[V8] my timing belt

[urq]

... one of the reasons I bought the V8 I lovingly refer to as #2 was that it
had recent engine work ... including a documented timing belt replacement.
I'm sure the belt had less than 10K miles on it when it failed.  There is
ample evidence that a typical failure interval is 60K miles, but I wonder
how many cars have gone much farther.  What would have been great would be
to check the belts on the cars that failed at 60K to see if there were any
characteristic signs of impending failure.

On #344 I had the tensioning mechanism fail ... don't remember the mileage.
If it weren't for the extra pins in the 5-speed heads that keep the belt
from jumping teeth I probably would have had major work to do on that car
too.  

Steve B
San José, CA (USA)

-----Original Message-----

I had a similar experience. A friend bought one with 124xxx on it, and we 
had to do some trans work. When we got it on the road, the belt went in 
about 2 miles. DOH!!

I also have the records for a parts car I bought. 213K, one owner. The 
original belt went at 58K.

So, it's 50K intervals for me, that way I know it won't go on me. The 
problem with these belts is they are very long, and they stretch. As stated 
by some of the list members, time is just as important as milage. That is 
why, because the belt will dry and stretch with time. On the 124xxx car, the

belt still *looked* fine. However, it stretched enough to skip about ten 
teeth, and the intake valves on the passenger side were all bent. 1/4" gap 
between the lifters and the cam :(

Tony

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rich Ehlert" <bkrddrvs at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [V8] my timing belt


> In August 1999, when I bought my car, a '93 4.2, I picked it up at the
> location in Portland, Or, that has replaced the timing belt  The mileage 
> at
> that point was just under 60,000.  In fact, by the time I got back to
> Spokane, a 450 mile trip, it had turned 60,000..  In July, 2006, with just
> 120,650 miles on it, the timing belt broke, and it cost me $3,000 to fix
> everything and to install the belt, etc. I had just purchased to do the
> change.  That has been my experience with timing belts.  Do not take a
> chance unless you have 3 grand burning a hole somewhere
>