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| Author | Topic: Timing belt |
Landscape Doctor       POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Live Free Or Die State, NH |
posted 03-05-2015 07:57 AM
    
Was looking in the service manual and it says timing belt should be changed at 100,000 miles with no length of time suggested. Going on 16 years old and 15k should it be changed or do not worry about it? |
jimsutton   POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Ocala, FL, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 08:14 AM
Don't worry about it |
garysss        POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Balto. Md. |
posted 03-05-2015 08:15 AM
I have never heard of anyone having a problem. Some have changed them and I think all said they looked like new. RPL is doing a survey on them, he might have more info. |
bjprowler POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Clarksville,Ohio,USA |
posted 03-05-2015 08:16 AM
Unless you're doing other repairs that expose the belt, I'd say let it be. I changed the water pump on a 12 year old 2000 Chrysler equipped with the 3.5 engine at 149,000 and the belt still looked perfect. In that instance I DID change the belt but wouldn't have done it just for the sake of maintenance. I drove the car another 100,000 until finally getting rid of it at 249,000 miles..... The down side is; if your timing belt ever does break while running you are looking at MAJOR problems including the possibility of virtually destroying the engine ALMOST INSTANTLY..... .....I still would not do it as a "maintenance" item. This message has been edited by bjprowler on 03-05-2015 at 08:48 AM |
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Landscape Doctor POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Live Free Or Die State, NH |
posted 03-05-2015 08:27 AM
I just found it strange there was no time interval. I do not think I will do anything, I was just curious if anyone has change there's and opinions you all had. |
beachcat BANNED From:Ontario, Canada |
posted 03-05-2015 08:28 AM
If you are in there anyway, I would do it. There are other parts / tensioners it there that can go too. I'm kind of hoping my water pump goes so I am forced to do it. |
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bjprowler POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Clarksville,Ohio,USA |
posted 03-05-2015 08:44 AM
This topic should be in the "Technical" forum actually... To understand more about the problems associated with timing belt failure simply Google "Interference Engines". Interference engines means the valves may strike the piston if the engine gets out of timing versus a "Non-interference" engine where that can never happen.....Unfortunately, all 3.5 liter Chrysler engines produced between 1998 and 2009 WERE interference engines. http://www.interferenceengines.com/
This message has been edited by bjprowler on 03-05-2015 at 08:55 AM |
RPL    POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Rochester Hills, MI, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 09:49 AM
Regarding the timing belt, Chrysler recommends replacing it at 100K miles. If you have to get into the front of the engine, I'd replace the timing belt, front crank seal, water pump, radiator hoses, idler pulley and all both belts. If not, don't worry about it. I have started an engineering project to gather real life data regarding the timing belt. I would like to have any timing belt from a '97 or later Chrysler 3.5 V-6. I need the model year, replacement mileage and month, day, hour off the driver's door. I will reimburse for shipping costs. To get an accurate assessment, I need an adequate sample size. I've received a few from Prowlers and all were in excellent condition. Based on what I've seen over the years, this engine doesn't typically see degradation until over 150K miles. The belt is pretty robust. |
phil2237 POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:PLACENTIA CALIFORNIA |
posted 03-05-2015 10:02 AM
There is a small weep hole in the bottom of the front aluminum cover, Just keep an eye out for any drops of anti freeze. This would indicate a water pump going bad. When replacing the water pump & timing belt, It is wise to also replace the tensioner at that time. Just last week a neighbor of mine had to replace his water pump after 74,000 miles. I looked at the timing belt after he had taken it apart. Everything still looked like new including the tensioner. He did replace the tensioner, timing belt & water pump just as a safety measure. The timing belt holds up well being that it is located behind a front cover as no dirt enters this area. Turned out the water pump was leaking from the gasket and not the front pump seal, which I would attribute to never flushing his radiator. This message has been edited by phil2237 on 03-05-2015 at 10:08 AM |
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bjprowler POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Clarksville,Ohio,USA |
posted 03-05-2015 10:21 AM
I guess those who have "garage queens" and only back their Kats out and then right back into their garages twice a year could start pushing them in and out instead of actually starting the engine.  |
padroo POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Chesterton, IN, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 12:41 PM
I changed mine at 7,000 miles and while I had the car up in the air I changed antifreeze, belts and hoses I bought from RPL. I used the shotgun approach. The hard part is getting the harmonic dampener off the end of the crankshaft. It calls for a specific three jaw puller and I had about 4 different sizes but I tried and tried but couldn't get them to work. I ordered the one it calls for and it pulled it right off. It is tight quarters with the radiator removed so you were up against the A/C condenser. I paid $32 for an OTC brand puller and I made the tool to reinstall the harmonic ballancer. I found this picture from an old post showing mileage and the time a timing belt should be changed. I don't worry about mine now.
