Most miles before timing belt change?

wolcott · **Joined:** Thu Nov 10, 2005 4:16 pm **Posts:** 108

I have 85,000 miles on mine, and I'm thinking about changing the belt at 95K to 100K. I was thinking of changing it myself, but the last posting on the timing belt change in the CRD tech forum was pretty discouraging--changing the belt has the possibility of being a very tough job. I'd love to see a forum started rating dealerships that have changed these belts so that those of us who feel that changing a belt is right at the limit of our skill level would have an alternative.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:49 pm

Lots of belts can look visibly good - right up until the break. We see this all the time on nissan motors, belt LOOKS perfectly fine, other than the break and the now bent valves.

On a timing belt visual inspection means very little.

steve03sport · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:10 pm

im at 94k now. how much am i looking at to have this service done? or just the belt price and how hard is it to do? or can someone help me?

Silverdiesel · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:22 pm

Whats the word - envasive- where the upstroke of the piston and the open position of the valves share the same space. Of course not at the same time but they will try with a failed timing belt!
that's the nasty part!
Changed mine at 99875 - done by an independent diesel mechanic (his first VM Motori but has done lots of TDI's) and after the new install truck ran smoother, quieter, and with more power! :BANANA:

Roland

nalu · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 11:42 pm

Made it to 145k before I changed it myself. Thanks again to this forum. The belt that came off was cracked and there was red dust from it all over everything. One of the rollers needed replacing badly. Of course I replaced everything I could get to. I wish that I had purchased the other gasket to go one step deeper and replace the water pump. No special tools, except the tech write-ups found here and a patient friend to help. I was very lucky that it didn't break before I got to it. Then again I feel lucky every time she gets me where I'm going. Lucky to drive it and lucky that I made it. I'm getting awfully close to 200K for things to be running this smoothly.

UtopiaCRD · **Posted:** Fri Dec 03, 2010 12:32 am

At 45K and haven't changed it. :goink:

I think I'm in last place in this race.

Thinking about buying another CRD with higher mileage just so I can change one. I feel left out.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Fri Dec 03, 2010 3:04 am

Silverdiesel wrote:

Whats the word - envasive- where the upstroke.......................

Interference.

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:35 am

UtopiaCRD wrote:

At 45K and haven't changed it. :goink:

I think I'm in last place in this race.

I'm further back with a whopping 38K :BANANA:

stoutdog · **Posted:** Tue Dec 07, 2010 1:25 pm

Joe Romas wrote:

UtopiaCRD wrote:

At 45K and haven't changed it. :goink:

I think I'm in last place in this race.

I'm further back with a whopping 38K :BANANA:

37k here!

Gabe Watt · **Posted:** Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:17 pm

I just hit 85K and I am starting to research parts and method for the changing the timing belt. Is there a complete write up on the changing of the timing belt? I haven't dug that far into a motor in a long time (10+ years) so I feel a little intimidated and just want to know what I'm getting into before I decide to do it on my own or have it done for me.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Tue Dec 07, 2010 4:41 pm

Gabe Watt wrote:

I just hit 85K and I am starting to research parts and method for the changing the timing belt. Is there a complete write up on the changing of the timing belt? I haven't dug that far into a motor in a long time (10+ years) so I feel a little intimidated and just want to know what I'm getting into before I decide to do it on my own or have it done for me.

Hey Gabe!

Here is the parts list:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=47123

Here is one how-to:
viewtopic.php?f=98&t=45522

Any you probably know most of this by now, and I'm not sure if it was written when you first joined up, but here is the noob guide:
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=54207

You should hit up jeepin again man.

Gabe Watt · **Posted:** Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:00 pm

Hi Sam!

Thanks for the links. Looks like I have a lot more reading to do. But for right now it is looking like I will be taking this to a mechanic. I just don't think I have the needed tools or skills to do this right.

