Preventative timing belt change?

[WhippinCamry]

Got a quick question. 1991 camry dx. 4 cyl auto.

167 xxx k. was ran on 3 cylinders for a while (not the best taking care off)

Bunch of new parts i put in including valve cover gasket (i saw as part of a timing belt kit, is why i mention it)

As far as i know its was behind on all maintance other than what ive done. no fluid loose ( a little power steering from a bad rack i beleive, and yes its for sure power steering fluid)

I want to replace the timing belt in advance.
can i just swap the belt its self and maybe the tensioner and bearing?
or just the belt. or do i need a water pump and all the extras.

id like to just do the belt itself if possible.
cause im young and dont have much money to throw at the car if its not needed nessicarly.

[white90dx]

167kms or 167k miles?

Either way, at this age you should probably be replacing the water pump while you are replacing the timing belt. If you do all auto-parts store parts and do the work yourself, you are still out of there for $150 or so...

Doing the water pump it not necessary, but why chance re-doing it when/if the water pump goes out (if it gets wet, you need a new belt).

-Charlie

[WhippinCamry]

167 thousand miles. and the slip says it was changed at 37 thousand miles.

and i dont have the money to do the water pump and everything right now or i wouldnt. i just wanted to know if the belt would be okay to do so i dont bend a valve or get stranded.

[dem2757]

you wont bend or break anything except your ego if the belt snaps while driving haha. its a non interference engine so you could be powering up a hill and have it be a spectacular kindof explosion of a belt thing.

[Mike Gerber]

It won't explode or anything like that. The engine will just die and you will be stranded where the car stopped. At 167,000 miles I would replace the water pump and seals behind the belt. Most of the labor is already accounted for in removing the belt. Maybe an extra hour to 1-1/2 hours for the additional labor, plus the cost of the pump and seals. IMHO it would be a good idea to do it all now.

Mike

[dem2757]

i know that. but have you seen the DIY V6 belt replacement? thats what im referring to. and that belt was gone

[scarney1988]

I concur with everyone that you should change your waterpump, cam seal, oil pump seal, crank seal, idler pulley, and tensioner. Also, new accessory belts wouldnt hurt either. However, if you are running low on cash you can replace just the timing belt if you wish. Money is money, but better to spend $150 in parts and a weekend of your time than a $300 dollar tow and wasted time.

Good luck
sean

[WhippinCamry]

I understand that its best to change everything.
BUt im bascially asking. if you were me and had little money and wanted your car to be a little more reliable (because timing belts break more often than water pumps from what i know). i have a friend that will assist me so shop fees are not a problem.
i guess the thread is pointless. and ill just replace the timing belt.
so i dont get stranded the extras can wait unless they appear in bad shape. thanks

[Mike Gerber]

If you and your friend are doing this job there is no labor cost involved. If that's the case, I would definitely do the water pump and seals. The water pump should run about $70 and the seals around $15. The whole job should run about $120 for parts. If you are really strapped for cash, just go ahead and do just the belt, but check for signs of oil leakage behind the belt.

Mike

[dem2757]

actually, if you have oil leakes behind the cover, you might as well change the seals cause the oil on the belt will shorten its life considerable. causing wasted time in labor and buying the belt. so on this age of the car, its smart to do it all at once.

[Kyle1!]

I can understand being without the funds needed. I needed to do an engine swap into a junk engine 91 camry because the electrical/body was giving out on my 88. Knowing the history of the engine....new belt/WP/seals 110K miles ago I thought I could get by cheap. Not a chance with TimBelt kit, new oil pump seals, valve cover and fluids. I think I spent $100 on just oil, tranny and coolant fluid. Do it right the first time because it always bites you in the end.

Brian