I wrote a post a long time ago how to install the new belt. This message has been edited by padroo on 03-05-2015 at 12:50 PM |
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Landscape Doctor POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Live Free Or Die State, NH |
posted 03-05-2015 01:22 PM
Excellent info guys. Thank You. |
ALLEY CAT POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:mesa, az, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 02:03 PM
quote: Which guys......BJ's or Padroo's? Both answers were excellent,,,,but I spit up my drink reading BJ's Dale....picture of the tool you made to re-install h/balancer? |
mslc10 POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Bulverde, Texas, United States |
posted 03-05-2015 02:13 PM
Has anyone broken/slipped the belt? I did 2 timing belts on my 2.3turbo tbird. |
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RPL POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Rochester Hills, MI, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 03:58 PM
padroo, thanks for the picture. It's right there to read. |
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padroo POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Chesterton, IN, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 04:50 PM
This is my homemade Harmonic Balancer Installer. I don't remember what metric pitch the all thread was but just match it up to your bolt that you removed and weld a nut on the end. I think that is a 3/4 Inch black pipe coupling. It would have been nice to have a bearing on the one end but it worked. The only reason they don't want you using the bolt to put the harmonic balancer back on and this is my guess is first I think it is too short and the don't want you pulling the threads out of the crankshaft. The all thread goes all the way in and bottoms out to keep this from happening. When I worked I made a lot of special tools that a lot of times only got used one time and ended up in a locker somewhere or thrown out.
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padroo POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Chesterton, IN, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 04:51 PM
quote: |
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ALLEY CAT POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:mesa, az, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 05:33 PM
Thank you for the picture.. |
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padroo POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Chesterton, IN, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 07:27 PM
quote: Miller tool makes the tool recommended in the book but I only planned on doing one so I made something that worked. After installation with the tool you are suppose to torque the harmonic balancer bolt. The funny thing is it doesn't have a key like most have. I didn't look very close but it may have a slight taper on it, maybe someone knows. |
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Landscape Doctor POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Live Free Or Die State, NH |
posted 03-05-2015 07:58 PM
quote: All of them. They each had some good content, serious or not. |
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Landscape Doctor POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Live Free Or Die State, NH |
posted 03-05-2015 08:00 PM
Thanks for all the pics Padroo, you are a walking info machine lately. |
Efrem 72 POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Bellwood IL.60104 |
posted 03-05-2015 08:02 PM
I stand by the rule don't fix what ain't broken. |
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Landscape Doctor POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Live Free Or Die State, NH |
posted 03-05-2015 08:27 PM
quote: I usually go by that rule but if the motor blowers because of a timing belt failure, it will cost you much more than a timing belt and accessories to do the job. |
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padroo POA Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Chesterton, IN, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 08:30 PM
Prowlers except for the 97 model have interference engines. That means if it jumps time a valve will come in contact with the pistons, bending valves and cracking the tops of pistons. RPL is working on a study on this very subject, I am sure he will chime in when the time is right. |
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RPL POA Lifetime Site Supporter Prowler Junkie From:Rochester Hills, MI, USA |
posted 03-05-2015 10:03 PM
Actually all three of you have great points. Efrem 72, most likely none of these are at much risk for failure. Landscape Doctor, staying ahead of the needs is very cheap insurance. padroo, if you were to lose a timing belt it would be costly. Crashing the valves hurts. Recently had to fix my Rambler where it broke a valve. To assist fellow owners, I would like to receive as many replaced timing belts as possible. You can never predict a risk factor by inspecting only a couple of timing belts. If anyone replaces their timing belt, please keep it. I'll pay the shipping to add it to the sample being inspected. This will help predict when the belt should be replaced time wise. None received so far are at any risk and they are at least 14 years old. |
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