Oldest timing belt you've ever seen?

[LCRyGuy]

Hi everyone, I picked up a 99 UZJ100 that had 275k miles with rear locker October 2016. At the time of purchase the major issue was a starter and an ignition coil; everything else seemed "ok". During some routine checks after purchase I looked at the timing belt and it was brown, cracked and polished like a leather belt. After doing the normal timing belt, water pump, idlers service I saw the casting date on the water pump I took out was October 98! Anyone else ever seen one go this long before??? I couldn't believe it... I seriously got lucky.

 

[LX470Mack]

A friend of mine sold his immaculate 2005 with 250'000kms and with original Timing belt we thought has been replaced. Still looked new.

 

[AMGAndrew]

My '99 with 220k. Waterpump housing was also 98.

I think the general consensus at this point is that the belts don't fail unless either the waterpump, idler or tensioner pulleys seize and end up taking out the belt.

 

[feddomw]

Not a timing belt but a chain, yet interesting nonetheless, posted by the guys that do my maintenance:

WHAT's IN A CHAIN ?

Chains can be very important in life. If you give one to your misses, better give a nice one of good quality or it will hunt you for looooong time.

☺

☺

☺

In Landcruiser engines, the ones that have chains, its the same story, go for quality and that is what the engineers at TMC in Japan understand very well. Not a low quality that after 150.000 km creates a serious mess inside your expensive engine ( on a rainy day, far from home, at the start of your holiday ).

Some chains are running a very curvy track so they have a tough job to do for long time.Quality is of utmost importance and that comes at a price.

Pictured is a new Toyota chain alongside a used one that has done close to 400.000 km !!! It is still in very good condition and only stretched a very little bit. The broken chain ( from a famous German brand ) has less than 150.000 km and created a serious hole in the unhappy owners wallet.

Just wanted to share with you that it pays off to go for quality.

FWIW: I changed out belt and waterpump on my 2005 with 265K km, pump was original for sure and it looked like new. We could honestly not tell the difference between new and old when looking at it.

 

[2001LC]

Belts will stretch & fail (break) independent of pumps or pulleys, according to failures report in mud.

Factory pumps tend to last a very long time with properly maintained coolant system. That said keep in mind the factory is require to build a certain number of spare parts. Where casting dates is strong evidence, it's not conclusive.

 

[Lowbudgetlc100]

mine was like that at 160k

My '99 with 220k. Waterpump housing was also 98.

I think the general consensus at this point is that the belts don't fail unless either the waterpump, idler or tensioner pulleys seize and end up taking out the belt.

 

[2000_land_cruiser]

I just purchased a 99 with 220k on it. It's a 2nd owner and the owner that I bought it from purchased it with 70k on it. He said he had never changed the timing belt... I'm looking at 220k miles with no belt change.

 

[bpe3]

My 2001 LX had its TB changed at 101k by the PO. I had no intention of changing it again, but the fan clutch failed at 210k an TB and WP became while-you’re-in-there items. They are quite robust.

 

[BamaHeel]

I’ve got a friend w a tundra which has 350k. He’s never changed the timing belt and has no intention to do so.

 

[BullElk]

I’m sure there could be a lot more life and longevity obtained from the timing belts, water pumps, etc. if folks weren’t so OCD about changing before there’s is an actual reason to.

I’ve never had to change a water pump in 10 LX/LC in 22 years and who knows how many miles. Just sayin.

 

[Spike555]

Timing belts do not fail, they do not stretch, they have flex but they do not stretch. They have steel or nylon in them, they fail when something else fails and takes them out.
Same thing with serpentine belts. They only fail when something else takes them out.

With a properly maintained cooling system the water pump will last nearly forever.
Engine coolant has a lubricant built in, waterpumps fail when not properly lubricated or strain, such as a locked up fan clutch. (For cooling systems where the clutch fan bolts to the water pump)

 

[MuseChaser]

Are the 100 series engines interference or non-interference? IF the belt fails for whatever reasons, what does it take out with it? One person told me these are interference engines and, if so, a timing belt failure would be a VERY catastrophic failure financially on top of the inconvenience of being stranded, no? Has any one actually HAD one fail and, if so, what was the result?

 

[KFunk740]

Are the 100 series engines interference or non-interference? IF the belt fails for whatever reasons, what does it take out with it? One person told me these are interference engines and, if so, a timing belt failure would be a VERY catastrophic failure financially on top of the inconvenience of being stranded, no? Has any one actually HAD one fail and, if so, what was the result?

Several threads here say, for the earlier non-vvt 100 series: they’re technically interference in writing, but only because they’re realllly close to being interference if there’s some carbon on top pistons and valve springs are weak, it might bend some valves. Someone has spun cam and crank by hand in all possible ways and can’t feel resistance. I can’t find any real documented case of one breaking and bending valves, but maybe it’s happened.
The later vvt 100 engines though, I think a few people have bent valves on them.

 

[Spike555]

Are the 100 series engines interference or non-interference? IF the belt fails for whatever reasons, what does it take out with it? One person told me these are interference engines and, if so, a timing belt failure would be a VERY catastrophic failure financially on top of the inconvenience of being stranded, no? Has any one actually HAD one fail and, if so, what was the result?

