Timing Belt Age

changingtime · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2011 1:10 pm

I have about 94k on the first timing belt...built in late 2005. Starting to wonder if age of belts matter? I know some folks may have low mileage and this may be more of a concern for them in the upcoming years.

When it comes to timing belts...I don't like to screw around...I usually get mine change a few thousand miles before the recommendation.

I don't want to be the unlucky winner: :BINGO:

papaindigo · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2011 2:02 pm

Interesting question. Wonder what the answer is as I have only just cleared 40,000 on my 2005 and stoutdog's 06 is at about the same place. Given that the recommendation is keyed to total miles not miles or time whichever comes first I'm guessing age is not much concern but... Back when I drove gas vehicles with rubber band timing belts they all did fine up to when the belt was replaced at the appropriate mileage interval and even then we drove fewer miles than "average" per year.

racertracer · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2011 3:32 pm

The mechanic just took mine off and it shows signs of wear, lots of wornspots like dips in the belt reducing the belt thickness.

I realize now how a tooth could slip off the cam. The belt jumps because it loses it's original thickness, the thinner it becomes from wear the more of a possibility of a failure.

I don't think that the belt breaks and causes the catastrophy but that the worn out dips in the belt causes the teeth to jump off and skip a tooth or two.

2005 liberty CRD with 103,000 miles.

naturist · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2011 5:33 pm

@racetracer, they do indeed break. I haven't seen many on THIS board, but the TDI board (hundreds of thousands of TDIs in the US and Canada) sees folks crying the blues all the time. Diesel engines cannot be built without the space the valves and the pistons overlapping, yet there are always folks expecting to drive their diesel engine Jetta, Golf, or Passat until the belt breaks, then whining about the cost to repair them.

It is SOOOOOOOO much cheaper to replace the timing belt in a timely fashion. Sometimes the TDI belts merely jump a tooth or two, but usually they break completely. I see no reason to suspect a CRD would behave differently.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2011 6:14 pm

Yes much cheaper just to replace the belt. New belt is $80 from rockauto.

arengant · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:02 pm

Sir Sam wrote:

Yes much cheaper just to replace the belt. New belt is $80 from rockauto.

So you are for sure going with gates over OEM?? I remember the discussion that some parts you don't want to go cheap on

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2011 8:39 pm

arengant wrote:

Sir Sam wrote:

Yes much cheaper just to replace the belt. New belt is $80 from rockauto.

So you are for sure going with gates over OEM?? I remember the discussion that some parts you don't want to go cheap on

I trust the gates name brand. I think its fine.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 30, 2011 10:34 pm

What was ever wrong with timing chains or gear to gear timing?

You guy's think it's bad having to change the belt every 100k just think what kia owners are thinking with 40k intervals :ROTFL:

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2011 12:33 am

tjkj2002 wrote:

What was ever wrong with timing chains or gear to gear timing?

You guy's think it's bad having to change the belt every 100k just think what kia owners are thinking with 40k intervals :ROTFL:

My Nissan has a 60k interval.............though with the kevlar belt available for it it jumps to 120k.

flman · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2011 5:38 am

Sir Sam wrote:

arengant wrote:

Sir Sam wrote:

Yes much cheaper just to replace the belt. New belt is $80 from rockauto.

So you are for sure going with gates over OEM?? I remember the discussion that some parts you don't want to go cheap on

I trust the gates name brand. I think its fine.

I would trust Gates, they have been making belts forever. Also the synthetic composition of the CRD belt allows it to age just fine. The cogs are wearing not the fibers internal to the belt. I only have 45K on my 06 Limited that I purchased new, so maybe that belt will be on the engine for over 10 years?

dirtmover · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:13 am

arengant wrote:

Sir Sam wrote:

Yes much cheaper just to replace the belt. New belt is $80 from rockauto.

So you are for sure going with gates over OEM?? I remember the discussion that some parts you don't want to go cheap on

Gates is one of, if not the, market leader in synchronous belt technology and have a long history manufacturing them. They make OEM belts for many of the auto manufacturers. I would trust them.

