Preventative Maintenance, Timing Belts (yes, again)

[desertrefugee]

Hopefully, everyone new and old has heard about the importance of changing timing belts regularly. How regularly? I guess it depends on your usage AND environment. Most folks measure their particular interval between changes by either mileage or time. I know for me in Arizona where it's hot and dry it will always be time. Today's observation underscored that notion.

First, one ugly potential result from a broken belt (borrowed):

I was surprised when I flexed my old belts:

New ones soft, supple with no cracking

Change your belts!

 

[dan filipi]

What was the age/miles on those belts?

 

[desertrefugee]

dan filipi » Mon Oct 15, 2018 6:03 pm[/url]":f5z9wsue]
What was the age/miles on those belts?

Dang! Forgot to include that tidbit although I intended to. Five years and just under 20k miles. I still think sitting in a 100F+ garage for six months of the year doesn't help.

 

[Ansimp]

Nothing wrong with the belts they just need a commited rider that is prepared to keep them conditioned all year round! :smilie_happy:

 

[desertrefugee]

Tell ya what, old buddy. You head out to Innamincka in a couple of months. Maybe putter around on some slow, dirt roads. Get a little dust in all the nooks and crannies. Then sweat. More dust. Then we can compare notes on summer in the desert.

I'm not ashamed to leave the bikes in the garage for a few months. It just ain't fun riding in serious heat.

Oh, and by the way. I broke a damn valve cover bolt off in a head yesterday wrapping up my head gasket/timing belt job. Ticked me off to the core. I was too disgusted to deal with it then. I'll go after it this weekend.

Rotten luck.

 

[FlipFlop]

My belts on Winger looked like that and I stuck them under my microscope, literally. Literally under 100x it turned out it was a texture on the belt not rot. I thought I took a picture of it will look about my pics and see if I can find it.

 

[desertrefugee]

FlipFlop » Wed Oct 17, 2018 5:20 pm[/url]":1eywgfqz]
My belts on Winger looked like that and I stuck them under my microscope, literally. Literally under 100x it turned out it was a texture on the belt not rot. I thought I took a picture of it will look about my pics and see if I can find it.

Hmm. I still have the belts, but no microscope. Either way, I'll feel better about the next five years with fresh belts. Now about that broken dadgum bolt...

 

[joedrum]

send the belts to me ..LOL..if you insepected them to 100x .. I will gamble on them ..LOL...just kidding but i dont think belts are as unworthy as many push

 

[FlipFlop]

The belt I speak of, can not locate a pic But it was the Gates belts that JPwinger put on there about 8ish years ago. Sadly it is nothing I can cooberate ergo it can not be used as anything, since I personally stand by the 5 year rule myself anyway. :blush:

 

[Omega Man]

FlipFlop » Thu Oct 18, 2018 2:05 pm[/url]":3pd460cv]
I personally stand by the 5 year rule myself anyway. :blush:

Damn... cause I'm in the high desert too. :sensored:

~O~

 

[FlipFlop]

:hihihi:

 

[Ansimp]

When I got Val she had 108K klms on 20year old belts and she had been serviced by Honda and other professional shops only. I could not believe that the genuine service interval for timing belts was 160K klms (100K Miles) and was horrified as I would not let Subarus go much more than 100K klms without new belts. There was no age (time) limit in the manual just regular inspections of the belts which had been done.

No dirt roads Darrell but plenty of heat when we rode through the desert. :yahoo:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6493&hilit=%5Balbum%5D20551%5B%2Falbum%5D#p92946

 

[julimike54]

It's hard to believe that so many engines (auto & motorcycle) with timing belts don't have a specific replacement interval. The only one I've heard of with a specific change out is Lexus, which states 70k miles or 7 years. I figure that guideline should be similar to all engines.