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For a 1995 LS400, does anyone have thoughts / tips on best way to check condition of the timing belt with minimal taking apart of the engine?
I am at 127k miles with original belt I fear, and know I’m on borrowed time / risk trashing the engine longer this goes on.
Dealer I think didn’t want to be bothered as I think it’s the classic they worry that once they start opening things up, old gaskets and pieces may break or be hard to take off.
Again just trying to get a peek to see how bad situation is. If I do keep this car for a while this repair will get done one way or the other.
Thanks and sorry if already answered, I did try to do some searching.
For a 1995 LS400, does anyone have thoughts / tips on best way to check condition of the timing belt with minimal taking apart of the engine?
I am at 127k miles with original belt I fear, and know I’m on borrowed time / risk trashing the engine longer this goes on.
Dealer I think didn’t want to be bothered as I think it’s the classic they worry that once they start opening things up, old gaskets and pieces may break or be hard to take off.
Again just trying to get a peek to see how bad situation is. If I do keep this car for a while this repair will get done one way or the other.
Thanks and sorry if already answered, I did try to do some searching.
It's probably going to snap tomorrow, since its well over 25 years old, so what's the point of trying to waste time inspecting it, when an hour or two more you can have it changed out? I pushed mine from June 2005 to Nov 2021 (16 yrs) and about 70k and the OE belt was done at the dealer looked new still but I live in AZ now so I didn't want to risk it since rubber doesn't last here.
You'll also want to do your crankshaft seal since that will likely be seeping/wet at this point. My other LS went at 253k on my 97' in 2015 and coated the T belt in oil prematurely before the 90k interval at 50k, so I had to do the job early.
It's probably going to snap tomorrow, since its well over 25 years old, so what's the point of trying to waste time inspecting it, when an hour or two more you can have it changed out? I pushed mine from June 2005 to Nov 2021 (16 yrs) and about 70k and the OE belt was done at the dealer looked new still but I live in AZ now so I didn't want to risk it since rubber doesn't last here.
You'll also want to do your crankshaft seal since that will likely be seeping/wet at this point. My other LS went at 253k on my 97' in 2015 and coated the T belt in oil prematurely before the 90k interval at 50k, so I had to do the job early.
Agree 100%
Even if you remove a timing cove and discover a belt that appears healthy you still have no knowledge what condition the idler bearings are in.
Change it.
Not to mention other parts like the water pump, which typically are only replaced as part of the timing kit, also being that old....
I'm with the others, not worth the risk. Your engine is an interference engine, if the belt snaps, it will take the engine with it. Which probably will write-off the entire car - and no, insurance won't cover that.
Aisin makes the best timing belt kits and can be found at RockAuto for a reasonable price. Comes with everything needed except for the crankshaft seal, which I would only get at a dealer, not worth saving a couple parts for a critical seal. Also, the 95-97s are pretty easy to do Camshaft seals on, I would do those too due to age. 98-00s are very labor intensive for cam seals, something like 10 hrs, since the camshafts have to come out so don't bother with those unless they're visibly leaking.
Aisin makes the best timing belt kits and can be found at RockAuto for a reasonable price. Comes with everything needed except for the crankshaft seal, which I would only get at a dealer, not worth saving a couple parts for a critical seal. Also, the 95-97s are pretty easy to do Camshaft seals on, I would do those too due to age. 98-00s are very labor intensive for cam seals, something like 10 hrs, since the camshafts have to come out so don't bother with those unless they're visibly leaking.
Thank you, I appreciate all these tips. It really helps someone like myself with an inclination to learn more but very little experience. Well without a ton of effort I was able to get driver side timing belt cover off for a peek. I know this is only a segment of the belt but here’s how it’s looking, sorry lighting isn’t amazing
Belt looks ok but as mentioned before there are other parts involved that will take out even a brand new belt if/when they fail.
These bearings have approx 165K miles on them...
Can't really tell much with that pic of the belt except there's alot of dirt and grime in there. It's supposed to be completely sealed up so nothing gets in. It could be from an slight leak in the cam seal.
