True dat! However, think of all the other parts that could cause a complete breakdown on the freeway, i.e., an ECU, fuel pump, oil pump, or any number of electrical components--fuses, relays, sensors. We risk breakdowns every time were on the road, and yet, 99.999% of have survived thus far. Sure, it's good to minimize risk, but at what cost? Everyone could lease to minimize their risk of breaking down on the freeway, but not everyone can afford to. It's all about one's financial situation/priorities and risk aversion/acceptance.

 

Yeah I had a 430 kill itself at 310k miles on a belt at my shop, 530k on the car since the owner didn't want to waste the money on replacing the belt when he bought it. He is a salesman who drives a lot and racked up miles like no tomorrow, has a 460 now

 

I see your point of view. I think timing belt breaks are less risky that a lot of other things that could cause a breakdown. I doubt most people change the belt once they have already done the first belt change.....at least I haven't on my 4.7

 

for grins and giggles, can you share what actually caused the belt to fail? Was there a seized bearing on any of the pulleys or a failed tensioner?

 

Nor would you want anything else to cause your car to break down in that scenario. Again, point me to someone who had their timing belt fail and leave them stranded, its really rare.

At the end of the day, when you have a car worth $1,000 people just are not going to do a preventative maintenance that costs $1,000. You have many, many, many old cars running around with old timing belts. Nobody is having that done on an 18 year old car with hundreds of thousands of miles on it.

And what is a LS430 with 530k miles worth? I wouldnt have paid to have it done either. Its an old beater car, drive it till it dies.

And again, 310k miles on the belt is over 3 times its rated life before it failed.

 

My 91 LS400 had 100k on it and was 9 years old when I changed the belt. It looked like new. It was a waste of time especially considering the engine was non interference.

 

Actual belt, the pulleys were all okay. Nothing was leaking from any of the seals too

 

Well when it was first due the car was in decent shape, but when it failed not so much and he just gave it to me as scrap toward fluid service on his new car. Ended up selling the whole car to a guy who wanted it for spares for $1200 and he came and towed it away to the Toledo area. Apparently the parts/doors key items were worth it to him to pull out and sell.

 

haha funny i took apart my 15yo carpet vacuum over the weekend (to remove hair from the agitator brush) and saw it still had the original drive belt - from goodyear! lots of rubber material all over but sturdy as a rock...i know i know not the same! yes change your timing belts per recommended interval people!

 

Thanks for the followup, fascinating to know.

 

yes actually. In 1984 I was heading to my first year in College with a buddy and he had a high mileage Toyota Celica at the time. The little boxy one and the timing belt broke stranding us in Rural Alberta 4 hours from home and four hours from our destination.

thats the only Toyota timing belt I’ve ever known to break. Heck even Scotty Kilmer has never seen one break and he’s been fixing them for 52 years. Impressive. I changed them at 200,000 kms in my Lx470’s and they were in Good shape.

 

Just did the belt on a 03 ls430 with 163k miles. The belt was severely cracked and brittle. It would have broken soon, especially the way the radar cruise deaccelerates with the engine. That slams the belt hard. Many belts break getting off the highway or something similar.
the belt I did could have been changed once. No telling. Age is hard on them. My water pump showed signs of weeping as well. Idler pully had a rumble.. I was happy to have bought the aisin kit from RA.
Got a spare 5vz with a swap I just did on a 88 4runner. 230k miles, but it had sat a while. Belt was completely toast on it too and it had a sticker on it from a change at some point.
Not changing a timing belt is just crazy foolish and im not one for major PMs. I drive Toyota. You just drive them for the most part.

 

Thanks for sharing your timing belt experience and picture.

No one here is advising one should never change a TB. Some, however, have suggested the recommended interval is conservative and can be stretched (unlike a TB).

Many variables come into play as discussed above, as well as one's own level of risk acceptance. To each his own. There's no need to tell others who believe different from you that they are being "crazy foolish" by not changing their TB. A better statement might be...Based on my knowledge and experience, change your TB on time.

 

Even on a non-interference engine that would simply quit and not be ruined, a timing-belt-snap in the wrong neighborhood, or the wrong place, COULD be a big deal. I, for one, would not want to find out.

 

if you wait for one to break you are getting a tow, you are much more likely to be paying to have it done and you are out of a car. All potentiality expensive things that could be mitigated by spending a couple of hundred dollars and a day of time once every 100,000 miles. And your car has better resale if you can show the belt was done. You'll get your money back one way or the other. I stand by my earlier statement. In my opinion as a professional technician, its silly and foolish to not do this particular maintenance.
At the very least pull the upper timing cover. That's a one banana job. Takes no time and requires no gaskets. If the belt looks good, then push the mileage, but at least you have some evidence.