1G Way overdue for timing belt replacement?

[XC92]

My '92 Talon TSi has under 78k miles on it and for whatever reason I thought the last time the TB was replaced was at 18k miles, so I was due. But looking at my records, it was actually replaced at around 30k, so I'm still good mileage-wise. Thing is, this was--and please don't laugh--in late 1997, over 23 years ago. So according to this site's maintenance schedule (as of 2009 at least), I'm WAY overdue for a replacement, by 19 years or so.

So, do I change it RIGHT NOW, or else I'm simply tempting fate and should be thankful it didn't break yet, or more like ASAP, within the next few months or so, and use it as little as possible until then? When I popped the top cover it look "ok", but I understand that this means nothing.

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It's just that I was hoping to drop my trans to fix an issue with it popping out of 1st, which makes it both unwise and unpleasant to drive. Plus a bunch of other related issues I'd like to deal with like a sloppy clutch pedal, clutch hose I'd like to replace with a SS one, new or rebuilt clutch MC, new shifter bushings at both ends including the base, plus replacing the rear bushings and ball joints.

What tends to kill a TB under normal (i.e. not racing or very aggressive) use, age or miles? I assume it's the OEM since it was last changed for a factory recall, which some here probably remember (or recall, heh).

Of course when I do change it I'll change everything, balance belt, idlers, tensioners (OEM), water pump, etc. And in a way it doesn't really matter if I replace it now or after these other tasks, since I won't be driving or even running it much in the meantime.

 

[dustyboner]

i would be more worried about the balance shaft belt, if it wasn't changed when the timing belt was, it would be over mileage.
you should probably inspect it if your gonna be driving the car some before you change out all the timing shit.

 

[steve]

So, do I change it RIGHT NOW, or else I'm simply tempting fate and should be thankful it didn't break yet, or more like ASAP, within the next few months or so, and use it as little as possible until then? When I popped the top cover it look "ok", but I understand that this means nothing.

...

And in a way it doesn't really matter if I replace it now or after these other tasks, since I won't be driving or even running it much in the meantime.

IMHO Change it but I think you've figured it out. Sounds like you have enough to do that it's time to pull the car from service and start addressing it's issues. Just remember that once you start there will likely be many more things you discover that need addressing, "while you're in there".

 

[ThunderChild]

Replace it now. 23 years on a belt is asking for destruction.

 

[pauleyman]

My car went 14 years with no change. Original timing belt from new. I drove it off the transport and parked it. Immediately changed it. Very first thing I did within a week of new ownership

 

[tstkl]

I bought a 1991 stealth RT/TT that hadn't been driven in 17 years and other than driving it onto and off of the tow truck I didn't turn it on until I changed that belt. Do you consider the cost of a new/rebuilt head insignificant?

 

[XC92]

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IMHO Change it but I think you've figured it out. Sounds like you have enough to do that it's time to pull the car from service and start addressing it's issues. Just remember that once you start there will likely be many more things you discover that need addressing, "while you're in there".

Yeah isn't that usually the case? But I've already done so much on the car and it's still in pretty good shape considering its age, so I'd be surprised if there was something major that needed to be done that I haven't already done or anticipated and planned for. Suspension, frame, steering, brakes, trans, clutch, flywheel, rust, etc. Been there, done that.

As for the TB, I guess with all the downtime on working on the car I've been spending too much time thinking about what needs to be done and too little doing it. Long, cold, tough winter, month-long cold, other cars needing more immediate work, etc. I knew it needed to be changed ASAP. Mostly just wondering if time does its thing on a belt as much if not more than actual usage. Dry rot and whatnot.

 

[steve]

Mostly just wondering if time does its thing on a belt as much if not more than actual usage. Dry rot and whatnot.

I'm too chicken to find out.
I change them every 10 years or 60k whichever comes first and as the first thing I do on a used car that has a timing belt vs a chain. I'm less likely to feel like the tensioner and pulleys need changing if the mileage on them is low. The factory didn't require them to be replaced until the second interval but most of us did each time to be safe.

Mine is on the third belt (original, recall, replacement) and will be due for a new one due to age.

 

[XC92]

There are indeed things about which it's good to be chicken!

But I was just wondering if anyone's had the bad experience, or know of someone who had such an experience, of having a TB break on them because it was overdue and they neglected it, and if so whether it was likely more age than miles that did it.

Plus, I wonder how often they actually do break, on well-made cars that are otherwise well-maintained, using high quality belts and other parts, if not replaced at or fairly soon after they're scheduled to be replaced?

I'm guessing that they don't break all that often unless you REALLY put it off too long, like double the miles or triple the years, and that the replacement schedule is very conservative. For good reason of course, given the likely consequences if they do actually break. Not a theory one should want to test, but I'm just curious.

 

[pauleyman]

There are indeed things about which it's good to be chicken!

But I was just wondering if anyone's had the bad experience, or know of someone who had such an experience, of having a TB break on them because it was overdue and they neglected it, and if so whether it was likely more age than miles that did it.

Plus, I wonder how often they actually do break, on well-made cars that are otherwise well-maintained, using high quality belts and other parts, if not replaced at or fairly soon after they're scheduled to be replaced?

I'm guessing that they don't break all that often unless you REALLY put it off too long, like double the miles or triple the years, and that the replacement schedule is very conservative. For good reason of course, given the likely consequences if they do actually break. Not a theory one should want to test, but I'm just curious.

I don't think it's conservative at all. I knew a guy that bought dozens of these cars in the 90s at auction. He ran a small car lot and the lot was probably 80 % dsm. I've personally bought a few belt victim cars and flipped them. I don't even go 60k anymore. I change at 40k. But hell even when I daily drove the car I only did about 10k a year.

 

[XC92]

But how many miles/years since the last TB change on those cars and how well were they otherwise maintained? And I say it's probably conservative because companies tend to build a lot of slack or leeway into how far you can push their products before they break or malfunction and such, but to play it safe for both legal and human behavior reasons, they set the official limit well below the actual likely limit.

So I doubt it's really 60K/4Y. Probably more like 90K/8Y or 120K/12Y, and they figure that most folks will likely push it to 70, 80, 90 or more miles, or 10 years or more, and likely still be ok with all that overengineered slack. I'm talking OEM or similarly high quality belts of course. With crappy ones it's a totally different situation I'm sure. But they have to take human psychology and how people actually do things into account.

But, that in no ways means that one should push it beyond the recommended limit. Just that one probably can and be ok, but it's not a good idea to try.

 

[1990TSIAWDTALON]

My experiences are that the balance shaft belt goes to hell and THEN it takes out a Timing Belt. I have one motor that, when I pulled the front cover, had that belt wadded up behind the timing plate so it could have killed that motor at any time. Food for thought and has been mentioned.

 

[streetraceboi]

Do it for piece of mind. The cost of replacing it doesn't come close to the cost of replacing bent valves, or the small chances of taking the pistons out with it.

 

[KCDsmDude]

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IMHO Change it but I think you've figured it out. Sounds like you have enough to do that it's time to pull the car from service and start addressing it's issues. Just remember that once you start there will likely be many more things you discover that need addressing, "while you're in there".

The truest statement I've ever seen .