maintenance "because it hasn't broken down yet!"

I agree with this completely. I choose not to replace my TB yet because I know it's condition.

I take very good care of my vehicles and keeping fluids fresh is one of the easiest/cheapest ways to keep your rig running for many years. Keeping up on other basic PM is just as important.

Having said all of that, I am still a firm believer in "if it ain't broken, don't fix it".....to a degree. I have screwed myself too many times by trying to "fix" something that wasn't broken to begin with.

In the case of the OP with his tranny fluid, there is no logical reason to not change the fluid. The fluid is cheap, the work is easy, and your transmission will thank you for doing it even if it hasn't "complained" yet...

 

[TheDurk]

I agree with this completely. I choose not to replace my TB yet because I know it's condition.

I take very good care of my vehicles and keeping fluids fresh is one of the easiest/cheapest ways to keep your rig running for many years. Keeping up on other basic PM is just as important.

Having said all of that, I am still a firm believer in "if it ain't broken, don't fix it".....to a degree. I have screwed myself too many times by trying to "fix" something that wasn't broken to begin with.

In the case of the OP with his tranny fluid, there is no logical reason to not change the fluid. The fluid is cheap, the work is easy, and your transmission will thank you for doing it even if it hasn't "complained" yet...

If you want more data bits, read the mega thread on YotaTech:

https://www.yotatech.com/f2/how-many-miles-your-3-4l-timing-belt-55233/

If you do, you will learn the belt almost never breaks on its own. What usually happens is the water pump leaks and that kills the belt real fast, or the water pump or an idler seizes, or the tensioner loosens up and the ribs get shredded by the crank sprocket.

My decision was to wait until 120k, and then change tensioner, both idlers, water pump and timing belt. Works out to every ten years or so for me. Seems about right for peace of mind.

 

[zcruiser]

Nobody has mentioned strawberry milkshake... That's not one to gamble on... If you have the original radiator, put in a B&M external bypass transmission cooler NOW.

 

[StreetCreeper]

Ok hold on to your hats, I think I might be ahead of the pack on this.

I'm not sure I even really want to know how old my TB is. What I do know is that the PO wasn't sure, but thought maybe it was done years ago around 125k which sounds about right at least mileage-wise. However, there is no record of it and no sticker on the cover. So at worst it has never been done (I highly doubt this though) and at best it has about 295,000 miles on it.

It's been scheduled a few time to get it done, but I keep changing my mind as to whether I want to drop $700 at a shop or save some cash and do it myself. Never done a timing belt before so I'm not relishing the prospect.

As TheDurk mentioned above already, it's the water pump and other bits that are wearing out faster than the belt itself. Lately I've heard the faint squeaks from what I think might be the water pump starting to fail.

I guess I should move the TB to the top of my to-do list...

 

[thegipper]

If you want more data bits, read the mega thread on YotaTech:

https://www.yotatech.com/f2/how-many-miles-your-3-4l-timing-belt-55233/

If you do, you will learn the belt almost never breaks on its own. What usually happens is the water pump leaks and that kills the belt real fast, or the water pump or an idler seizes, or the tensioner loosens up and the ribs get shredded by the crank sprocket.

My decision was to wait until 120k, and then change tensioner, both idlers, water pump and timing belt. Works out to every ten years or so for me. Seems about right for peace of mind.

I agree Durk, the belt rarely outright fails, at least on this vehicle. My 89 Jetta GLI had the ribs get ripped off because the belt was so old and worn. This caused the timing to be off and since it was an interference engine, the engine was toast.

Most of the other things you mention can and will fail at some point but most will usually give you signs first. The water pump will usually weep or the bearings will start to make noise before it outright fails.

I decided to wait on the TB because it's not my primary vehicle and the other components you listed are in good condition as of last year.

My biggest "fear" with my rig, knowing its history, is the fact that it got a pink milk shake about 12k miles ago.

My suggestion to other would be if you are unsure of the mileage/condition of the TB and other components, I would lean towards replacing it, especially if its your DD.

 

[thegipper]

Nobody has mentioned strawberry milkshake... That's not one to gamble on... If you have the original radiator, put in a B&M external bypass transmission cooler NOW.

Or at the very least, replace the radiator but that's a whole different topic.

 

[nobb]

I have no doubt that the OEM belt (or any decently made timing belt) is actually a very sturdy component and can realistically go more than double/triple its rated lifespan. Even when the rubber rots out, there are still multiple strands of tough inner rope to fail before total timing belt failure occurs. Belt stretching may possibly be more of an issue than a complete failure.

It's very rare for timing belts to fail on their own. Usually it's because of fluids contaminating the rubber, or seized water pump/tensioners. IMO, I think it's a waste of time to replace just the belt if you are not going to also do the associated parts like bearings, cam/crank seals, tensioner, water pump, etc because the service life of those parts are likely not much longer than the belt itself.

 

[LittleCaesar]

When replacing my original fifteen year old belt, pump, tensioner, idlers, etc, I found the tensioner to be maxed out. In removing the old belt it looked as if it could have gone another fifteen years. But everything had stretched to the point that the marks on the cams against the marks on the cam backing plate didn't line up precisely.

IMHO, even if the belt doesn't break, replacing it, the pump and everything else will make one's 5vz much peppier and mechanically stout.

Changing these timing belts aren't that hard, but they can be time consuming.

 

[animator]

I had nearly 200k on mine before changing it. It could have gone longer, but the water pump was weeping a bit, and one of the idlers had a slight whine to it, so I replaced everything.

Probably won't open it up again until somewhere in the 300k range.


But changing the belt was very simple to do. If you're familiar with working on cars, it's as straight-forward as it gets. But if you've never opened the hood before, it might be a bit of a challenge...

 

[zcruiser]

Or at the very least, replace the radiator but that's a whole different topic.

Actually that's why my B&M is in series, because the PO put in a new radiator.