[toiingg]

How frequently do we need to replace the timing belts for petrol cars? I know that the user manual should be having this info, but i don't have the user manual.

Car in reference, OHC 1.5

[moralfibre]

If any of you guys drive a Palio 1.6 then without ignorance change your timing belt at 45 - 50k kms since it gets very critical at this stage to replace it. You don't want bent valves in your car, do you?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

If any of you guys drive a Palio 1.6 then without ignorance change your timing belt at 45 - 50k kms since it gets very critical at this stage to replace it. You don't want bent valves in your car, do you?

Does the 1.6 have an interference engine. Most engines I know have the scheduled change around 100000kms. For example the indica. But I decided to change at 89K because am planning to take some looooong trips.

Got the change done today.
Spare part costs
1. TELCO belt : 800rs
2. Tensioner(One of the 2 had to be changed) : 325
3. Labor for belt change, and horn tuning(horns were not working properly) : 250

Also go wheel balancing and rotation done for all 4 wheels, 150rs


The timing belt change took around 30 minutes and was a pretty easy job. There is something called a position lock. Before removing belt the guy moved the pulleys around and then "locked" the mechanism by moving a lever sort of thing. After that he changed the belt, and removed the lock.

Then he adjusted the tensioner bearing, and checked tension with hands, removed lock position.
Engine was started and he kept his year near the belt for some time.
After then shut down engine and checked tension in belt and did some adjustments.
Only after being satisfied he put back the cover.

I may be mistaken but the car seems to be running smoother! The old belt was very loose and he told me that it would have lasted probably 10K more, i.e. 100000kms!

With this change the only big scheduled stuff is the gearbox(Clutch plates etc.,) but that is still 15-20K kms away.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Does the 1.6 have an interference engine. Most engines I know have the scheduled change around 100000kms. For example the indica. But I decided to change at 89K because am planning to take some looooong trips.

Dunno what an interference engine is but this change was recommended by most of the guys from Fiat India Pvt. Ltd. when we spoke to them in a face to face meeting. The replacement is mentioned in the service manual (IIRC). Most of the service guys who have worked for a considerable time on the 1.6 engine recommend a change at the said interval. Better be safe than sorry .

[tsk1979]

Recently a honda city timing belt snapped. Just the timing belt had to be changed, no other issues. So in a non interference engine, nothing happens, just change the belt and you are good to go.

[Psycho]

Originally Posted by nitrous

Psycho would be driving a gallardo (turbo-charged,of course) in the US/UK!

Sorry

"Tere mooh mein ghee shakkar"

[Alfa_Kilo]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Recently a honda city timing belt snapped. Just the timing belt had to be changed, no other issues. So in a non interference engine, nothing happens, just change the belt and you are good to go.

Almost all Diesels are interference engines due to their higher compression ratios, so a broken timing belt will result in a massacre of the valves.

[TURBOSAM]

it all depends upon lot of things. if the belt loosens , stays put ,then the valve timing will wonder +/-.x degrees, will hamper performance+emissions+torque and power curves. if the belt gets loosened, jumps some teeth forward or backwards< depending upon the cam position> then chances of hitting the piston to valve are preety high.. if the belt breaks exactly when all involved valves are at the 50% of the lift.. at the 90 deg<and the cam stays there too> then the damage will be saved <remote possibility... but i have seen one siena turbo diesel with idi engine - belt broken at 120000kms.. no damage followed...!!>
generally engine mfg.s do ask to replace the belts at 60k-100000kms.
generally all the belts can last much more.. but its better to be safe than to be sorry...
for example any car tyre has a total shelf life is of 3 yrs as per the tyre design experts!!!! how often they discard the tyres because of exp of shelf life ?
if u r going to drive any car at the best possible way+ drive daily ,then any good engine timing belt can be used for 300000 kms/ 6+yrs. but if u r gonna rally, sprint, fast down shift, floor the accelerator , drive fast its gonna severly load the belt strands, teeth and rubber sheth.. number of pullies, load of the belt tensioner, no of twists,no of cam shafts. cooling of belt +pullies, material of pullies,no of valves oprated by the belt, valve lift,valve spring tension, all matter to the belt life.
one of my auto gurus toyota cresida is running with the same belt for 150000+kms AND 15+yrs... but driven like a 7 month premature born baby..
lancia recomands the timing belt rep at 100000kms for delta integrale ralley bread cars..
but people have managed to break it at @ 35k kms...and paid heavy price for repairs..
in short DONT STRETCH THE LUCK FOR SOME MONEY OR TO PROOVE UR POINT!

[sgiitk]

The life of the belt depends a lot on whether it is metal or rubber.

The worst case I know was the old FIAT 128, which had a very short stroke engine (8300 rpm redline on the 1300!). They advised changing the belt every 25,000 miles. Also, it was reported that a belt failure could be pretty disastrous. A colleague had imported one 128, and I warned him about this. He got the belt on his next trip abroad but (typical habit) did not get it replaced. Result was a failure and he had to change all the valves etc. as well.

[pgsagar]

snapping of timing belt does not effect petrol cars severally. they just roll to a halt. put in a new timing belt which may cost from 700 to 1500 depending on models and you would be on your way in two hours max. but in diesel cars, all the hell breaks loose. Crdi or non-crdi, a snapped timing belt in diesel cars means bent valves minimum to a totally screwed engine the maximum. i know a diesel ikon with snapped timing belt which resulted in bent valves, bent conrod, bent camshaft etc. and the bill came to nearly 80,000/-. i heard of a similar horror story of a diesel octavia which cost over 2 lakhs to repair. if this is the case with diesels, i see no advantage of buying a diesel car. the money saved on diesel may some day go this way.

[sgiitk]

Even in petrol cars it depends on the TDC clearance. As in the case of the FIAT 128 cited above the valves hit the pistons and so on. In general you should be safer with long stroke engines than with the short stroke ones.

[tsk1979]

Change your timing belt on time, and there won't be such problems. I changed mine close to 90K, while service manual says 100K.

[Jeep]

My 1996 M800 has done 92K.. does it require a change of belt??

In an 800 cc engine, stroke can't be that long. However, it is a 3 cylinder, so stroke may be long enough and hopefully compression ratio is not too high that the piston may hit the valves upon belt failure

[tsk1979]

Belt costs around 500rs for the M800. So change it now, otherwise, engine damage or not, worst case you could be stranded at a deserted spot.

[ajitkommini]

Snapped a timing belt in my M800 on the Oberoi flyover in Delhi once. Easy to diagnose the problem because the car stalls and if you try to crank it makes a weird noise. Luckily I had a rescue number so wasnt stranded for too long.