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My point is that the belt needs to be changed, but don't kill yourself over getting it done. If you buy a car far away from home, take off the cover and look at it.
Double-D: I don't disagree with anything you have to say about changing a TB. However, I want to point out that inspecting the TB only goes so far in predicting a failure as the most likely scenario for failure is a pulley bearing failure which devolves into a seized pulley, and thus, TB/engine destruction. This scenario is also rare in Toyotas. As I have testified in prior threads, I've personally changed numerous TB's in numerous Toyotas, even at 55K miles past the schedule, and have yet to find one that even looked worn, or a pulley bearing that was degraded. Regardless, I replace all components in the TB train with Lexus branded, non-counterfeit parts, as this is a job one does not want to repeat often.
All that said, like you, I don't recommend not sticking to the schedule. But for my Toyota/Lexus vehicles, based on my first-hand experience and 50+ years of wrenching, I have no problem with accepting the risk of pushing the schedule interval. For others...how comfortable are you with low risk bets?
Given that the pulley bearing and not the belt is the common T-belt failure point, would
you agree that replacing the belt/pulley is the smart move in a car that sat for five years
as the belt is more likely than not to be degraded? Would the five year sit change your
risk calculus?
I'd wonder if buying a car that sat for five years is a good idea aside from the timing belt.
Given that the pulley bearing and not the belt is the common T-belt failure point, would
you agree that replacing the belt/pulley is the smart move in a car that sat for five years
as the belt is more likely than not to be degraded? Would the five year sit change your
risk calculus?
I'd wonder if buying a car that sat for five years is a good idea aside from the timing belt.
Vehicles are designed to be driven, so buying one that has been sitting for long periods has its risks. The silver lining is the low miles. There are many systems that can degrade from sitting, but I wouldn't be concerned about the TB and associated components, per se. I would be most concerned about the fuel system, cooling system, battery and tires. The other important consideration is where the car was sitting. If outside, look for weathering issue of the interior/exterior, and signs of rat/mouse infestation. If the vehicle was keep in an insulated garage, it would be less concerning overall.
I had that thought as well. It's a two edged sword. Had it been much longer than that I might have waved off. The S2000 I just sold had a similar mileage history over the past 5 years, so that helped.
All the fluids have been changed and a new set of tires is being mounted before I pick up the car. The tires are at least 5 years old. The car was evidently garage kept so the tires looked fine, but the dealer made me a smoking deal on a set of new Continental ExtremeContact run flats, so I went with it. Just something else not to sorry about.
Yes, I imagine the timing belt and bearing are somewhat protected from weather
conditions that degrade us all. The low miles go a long ways. Mileage wears
out far more than just a well-oiled engine, by shaking every single bolt and system.
"Scotty" stated that highway mileage contributes only 10% of around town wear -
any idea if that statistic is correct? I like to see rock chips under the front bumper
for that reason when buying used.
"Scotty" stated that highway mileage contributes only 10% of around town wear -
any idea if that statistic is correct?
I have no idea where Scotty gets his statistics like this, but it makes sense to me!
BTW...don't ever quote Scotty in the Car Chat forum or try to defend him if someone else does. Car Chat followers are big-time Scotty haters. They vehemently dislike his delivery and his click baiting titles. I get a kick out of Scotty, but like me, his followers tend to be DIY'ers, while those on Car Chat tend to be those who lease and never do their own work. Generally, I find there is a huge chasm between the model forums and the Car Chat forum.
Make sure they do the T belt, T belt tensioner pulley, T-belt idler pulley, and water pump as part of the deal. Everything else can be serviced separately but those parts require complete accessory disassembly to replace.
I have worked for years at auto dealerships and believe me, they are there to make money, and will not consider it dishonest to just replace the belt and unless it’s specifically part of the deal, they will not hesitate to increase their profit by reusing everything they didn’t put in writing when negotiating the deal.
I have seen honest salesman make fair agreements and then a sales manager will inform the service department he is only paying for a belt and labor, and they should save and reuse the old oil and antifreeze so he doesn’t have to pay for new fluids.
And they have already made it clear that they think the car is priced fairly, so they will want to do this repair as inexpensively as possible. They won’t be doing you a big favor if you have to pay almost as much to replace everything, but the belt to make sure the timing belt service is done correctly after u have paid for the car.
