[s-cars] sheared crankshaft-gear key

[mtgadbois at aol.com]

Dave,

I was going to stay out of this but you wrote:

"It should also be noted that more responses to this post are coming to me 
off-list than on-list... due to "sheer" (pun intended) desire to avoid entering 
the debate. Most recently, one shop, that I am vaguely familiar with, touched 
base claiming in excess of 300 timing belt procedures without a single keyway 
failure... and elaborating that they haven't even seen one. To me, this is just 
another set of data points to consider."

Be careful of your sources.  I believe you are in Denver?  My beast came from there 6 
years ago with 80,000 miles.  It had the timing belt service done at 60,000 by what
I believe was considered to be a reputable shop out there.  Needless to say at 100,900
miles the car experienced a timing belt failure.  What I surmised is that the small
bolts that hold the gear to the harmonic balancer backed out. I did not bother to 
call the shop that did the work in D.  I fixed it myself - only 4 bent valves.  
I wonder how many people would go back to the first shop - I wouldn't and didn't.

Mark near Chicago