Timing belt roulette

[CortinaDave]

Mate of mine has a 99 Focus TDDI with 140k on the clock. He decided finally to put a timing belt on it last week. It still had the original belt on it. 140k!!!

 

Just curious to know if anyone can beat that in terms of high miles with the original belt still clinging on valiantly ?

[Richard]

A few years ago my friend and I picked up a free Peugeot 305 Diesel in Bedfordshire and drove it back to Fife. Just before we set off for home the owner told us it was on the original belt at 180k.

[dollywobbler]

I wouldn't dare. I get seriously paranoid about it. Did the Golf really need a cambelt? Who knows? Did it anyway.

[Junkman]

As long as a belt change costs 100 quid and a used engine 50, I just can't be arsed.

[Sigmund Fraud]

Further to what Junkman said... As long as my shite have non-interference engines and valid recovery cover, I can't be arsed either.

[skattrd]

I'm with DW on this one, if in doubt change it. After a previous incident water pumps also get done at the same time as the cambelt.

 

I don't think I've ever knowingly owned a car with a non-interference engine.

[Pillock]

Cambelt roulette will happen more and more now you need special tools and triple-jointed arms to change a belt. I bet some manufacturer comes up with a way of requiring an ECU reset after every belt change to stop DIYers.

 

My only experience of cambelt roulette involved a fairly sudden stop 5 miles from point of departure in my new purchase, and 5 hours of breakdown recovery. It wasn't an old belt, but it had a bit of slop in it.... "nnnah, that won't jump any teeth" said I. "CRUNCH" said the valves, piston and a fair portion of the head.

[Split_Pin]

Incidentally, the TB interval in my dad's Volvo S60 is 90k or 10 years. I said he should check out the Volvo forums to corroborate this in case it was the usual dealership bolix, bit it's true. Apparently the 850 is 105k.

[hairnet]

only owned 2 cars with belts

 

in about 20

 

and didnt have either long

[overrun]

The B19 engine in my 26 year old Volvo 360 was on its original belt.

It had only covered 60 odd K miles, but that was taking the piss a bit, given the age.

 

My Escort is currently on borrowed time, too.

[TagoraSX]

215k on an Isuzu Trooper with FSH

[cobblers]

My mums MX5 is doing well, 120k on the original (1996) belt, supposed to have been changed ten years/66k ago.

It's non-interference so I'm somewhat cheating, but it's only got to last a few more months and the thing is getting broken.

[skattrd]

215k on an Isuzu Trooper with FSH

 

That reminds me, I went to see a Volvo a couple of years back with full service history. I asked about belt change and the seller just kept going on about the history, so I checked the history ... It was 120k since it had been done. I then pointed out the belt was overdue by 60k, to which he just said, yeah, but it's got full history .... I walked away whilst shaking my head.

[chaseracer]

I wouldn't dare. I get seriously paranoid about it. Did the Golf really need a cambelt? Who knows? Did it anyway.

Any idea when the Merc last had one? Admittedly, this is a moot point right now...

[Sigmund Fraud]

Any idea when the Merc last had one? Admittedly, this is a moot point right now...

 

<COUGH>chain<COUGH>

[Jim Bell]

Volvo 850 2.0 16v

 

268K

 

If it wasnt the 1st belt, it was certainly the second.

 

 

[hairnet]

^^ that (hehe)

[phil_lihp]

In 2012 my 1988 Nova was still wearing its second belt from new, last changed in 1998, although the mileage was only 60k.  It was my first priority following the brake rebuild, however that doesn't seem so bad now compared to some of these!

[trigger]

My 1985 Alto was still on it's original cambelt when we changed it, mind you it had only done 22000 miles but still.

[Hertz]

Depends on the car I suppose, just done Mrs Hertz's Beetle Convertible as there was no sign of it being done in the history (79k miles 2006 Model). We have had it for 18 months so my gambling instincts finally gave in.

 

The final bill with a full service and water pump change was nudging 500 beads. I'm not sure what's worst, the feeling of seeing that bill or the sleepless nights of worrying about it snapping!

[Junkman]

500 rhinestones? You could buy two cars for that sort of doh and both without a rubber band driving the camshaft.

[Jim Bell]

Fan belt by screwdriver:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surely timing belt cant be much harder. On a modern.

[phil_lihp]

Probably belongs in the Stupid Question thread but what makes a cambelt change more difficult/expensive on some cars?  Surely the only real differences would be the number of belts & pulleys it goes round? 

 

I should admit that the only one I ever did was the Nova's and that was ridiculously easy, marked everything up, locked it in gear and slipped the old one off leaving the water pump in situ.  Dropped the new one on, turned the engine by hand a few times, job done.  I appreciate that's not the recommended method but why do some take so long to do?

[overrun]

Space and access.

[Spiny Norman]

Probably belongs in the Stupid Question thread but what makes a cambelt change more difficult/expensive on some cars?  Surely the only real differences would be the number of belts & pulleys it goes round? 

 

Go look under the bonnet of a 1600 Cortina and then a Fiat Coupe turbo and the answer will be obvious.

 

Just as I read the thread title I realised that out of the 40 or so cars I've owned I've had a cambelt changed once, and that was on an Alfa 156 just as I discovered that the recommended interval had been changed from the 72k it said in the original handbook to 36k. The clock was on 48k at the time and I really liked the car and was going to keep it.

Most of the cars I've had have either had chains or gears, or have been so cheap I've just thought 'if it goes, it goes'. I've had one belt snap on me in all the time I've been driving and it wasn't on my own car.

[Barry Cade]

Volvo 850 2.0 16v

 

268K

 

If it wasnt the 1st belt, it was certainly the second.

 

 

 

 

268k isn't bad, but someones pinched 4 of your valves. Or you have 6 too many.

[Jim Bell]

24 then. So many cars/valves/memories.

I round down to the nearest 16 to make lesser valve owners feel less inferior.

[Jim Bell]

Or 20.

[Jim Bell]

Maybe 8

[Jim Bell]

Stop me if I get warm.