timing belt age as a sole replacement indicator

[Walter Moore]

August..Florida.. as a native-Floridian I know how awful garage work in
August can be. If I'm feeling brave I may do this myself.. $200 or so for
the parts and the tool kit rental, plus $??? for my learning curve. :-)

(PS: I live in Clearwater, grew up in Coral Gables and went to UF)


On Wed, Apr 23, 2014 at 3:21 PM, Mike Arman <Armanmik at earthlink.net> wrote:

>
>
> Timing belt on an I-5 is a pretty easy and fast job. The quote of $950
> evidently is because the mechanic's yacht payment is due.
>
> I used to do them in about 2.5 hours from open hood to wash hands. I'd
> cheerfully do three a day at $950 each, where do I sign on? (Lets see, $950
> times 3 times 5 days times 50 weeks is $712,500 a year . . . so I'll hire
> someone to do it, pay them $20 an hour and keep the difference!)
>
> Old timing belts make me nervous, and old timing belts that haven't been
> run make me even more so. Rubber can take a "set" as well as harden over
> time, and if you start that up, the belt is quite likely to break or at
> least loose some teeth. Timing belts are cheap, engines are not - if in
> doubt, change the belt!
>
> You'll need the lock tool. I've heard of people getting the crank bolt out
> without the tool, they lock the crank with the end of a pry bar (that's
> also a good way to get hurt when it slips), but you really can't get it
> back on tight enough without the tool. A couple of lengths of pipe are a
> great help, and you'll want a big torque wrench on reassembly.
>
> Make sure the water pump gasket face is smooth and not pitted, otherwise
> it will probably leak. Believe it or not, JB weld can often be used to fill
> any pits, and you file it smooth after it hardens.
>
> The V8 is a "tad" tougher . . . a bunch of special tools needed, hundreds
> of dollars in rollers, tensioners, the water pump, various seals and other
> bits, and the first one I did took me almost 13 hours (spread out over
> three days of sweating and cussing in the middle of August in Florida).
>
> Best Regards,
>
> Mike Arman
> 90V8Q (still for sale)
>
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-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------------+
Walter R. Moore --  moorewr at gmail.com

"We would rather be ruined than changed;
We would rather die in our dread
Than climb the cross of the moment
And let our illusions die.”
             W.H. Auden