Incidentally Gates recommend replacing at 60,000 miles or 6 years when the manufacturer doesn't recommend a replacement interval. Since Chrysler didn't specify an age I'm planning to go with Gates recommendation and replace mine next year at 6 years (~70k miles).

OTOH look at some of the poor design (cost reduction) decisions made by Chrysler on our vehicle. Do you trust their choice of part?

jeepdan · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:51 am

I don't know if it was a fluke or what , but the Gates belt that I installed was difficult like it was a little too short.
The two Mopar belts fit better but they were marked Slovenia

racertracer · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2011 10:18 am

The Gates belt is thicker and may last longer but the increased thickness makes it difficult to install, It's tight... tight and puts unwanted stress on the shafts of the pulleys, tensioner, and maybe even the water pump.

A failed water pump can quickly lead to a leaky head gasket, or cracked cylinder head, I can speak from experience on this one and $2500.00 is the replacement price tag.

The thicker TB may last longer but if it wears out the other moving parts what good is it.

Go with the OEM TB, why redesign the wheel. The VM design team has already done the design work on the engine, and 100K miles is the mark for all the parts to be swapped as a whole, I would stick with it why take the chance, for 50 dollars more, it just isn't worth it.

dirtmover · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2011 3:18 pm

racertracer wrote:

Go with the OEM TB, why redesign the wheel. The VM design team has already done the design work on the engine, and 100K miles is the mark for all the parts to be swapped as a whole, I would stick with it why take the chance, for 50 dollars more, it just isn't worth it.

Hmmm, I think I'd install a Gates timing belt before I sign up for testing proto glow plugs :shock:

arengant · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2011 3:27 pm

racertracer wrote:

The Gates belt is thicker and may last longer but the increased thickness makes it difficult to install, It's tight... tight and puts unwanted stress on the shafts of the pulleys, tensioner, and maybe even the water pump.

A failed water pump can quickly lead to a leaky head gasket, or cracked cylinder head, I can speak from experience on this one and $2500.00 is the replacement price tag.

The thicker TB may last longer but if it wears out the other moving parts what good is it.

Go with the OEM TB, why redesign the wheel. The VM design team has already done the design work on the engine, and 100K miles is the mark for all the parts to be swapped as a whole, I would stick with it why take the chance, for 50 dollars more, it just isn't worth it.

dirtmover wrote:

OTOH look at some of the poor design (cost reduction) decisions made by Chrysler on our vehicle. Do you trust their choice of part?

This is what I was wondering, what parts did Chrysler chose over VM

racertracer · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2011 4:00 pm

dirtmover wrote:

Incidentally Gates recommend replacing at 60,000 miles or 6 years

Well that makes sense, since the thicker belt will put stress on the other parts reducing their life span.

painemann · **Joined:** Sat Dec 20, 2008 7:02 pm **Posts:** 607

dirtmover wrote:

racertracer wrote:

Go with the OEM TB, why redesign the wheel. The VM design team has already done the design work on the engine, and 100K miles is the mark for all the parts to be swapped as a whole, I would stick with it why take the chance, for 50 dollars more, it just isn't worth it.

Hmmm, I think I'd install a Gates timing belt before I sign up for testing proto glow plugs :shock:

I second that!

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2011 5:19 pm

jeepdan wrote:

I don't know if it was a fluke or what , but the Gates belt that I installed was difficult like it was a little too short.
The two Mopar belts fit better but they were marked Slovenia

I've installed both a gates and a goodyear OEM belt, I felt that the new belts were both equally hard to install.

I should also note that the used belt was also just about as difficult to install as a new one.

retmil46 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 31, 2011 6:20 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

What was ever wrong with timing chains or gear to gear timing?

Agreed!! My first 87 300D had 135K miles on it when I bought it. Not knowing the history of the car, or wanting to dink with it again for a few years, I had the mechanic install new timing chain, guides, tensioner, rails, etc - at the end of which he said "that'll do you for the life of the car". Just check and adjust the timing every 50 or 100 K miles to adjust for chain stretch, and unless it stretches to a certain point, never needs to be replaced.

BlackLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:21 am

I got an OEM Mopar belt and it had Goodyear written on it.

Timing Belt Age

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