I would stop by jeepin, but im pretty busy these days. i sure do miss the hours of pointless reading tho...

mdalien · **Joined:** Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:22 pm **Posts:** 41

171000 when the water pump started to leak. :JEEPIN:

Crash227 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 18, 2010 10:47 pm

My water pump on my 06 Liberty CRD went out at 40k miles. No overheat indication until heater blew cold air with 0 degree weather out. Did get a idiot light that said "low coolant" but I was driving at night and miles from a gas station or other place to stop. Anyway, the engine was toast by the time I pulled over. Chrysler stepped up (36k warranty) and replaced the cylinder head, and water pump. Then the engine block and turbocharger a few weeks later. I presume that means the timing belt was also changed at 40k. I now have 105k miles and will definitely change my timing belt in the spring when I don't have to heat my garage. No sense taking a chance with any "interference type engine" where the pistons crush the valves when the Timing Belt goes out. My daughter drives a 2002 Ford Focus (interference type engine) with 100k miles and I will change that timing belt this spring too. If the engine is a "non interference type" then a broken timing belt is nothing but an inconvenience (done that).

dieseldabbler · **Joined:** Sat Oct 06, 2007 3:55 pm **Posts:** 1

I replaced the timing belt at 97k miles. Thought about doing the water pump, but the dealer couldn't locate one conveniently and, since he was 100 miles from my home, I opted to just have the timing belt changed. After all, I hadn't heard of any water pump failures on the CRD.

Not a bright idea!

At 126k the water pump started leaking. The low coolant light came on during a trip and I had to top up, about a quart at a time, every 100-200 miles or so over the next 1000 miles. I really tried to convince myself that it wasn't the water pump. It's not easy to see the pump or the hoses near it. I finally decided I had a bad pump.

So, at 127k I replaced the pump AND the timing belt. Although I had replaced the timing belt just 30k miles earlier, I wasn't going to waste the effort this time. I had all the parts in place before the work began. It turned out that the pump bearing was significantly worn. The shaft had a lot of play and I think I am lucky the timing belt didn't jump.

My recommendation ... change that water pump when you change the timing belt!

steve03sport · **Posted:** Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:09 pm

ok im gonna noob off here but.... i need this anwsered. i called the place i take my jeep for oil changes and asked how much to get the timing belt changed and the guy told me "no need to change it, they have a chain not a belt and dont need changing. WTH???? please help thanks guys :shock:

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:53 pm

steve03sport wrote:

ok im gonna noob off here but.... i need this anwsered. i called the place i take my jeep for oil changes and asked how much to get the timing belt changed and the guy told me "no need to change it, they have a chain not a belt and dont need changing. WTH???? please help thanks guys :shock:

Your KJ has the 3.7 V6 gas engine that does use 3 timing chains and no need to change till around 250,000+ miles(design life for chains),these guys are talking about the 2.8 CRD engine that does have a timing belt.

audiboy86 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 23, 2010 1:43 am

Don't worry i read your post steve03sport and my first though was time to change mechanics. But then i saw you weren't a CRD :oops:

big sigh of relief here. And Troy is right as usual timing chain they normally last the life of the vehical and here lately longer then the vehical. But i would suggest changing it at the interval suggested because if it breaks it could get rather exspensive.

CRDMiller · **Posted:** Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:17 pm

I just want to throw in there that the low coolant indicator saved my booty and my crd, you see that sob, you need to stop right the hell then and check it out.

I am not looking to criticize anyone etc i'm just saying. I lost a hose from the viscous heater to , well hell i don't remember where it went, but i pulled over immediately and had lost around 2 gallons of coolant in about 30 seconds. If i had not noticed it, or the large quantity of coolant spraying out of my hood louvers, I would have been in it deep. I was several thousand miles from home, and my recent hose inspection showed no problem (pre trip, 3 days earlier) A improperly instaleld and unnoticed constant tension clip allowed the hose to slip off when i was flooring it onto a freeway ramp when cold (eastbound i40 to the 55 south.) I have never accelerated like that with the viscous heater on as far as I know, as it never gets cold here.

Last thing you want is a dead water pump in a crd while on vacation.

tonycrd · **Posted:** Thu Dec 23, 2010 2:07 pm

If your waterpump dies bad enough the T-belt will snap.

Luckaly the construction of the VM's cilinderhead sets the valves at a straight angle to the pistons. So bending valves is highly unlikely. As a failsave the rockers will bend or break.

You may get away with only swapping those out (need to take the cams out to be able to do so, still a big job).

Anyway, as I mentioned before, IMO you are already pushing the boundries of T-belt live. Overhere we change the belt at 100k KM's, or 62k miles. (which is quite normal for us)

You guys do it at 100k MILES or 160.000Km's...almost twice the distance...

And how many years does it take some owners to reach 100k miles? Belts get weaker with age as well....

EDIT: I need to get back on that previous statement, that only goes for te 2002/2004 2.5/2.8 CRD. After 2005 the interval suddenly goes up to....100k miles. (according to the FSM's)

Strange. Imo engine construction didn't change, timing belts after 2005 were still made of rubber.

Most miles before timing belt change?

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