As a general rule of thumb engines with variable valve timing are interference engines and severe engine damage may result in timing belt failure and NON variable valve timing engines are not interference engines. This a a rule of thumb for all timing belt engines.
Supposedly these engines are interference engines even without variable valve timing.
There are reports of both engine damage and no engine damage. But those reports, so far, are few and far between and have little credibility to back them up. And timing belt failure on these engines is very very few as far as I have seen. I have not been around as long as some of these guys, just what I have seen in the few years since I've owned mine and the research I did before buying.

 

[Spike555]

http://www.sdp-si.com/PDFS/Technical-Section-Timing.pdf

Everything you ever wanted to know about a timing belt.

But let me boil it down for you, the core of the belt is either steel, Kevlar, glass or nylon.

 

[EZDog]

I recently had a belt blow on an '08 4runner and it sure interfered with the valves and engine insides.
The truck had 108k on it and had had the belt changed before I got it by an incompetent mechanic with no clue or conscience seemingly.

This actually happened to me and is not anecdotal.

I have a Toyota Dealer that I do work for that was less than no help really and they wanted a crazy price to put a new engine in it and I was told it was the "Family"or Employee discount to boot.
Every mechanic there also wanted to just buy the truck from me as well?
I ended up paying them $300 for the "Diagnostics" and towed it away.

I have not worked there since.

I took it to another friend and they tore into it and found the replacement belt job had included some unknown sealant that had fouled the sprockets in the belts path and caused the thing to slip 6 teeth ultimately and when it went it damaged the engine requiring replacement evidently.

All of this sounded like B.S. to me but I decided to cut my losses and sold the truck as-is for about what I had in it luckily and stewed on it until I found the 100 and jumped back in.
The 100 had one changed at about 110K according to Service Records at the Dealer.

I also have a V8 Tundra with 150K on the original belt and was told by the lead mechanic at my "Family" Toyota store when it hit 90K that he had never seen one break and that they would take my money and do the work but it was nit something to really worry about or even consider if I didn't want to do it.

I don't want to change it obviously but still can not decide even after having one go already but with other added help it seems too.

 

[2001LC]

The VVti was introduced in some 2005 models. If the engine is a 4.7 2uz-fe "VVti" don't chance it, get your belt done at the earlier of ~90K miles or 7 years. Dealerships want around $13K to replace a blown engine, as I'm sure you now know. Just make sure it's a shop that specialize in Toyota. Don't try and save ~$100 on the job by not replacing pulleys or tensioner.

Non VVti, well let it go as long as you want, those likely only cost you a tow.

 

[FxFormat]

I recently had a belt blow on an '08 4runner and it sure interfered with the valves and engine insides.
The truck had 108k on it and had had the belt changed before I got it by an incompetent mechanic with no clue or conscience seemingly.

This actually happened to me and is not anecdotal.

I have a Toyota Dealer that I do work for that was less than no help really and they wanted a crazy price to put a new engine in it and I was told it was the "Family"or Employee discount to boot.
Every mechanic there also wanted to just buy the truck from me as well?
I ended up paying them $300 for the "Diagnostics" and towed it away.

I have not worked there since.

I took it to another friend and they tore into it and found the replacement belt job had included some unknown sealant that had fouled the sprockets in the belts path and caused the thing to slip 6 teeth ultimately and when it went it damaged the engine requiring replacement evidently.

All of this sounded like B.S. to me but I decided to cut my losses and sold the truck as-is for about what I had in it luckily and stewed on it until I found the 100 and jumped back in.
The 100 had one changed at about 110K according to Service Records at the Dealer.

I also have a V8 Tundra with 150K on the original belt and was told by the lead mechanic at my "Family" Toyota store when it hit 90K that he had never seen one break and that they would take my money and do the work but it was nit something to really worry about or even consider if I didn't want to do it.

I don't want to change it obviously but still can not decide even after having one go already but with other added help it seems too.

I have only heard of one other case where a TB broke on a 4.7, and that was because it was changed too. I've never heard of a factory TB break, there are documented cases of belts going near 300K and did not break. My coworker's dad has a V8 4runner with 258K miles on the same belt, he doesn't plan on changing it either. In conclusion, if you change the belt, and eff it up, it'll break, leave it alone from the factory, chances are it won't.

I just bought an 01 LX with 130K miles, belt has never been done, shall i be the guinea pig and just drive it until the belt breaks and we'll see what mileage that is? Bought the truck for 4 grand so i won't lose much if the thing blows.

 

[BullElk]

Bought the truck for 4 grand so i won't lose much if the thing blows.

Not sure if you should chance it. Looks like you used all your luck in the buy.

 

[EZDog]

My understanding is that we all have an Interference engine by design but that the VVt versions are more prone to a belt failure being fatal than the earlier non variable models.

When mine broke there were no obvious outward signs of what had happened either and the truck just died quietly and I tried to restart it as I imagine we all would.
I am told this might have made it worse too?

Why exactly would this be such an expensive routine service item if not needed?

The mechanic who suggested to me that he had not seen them break never suggested that all would be OK if one did and this is an '01 that I was asking him about.