Make sure they do the T belt, T belt tensioner pulley, T-belt idler pulley, and water pump as part of the deal. Everything else can be serviced separately but those parts require complete accessory disassembly to replace.
I have worked for years at auto dealerships and believe me, they are there to make money, and will not consider it dishonest to just replace the belt and unless it’s specifically part of the deal, they will not hesitate to increase their profit by reusing everything they didn’t put in writing when negotiating the deal.
I have seen honest salesman make fair agreements and then a sales manager will inform the service department he is only paying for a belt and labor, and they should save and reuse the old oil and antifreeze so he doesn’t have to pay for new fluids.
And they have already made it clear that they think the car is priced fairly, so they will want to do this repair as inexpensively as possible. They won’t be doing you a big favor if you have to pay almost as much to replace everything, but the belt to make sure the timing belt service is done correctly after u have paid for the car.
I confirm that advice from my experience at multiple dealerships, including three Lexus dealerships. The sales guys are the good guys and are honest, not the managers, but once a deal is signed the salesperson has no say. Sales guys are responsible for monthly units sold only, the managers are responsible for profit per unit and monthly total profit. Managers who do not meet the owner's profit target are fired. Behind the big smiles is unrelenting daily pressure to produce - dealerships are rough places to work.
I have no idea where Scotty gets his statistics like this, but it makes sense to me!
BTW...don't ever quote Scotty in the Car Chat forum or try to defend him if someone else does. Car Chat followers are big-time Scotty haters. They vehemently dislike his delivery and his click baiting titles. I get a kick out of Scotty, but like me, his followers tend to be DIY'ers, while those on Car Chat tend to be those who lease and never do their own work. Generally, I find there is a huge chasm between the model forums and the Car Chat forum.
I kinda like him too. Wish he'd stop screaming and clean up his work space, but some people are like that. The 10% seems low to me. I'd like to know where he gets that number because it's an important number and there must be good data somewhere.
Generally, I find there is a huge chasm between the model forums and the Car Chat forum... while those on Car Chat tend to be those who lease and never do their own work.
Somewhere there is a post showing pictures of my belt at 130,000 miles. It looked REALLY good with no broken teeth and LOTS of meat on it. It was not as "Elastic" though.
These 3UZ engines are supposed to be a superior V8, with their 6 main bearing bolts.
I wonder if they naturally go easy on their internals or if external driving conditions are
what mostly affect belt wear. Does lots of highway driving would prolong a belt? Less
stop and go jerking but more high speed around the pulleys.
These 3UZ engines are supposed to be a superior V8, with their 6 main bearing bolts.
I wonder if they naturally go easy on their internals or if external driving conditions are
what mostly affect belt wear. Does lots of highway driving would prolong a belt? Less
stop and go jerking but more high speed around the pulleys.
Not the 3UZ, but on my old 2UZ I know the driving conditions the LX470 faced under the previous owner/drivers.
Owner 1/Driver 1 - Woman, primarily a mall cruiser. Driven all around county, but not a long haul highway machine.
Owner 1/Driver 2 - When it came time for Driver 1 to move up to a new LX570 husband became driver 2. He rans a large construction company. Truck became his get around to construction sites, carry whatever might be needed quickly to get job done truck. Not a long haul highway machine
Owner 2/Driver 3 - Me. Since it had over 200K miles on original belt I changed it before driving a mile. Looked extraordinarily good (IMO) given the time/mileage/driver #2 use
So, I guess I'm saying I don't think it matters. Why? Because the torque needed for turning camshafts is not the same sort of stress as the torque the crankshaft puts through the driveline when it's accelerating.
I might be wrong (frequently am), but I thought the UZ engines were originated with the concept of the LS sedan taking on Germany's finest with an expectation of zero embarrassment to the new Lexus name.
Yes the UZ engine was Lexus' moonshot, with a blank check worth billions and no time to completion.
Took six years and thousands of engineers. The engine is the heart of the LS400 so it turned out
pretty good. Have heard the stock 3UZ can take 600 hp with the stock internals. Trans is equally
good.
08-04-21, 02:55 PM
