TIMING BELT...MILEAGE or AGE...???

[JoFotoz]

Any thoughts...1999 but only 20,000 miles..

..timing belt change is 100,000.

That'll take me another...lets see....

...40 years or so!!

Does age have a major impact on when to change...:_thinking

Thanks

jo

[VX KAT]

Any thoughts...1999 but only 20000 miles.. maybe?

.

[JAMAS]

Any thoughts...1999 but only 2000 miles..

..timing belt change is 100,000.

That'll take me another...lets see....

...40 years or so!!

Does age have a major impact on when to change...:_thinking

Thanks

jo


Rubber does deteriorate over time. Wear and tear will speed things up.

Check to see if there is any cracking and perhaps make a judgment call.

[circmand]

Any thoughts...1999 but only 2000 miles..

..timing belt change is 100,000.

That'll take me another...lets see....

...40 years or so!!

Does age have a major impact on when to change...:_thinking

Thanks

jo

Check mahufacturers website for a new one for time status. The elements will certainly dry out one just sitting their plus forces wii cause it to warp like a tire going out of round if left parked for too long Also you can treat it as well to extend life

[Ldub]

I dunno if this will clarify or muddy...:_thinking

But here are sixty or so opinions...

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://action.publicbroadcasting.net/cartalk/posts/list/667809.page&ei=k6rQS_uHNJHSNY7B6O4P&sa=X&oi=forum_cluster&resnum=2&ct=result&cd=3&ved=0CBEQrAIoAjAB&usg=AFQjCNFi8pLtU_rWeyMs8ANbgOc3nCE8gg

[nfpgasmask]

I dunno, I did mine at 90k or so and the belt looked fine. I know, I know, you can't really tell from looking at it.

Bottom line is, it can't hurt, it's not too difficult to do yourself, so if you got the cash and the time, do it for peace of mind.

Bart

[JoFotoz]

Ummm yea I did mean 20K..



.

..thanks Kat.

jo

[JoFotoz]

Head Mechanic at St Charles said..


....MMMMmm..good question. :eek:


I'm thinking age gets it , and its time to change.

jo

[RickOKC]

Hey, if you have the cash lying around (and don't want to send it to me), then "why not!"

My bro-in-law/great friend has an import repair shop so I often seek his advice. I'd asked him about the recommendation of changing the oil at 3k miles vs. the manufacturer's suggested (gulp) 7.5k after I bought a newish car a few years ago. He said, "Well, heat is pretty harsh here and you do a lot of city driving. 7.5k is really a 'general' recommendation. You'd probably be fine, but I'd say with those factors 5k would be better. But, if you have the cash to change it every 3k miles, that's 'fairly cheap insurance' in my opinion."

Maybe your timing belt (and water pump while you're there?) falls into the "Insurance" / peace of mind category.

[rowhard]

Head Mechanic at St Charles said..


....MMMMmm..good question. :eek:


I'm thinking age gets it , and its time to change.

jo

insert 2 more cents

If it was exposed to UV and other stuff, for sure age would be a determining factor. But since it is protected from the environment,... well, hell, I don't know. Think you could extend the life span some

[blacksambo]

insert 2 more cents

If it was exposed to UV and other stuff, for sure age would be a determining factor. But since it is protected from the environment,... well, hell, I don't know. Think you could extend the life span some

Mine has 125K on it and it's doing fine. I just wouldn't race it or do anything drastic.

[lasturbo]

I would say do it for peace of mind and the fact the the 3.5L is a no tolerance motor and can bend valves if it breaks, right? 100k is 6.5 years at 15k a year so it is due by a timeline. Heat and time are contributing factors. Like the others stated, check for cracks and the ribs for dry rot. I think I read in past post to do the water pump and tensioner at the same time while you r in there.

[rowhard]

I would say do it for peace of mind and the fact the the 3.5L is a no tolerance motor and can bend valves if it breaks, right? 100k is 6.5 years at 15k a year so it is due by a timeline. Heat and time are contributing factors. Like the others stated, check for cracks and the ribs for dry rot. I think I read in past post to do the water pump and tensioner at the same time while you r in there.

good advise

[Anita]

I am seeing my most beloved Isuzu mechanic this weekend: an interesting question so Im gonna ask him

[RallyDude]

I was under the understanding that this was a non-interference motor, not a no tolerance motor. On Interference motors, the valves collide with the pistons when the timing belt breaks. I'm a brand new owner, but I thought I read on here that it was a non-interference motor, so you end up getting towed, and paying for service wherever you are, which is bad enough, but it's not a whole new motor. Who'd want a motor without tolerances any way?

[VX crazy]

We do have the non interference engine in the vx

[JAMAS]

We do have the non interference engine in the vx

I wouldn't want to be the first person to put that to the test.

Anyone lose a timing belt and still have that engine?