If you're gonna be keeping the car I would put the T-belt job on the list of things to do soon. Although the belt doesn't look too bad, it's all the other stuff that can go bad and cause some major damage. When I looked at my T-belt (same way you did) the belt looked fine. I was just gonna leave everything alone cuz mine is non-interference engine. (93) But I needed to take it all out for a different repair and what I found was alot of junk parts that were about to fail. The tensioner and idler bearings were very noisy, all rusted and ready to seize, (looked worse then the pic bradland posted) and the water pump just looked like garbage. All was original and only 85K miles but still no good cuz of age. (30 years)
Rockauto has a good Aisin kit for a good price; https://www.rockauto.com/en/cart/
This kit TKT-030 comes with the hydraulic tensioner, the other one TKT-010 doesn't. You'd still have to get the cam and crank seals, Thermostat and gasket, coolant, oil, and some FIPG (form in place gasket) if ya don't have any. It's a good sized job and the $$$ adds up quick, but well worth the piece of mind if you're gonna keep it for a while.
Can't really tell much with that pic of the belt except there's alot of dirt and grime in there. It's supposed to be completely sealed up so nothing gets in. It could be from an slight leak in the cam seal.
If you're gonna be keeping the car I would put the T-belt job on the list of things to do soon. Although the belt doesn't look too bad, it's all the other stuff that can go bad and cause some major damage. When I looked at my T-belt (same way you did) the belt looked fine. I was just gonna leave everything alone cuz mine is non-interference engine. (93) But I needed to take it all out for a different repair and what I found was alot of junk parts that were about to fail. The tensioner and idler bearings were very noisy, all rusted and ready to seize, (looked worse then the pic bradland posted) and the water pump just looked like garbage. All was original and only 85K miles but still no good cuz of age. (30 years)
Rockauto has a good Aisin kit for a good price; https://www.rockauto.com/en/cart/
This kit TKT-030 comes with the hydraulic tensioner, the other one TKT-010 doesn't. You'd still have to get the cam and crank seals, Thermostat and gasket, coolant, oil, and some FIPG (form in place gasket) if ya don't have any. It's a good sized job and the $$$ adds up quick, but well worth the piece of mind if you're gonna keep it for a while.
yeah I want to also recommend the thermostat. On my 162k mile engine, the center gasket was torn and lodged in between where the plunger goes up and down, allowing it to not fully close. Which explained why it took forever to get warm on some cold days. Anything that has rubber, you should consider replacing or regasketing at this point if original. A new Thermostat from Toyota was about $25 and another $4 for the gasket. And only use the Red Coolant, not the newer stuff.
your belt actually looks fine, but you are still on borrowed time so plan to get it replaced shortly. rubber deterioration depends not only on mileage but in ambient temps, and driving habit. 100k of city driving will vastly age the belt versus 100k of highway driving!
my belt at 131k had visible cracks on the surface, but i predict it won't fail. as mentioned before, it's the idler and tensioner bearings that can fail and seize too which will take out belt - even a new one!
I got my '95 Celsior in August and immediately ordered the parts needed for a timing belt service plus other things I figured needed done while there. There was no service history for it and I was unwilling to take any chances.
You didn't ask but I'll give you a list of what I got in case you find it helpful. I ordered everything from RockAuto. In all it cost about $500 in parts with shipping and then $1,820 for the labor to have a shop do it.
Timing belt Kit - AISIN TKT030
Includes the belt, water pump, tensioner, and gaskets
Timing cover gasket
Camshaft seal
Crankshaft seal set
Accessory belt and tensioner kit - GATES 90K39080
Also includes the pulley
Upper and lower radiator hoses
Thermostat, thermostat housing gasket, radiator cap
3 gallons of premixed coolant
It's also a good idea to do the spark plugs while it's apart, I didn't but plan on doing them in the next year. And, typically I will replace the radiator when I do a timing belt service since removing it will give better working room and while it's out, dropping in a new one won't take any extra time. I didn't this time since the one in it was in very good condition.
And, typically I will replace the radiator when I do a timing belt service since removing it will give better working room and while it's out, dropping in a new one won't take any extra time. I didn't this time since the one in it was in very good condition.
Good luck!
Everyone has their own list of parts to get but I don't see the point of changing a radiator "just cuz you're there". That's just throwing money at something not needed now, or maybe even never. All the time I've been here I've only seen a couple bad radiators. But hey, "to each his own". I don't even take mine out when doing the T-belt job.
10-26-22, 07:04 AM
Best Way to Check Timing Belt? 95 LS400
