Timing Belt Condition after 216k Miles...

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fooldall1

fooldall1

Handy Enthusiast
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Location
Prairieville, LA.
Apparently, the previous owners *never* changed the timing belt... *sigh*. While changing the Tensioner and Idler, I was disappointed to see this. I figured they HAD to do it at least once, though there was no sticker under the hood.

I don't even want to crank it till I get this fixed (along with the other TB kit parts). This kind of explains also, the noise coming from what I THOUGHT was the Idler pulley (did the stethescope test on Idler). Is it possible that a failing water pump can transfer sound to the Idler through the Thermostat?

I've yet to pull the belt and run the engine to test that theory.

20170220_164356.webp
 
Yeah man that's scary! Good thing you caught it before it was too late!!!
 
Wow, that's ready to rear it's ugly head at any time...
 
I'm amazed that y'all can forecast imminent doom from a picture. We like to brag about "designed for third-world use" but go into histrionics when not maintained to a first-world, 1-percenter, schedule. Seriously, you think EVERY car gets a timing belt change, let alone on schedule? :lol: I see a belt with surface cracks. What am I missing???
 
Timing belt failures are exceedingly rare on these rigs. My '04 had never had one changed when I replaced it at >180K. I bought it at 140+K. :meh: just not a big deal on these engines. Not saying don't replace it, but there's bigger fish to fry, and there have been precious few belts that actually look bad coming out of these engines.
 
Toyota Timing belts are rock solid. I got my toyota Sprinter (geo Prizm) timing belt done at 177K miles for the first time and it was exactly like that. It has even changed colors!
That's how good toyota parts are.
 
Run it till it breaks, it's only money.

If I saw my belt look like that I'd park it.
 
Giving how wide that belt is and how many layers it has I would not be worried to start it.
The only thing that takes the belt out instantaneously is usually the tensioner or pump / pulley bearing failure.
Don't get me wrong I'm not advocating for not replacing belts when scheduled or running it over 200k miles but this belt will not brake today by itself.
Cheers !!
 
99toylc said:
Giving how wide that belt is and how many layers it has I would not be worried to start it.
The only thing that takes the belt out instantaneously is usually the tensioner or pump / pulley bearing failure.
Don't get me wrong I'm not advocating for not replacing belts when scheduled or running it over 200k miles but this belt will not brake today by itself.
Cheers !!
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@fooldall1 - Same thing I told you a couple days ago, Jason. :-)
 
re_guderian said:
Timing belt failures are exceedingly rare on these rigs. My '04 had never had one changed when I replaced it at >180K. I bought it at 140+K. :meh: just not a big deal on these engines. Not saying don't replace it, but there's bigger fish to fry, and there have been precious few belts that actually look bad coming out of these engines.
Click to expand...

I am just nervous at heart, this is a daily driver for me. I am not rich, and rarely have extra cash for car repairs (especially costly ones) so the thought of Bent vales, shaft, Broken piston(s), etc makes me extremely cautious. The fact that it COULD happen is very scary.

gatormark91 said:
@fooldall1 - Same thing I told you a couple days ago, Jason. :)
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Mark, THIS is the ONLY reason I even considered driving to Publix this afternoon for some food. ;) It's like you said.. "You wouldn't be a Hundy owner until you uncovered something the previous owner neglected to fix".
 
fooldall1 said:
I am just nervous at heart, this is a daily driver for me. I am not rich, and rarely have extra cash for car repairs (especially costly ones) so the thought of Bent vales, shaft, Broken piston(s), etc makes me extremely cautious. The fact that it COULD happen is very scary...
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Honestly, if that's your situation and mindset, you're in the wrong car. Legitimate repairs can be much higher than average cost. Yes, it COULD happen, but so COULD a thousand other things that are more likely. Like heater tees, brake master cylinder, ignition cylinder breakage and even transmission failure ( '99-'01). ALL of those will leave you stranded, NONE of them are in the dealer maintenance schedule, and with the exception of thev heater tees, ALL are more expensive than a timing belt. If money's tight, prioritize... You can count on less than two hands the number of timing belt failures on here, on less than one hand the ones that just "snapped" and weren't taken out by loose bolts, leaking pumps, or seized bearings. Of those, I can't recall any having valve issues. And yes, I know MUD doesn't reflect all 100 series, but it's a pretty decent sample size, the best one there is outside of Toyota NA's reliability database.

Anyway, not trying to talk anyone out of changing a belt, just do it rationally. Especially if money is tight. I changed both mine within the last year or two. One because it had never been done, and the other was pushing 130k and the fan pulley bearing went out, so it was a no-brainer to do it then. This "don't drive it if over 90,001" is just silly. It's the irrational paranoia of people who have more money than brains to think about the situation rationally, and have a need to create drama in their lives where none exists.
 
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That's about what the belt looked like in my GS400 when it got changed in November. The car's at 192k miles. It was almost certainly original.
 
What's being missed here is the reason for the OP going into the front of the engine in the first place----an abnormal noise that may be a failing tensioner/pulley/idler/pump bearing. If none of those moving parts, including the serp belt and T-belt, have been changed for 216K miles, it's time to do so as a top priority PM at the lowest cost you can arrange. And do the heater "T's" while the coolant is drained!
 
250,000 miles on my truck. Belt has never been changed. Darn....



Just jinxed myself.
 
re_guderian said:
I'm amazed that y'all can forecast imminent doom from a picture. We like to brag about "designed for third-world use" but go into histrionics when not maintained to a first-world, 1-percenter, schedule. Seriously, you think EVERY car gets a timing belt change, let alone on schedule? :lol: I see a belt with surface cracks. What am I missing???
Click to expand...

BEST POST OF THE WEEK!!!
 
fooldall1 said:
I am just nervous at heart, this is a daily driver for me. I am not rich, and rarely have extra cash for car repairs (especially costly ones) so the thought of Bent vales, shaft, Broken piston(s), etc makes me extremely cautious. The fact that it COULD happen is very scary.
Click to expand...

I thought it was pretty well established that a 2000 is a non-interference engine.
 
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