Re: 5-Cylinder Timing Belt

[zm@mhcnet.att.com (Zafer Mehmood [209])]

> 
>      All this talk about pistons meeting valves reminded me that my timing 
>      belt may be about due. I have an '87 VW Quantum Syncro (read: Audi 
>      4000S Quattro) with the 2.2L 5-cylinder. I replaced the timing belt 
>      around 60K miles and now have about 117K miles on the car. My 
>      maintenance manual says absolutely *nothing* about replacing the belt! 
>      I don't want to determine empirically whether I have an interference 
>      or non-interference engine, so what is the collective net wisdom on 
>      when I should replace the timing belt?  (BTW, I checked with the local 
>      dealer.  He said to look at it every 15K, but I'd always heard that a 
>      timing belt could fail when it looked perfectly good.)
>      

>From all the discussions we've had here, the 2.2l 5 cyl normally aspirated
(non-turbo) engine is freewheeling i.e., of the non-interference type.
I think every 90K miles is a good interval for timing belt replacement.
I had the belt replaced on my 87 5000TQ at 118K miles (for the first time)
and there were many tiny cracks on its outer surface. Every 60K is
conservative and probably worthwhile doing if you have the special pulley
tools and can do the job yourself.


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Zafer Mehmood				   AT&T Bell Laboratories
zm@mhcnet.att.com			   Murray Hill, NJ