[VX crazy]

its been discussed and verified from Isuzu, someone posted the technical info a long time ago

[circmand]

protects the belt from UV rays you have to remember when driving and extended period of time heat builds up under the hood which will affect the life of the belt and everytime you start the engine forces are put on the belt going from stopped to speed. Like a lot of things it is not the regular operation that puts the worst stress on an item it is the chaging from one stage to another.

[VX crazy]

:madb2:serpentine belt and timing belt two different things people! how are uv rays going to affect the timing belt which is not exposed???????????

[tom4bren]

& remember the thread on tire dry rot???

It appears that it's ozone rather than UV that is the primary contributor to dry rot.

[samneil2000]

I don't know if mine has ever been replaced. I figured it will get replaced when it breaks. I'll let ya know how that goes.

[tom4bren]

I don't know if mine has ever been replaced. I figured it will get replaced when it breaks. I'll let ya know how that goes.

We've seen the pix. You'll be armpit deep in TN gumbo when that happens.:)

[samneil2000]

Man, that would suck. I actually haven't had it in anything that nasty since then. I'm not real big on trying to get all that mud out from under all the hiding places.

We've seen the pix. You'll be armpit deep in TN gumbo when that happens.:)

Back O/T: I guess losing a timing belt while on a precarious incline or other off-road situation would make things interesting. I would imagine the brakes wouldn't have a lot of holding power once the engine dies.

[JoFotoz]

In my chat with the head mechanic at St Charles yesterday , when I asked ..

..... he confirmed our engine is the "no interference" variety.

He said NO issues with it breaking.

So..changed my mind....Think I'm gonna get a spare belt for now......and keep :_steering

jo

[nfpgasmask]

My water pump was leaking pretty bad so I changed my belt, pump, tensioner and a few other things at 90k. To my eye, the belt looked fine. No cracking visible but I don't think you can see stretching in the belt with your eyes.

Personally Jo, I think you will be fine given the amount of miles you haven't put on your VX. However, if you are leaking coolant from around the water pump (will be visible on the timing covers) then I would go ahead and change it.

Otherwise, you will likely be fine for a while longer I would think.

Bart

[circmand]

:madb2:serpentine belt and timing belt two different things people! how are uv rays going to affect the timing belt which is not exposed???????????


Stress from starting and stopping in addition to extreme heat.

[RallyDude]

Jo Fotoz,
Chances are your are not going to know where your going to breakdown and a timing belt isn't something you are going to repair roadside. If you don't mind getting towed for a few extra years of service, go ahead. But with ozone destroying the belt, wait for it to happen and then buy the belt and the new one should last longer.

[JoFotoz]

With a spare belt and 200 miles AAA towing...



Jo Fotoz,
Chances are your are not going to know where your going to breakdown and a timing belt isn't something you are going to repair roadside. If you don't mind getting towed for a few extra years of service, go ahead. But with ozone destroying the belt, wait for it to happen and then buy the belt and the new one should last longer.

....I think its a good precaution.

jo

[alterastro]

My experience has been that belts are usually 60,000 mile OR 6 years, whichever comes first (replace 60,000 and 6 with whatever is relevant to the particular model), but rubber won't last forever. I've just replaced mine at 50,000 miles, but 13 years old. I'd certainly be worried if I had one over 10 years old that hadn't been done, no matter what the mileage.

Nick

[circmand]

What does it cost to get the belt replaced and how much extra for the water pump that has been suggested?

[Mile High VX]

Ex-Isuzu dealership in CO wanted $925 to do the job with new water pump, etc....

[nfpgasmask]

Ex-Isuzu dealership in CO wanted $925 to do the job with new water pump, etc....

That's not bad since I paid about that much JUST FOR THE PARTS to do this maintenance...

Bart

[tom4bren]

DANG - I just ordered all the parts to do this maintenance for my Eclipse & the bill was only $200.

[nfpgasmask]

Well, you can get kits for the 3.5 for a lot less than what I paid. I'm just picky and I refuse to put anything but OEM in my VX. The prices for each part are listed on my website.

Doing the belt only would be stupid, IMO. You need to do the belt and water pump at least. Once your in there, you have to remove the old belt, and when you do that, it take only a few extra minutes to swap out the water pump.

Bart

[tom4bren]

The kit I bought includes:

belt, tensioner, and idler pulley; Complete with detailed instructions

I also purchased a water pump which comes with gasket.

As long as I don't break anything or need any special tools - I'm all set.

BTW/BOT: I noticed when shopping on line for the kit, they do recommend replacement at age/mileage on timing belts.

[nfpgasmask]

The only "special" tool you might need is something either bought, rented or home made to get the crank pulley off. If you have or can borrow an impact wrench, that should do the trick....

Bart

[blacksambo]

My local Isuzu dealer will do the belt for $269.00.