Timeing belt ?

Register to hide this ad
Was thinking about doing it any body got some "oh yeah" I need to know? Mine is not bad but I am @ 109,000 so just planning ahead.

The good news is they very rarely break until much higher mileage than you have. It's more common to see the water pump leak or fail, taking the TB with it. (A pump leak will kill the belt in no time.) I deliberately waited until 120k, then I did TB, water pump, thermostat, rad hoses, both idlers, the tensioner and the three drive belts. As long as you don't have any coolant disappearing, I think this is a responsible approach.

I did mine myself and saved a lot of coin. It's a big job but doable by non-pro with decent skills. Not for a beginner. Here is my favorite DIY.

http://www.nwtoys.com/forum/general-tech/325-5vz-fe-timing-belt.html
 
Last edited:
Also, be sure and use quality parts for the install. I used a cheapo water pump from Autozone and it crapped out on me in 40k miles, taking the timing belt and the idler pulleys with it, not to mention a long tow back to the house, and a long Saturday redoing that instead of something fun. If you do what TheDurk did, you'll be set for a long time.
 
90k is the recommended change and some people have gotten 200k out of them before breaking. So proper change interval is somewhere between that.
If you wait and it breaks, it just breaks and you get towed but the engine will be fine since it is a non interference motor.

Personally, I say wait until you see signs of wear, the water pump needs, changing or something else has you tearing it down to that part. But for me, if it breaks, it isn't a big deal. I have 100 miles of free towing and a company vehicle so breaking is nothing but a minor inconvenience.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
278,309
Messages
3,554,068
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Trending content

Back
Top