Timing belt inspection

[carrosene]

I recently got my 92 L300 and I know the timing belt was not replaced when they serviced it before selling it to me. Today I went to pull off the cover to inspect it and I noticed this sticker. I used Google Translate and it says it’s a timing belt maintenance sticker. According to this it says the belt was replaced February 5, 2020 which is pretty recent. However, when I look at the mileage it looks like it says 1702730 which is one digit too many. My van has 229,000km on it so I can’t imagine someone drove 60,000km in just a couple of months based on when it was imported. Do you guys have any thoughts on this? The belt looks pretty new to me. Really clean, no fraying on the edges, and the teeth look good.

 

[Sputnik]

A thought:

That date might not be the last time it was changed, but might be the recommended future change date from the last time the timing belt was changed. So if it was due to be changed in Feb 2020, at 170xxx km, it probably wasn't.

 

[carrosene]

A thought:

That date might not be the last time it was changed, but might be the recommended future change date from the last time the timing belt was changed. So if it was due to be changed in Feb 2020, at 170xxx km, it probably wasn't.

That did cross my mind, but saying Feb 5 is very specific I feel. Also, Google translate, which I know is not 100% accurate, says “date of replacement” for that section. So I don’t know.

 

[Growlerbearnz]

The sticker is from Japan, the date in the Japanese imperial calendar rather than Gregorian/western.
Heisei year 20 = 2008, February 5th.

The mileage they write down is sometimes just whatever numbers are showing on the odometer, including the 10ths digit. 1702730 = 170,273.0

12 year old timing belt with 60,000km or 5000km/year? Probably ok. I generally don't trust an old belt (15 years plus) with low mileage because the rubber perishes when they sit, but 5000km/year feels ok. And the belt looks to be in good condition: no fraying, cracking, or glazing on the back that I can see.

 

[carrosene]

The sticker is from Japan, the date in the Japanese imperial calendar rather than Gregorian/western.
Heisei year 20 = 2008, February 5th.

The mileage they write down is sometimes just whatever numbers are showing on the odometer, including the 10ths digit. 1702730 = 170,273.0

12 year old timing belt with 60,000km or 5000km/year? Probably ok. I generally don't trust an old belt (15 years plus) with low mileage because the rubber perishes when they sit, but 5000km/year feels ok. And the belt looks to be in good condition: no fraying, cracking, or glazing on the back that I can see.

Yeah someone clarified the date on a Facebook group. The belt looks like it’s in great shape so part of me wonders if it’s been replaced since the sticker that’s there? Then again not wanting to do the belt again could be why they sold the van. I’ll probably change it to be safe. Now I just need to decide where to buy the parts and if I should do the work with my dad or take it somewhere.

 

[m.h]

Just change the belt, they are very easy to do and parts are cheap

 

[Kellyn]

Additionally, check the balance belt as well. I have been seeing more and more timing belt replacement jobs that don't replace the balance belt. If left unchanged, the balance belt breaks and gets sucked up into the timing belt, likely causing the engine to jump time and eat itself. Shine a flash light down there and confirm the integrity of that balance belt!

 

[carrosene]

Additionally, check the balance belt as well. I have been seeing more and more timing belt replacement jobs that don't replace the balance belt. If left unchanged, the balance belt breaks and gets sucked up into the timing belt, likely causing the engine to jump time and eat itself. Shine a flash light down there and confirm the integrity of that balance belt!

Yeah I'm in the process of ordering all the parts I need for a timing belt job. Better to be safe than sorry. Just trying to figure out all the correct part numbers and which brands to buy.

 

[PhilipJ]

Additionally, check the balance belt as well. I have been seeing more and more timing belt replacement jobs that don't replace the balance belt. If left unchanged, the balance belt breaks and gets sucked up into the timing belt, likely causing the engine to jump time and eat itself. Shine a flash light down there and confirm the integrity of that balance belt!

Yupp, attesting to this point!!

I've got a 92 L300 and dealing with a completely frayed and worn balance belt right now. Took everything out to align the timing suspecting I may have jumped a tooth after losing engine performance and noticed it with a flashlight.

My plan right now is to order get the new balance belt and tensioners with idlers. Delica USA lists these parts:

Balancer
Napa 250092
Dayco 95092
Gates T092

Timing Belt Tensioner
Dayco 84014

The timing belt seems loose but is clean and the teeth are in good shape. The sticker on the cover says it was changed along with the water pump at 120K miles / 193 km when I purchased it 3 years ago. I am now at 270 km.

Is it recommended to change the timing belt too? Should I get the full kit or just order the parts I need above to fix the worn balance belt?

 

[Growlerbearnz]

The timing belt seems loose...

Is it recommended to change the timing belt too? Should I get the full kit or just order the parts I need above to fix the worn balance belt?

The timing belt shouldn't be loose, and that could be the cause of your slipped timing. A loose belt can be damaged pretty quickly, and a belt that's skipped is doubly suspect. Even if they look ok, belts can be damaged internally with torn cords hidden by the rubber outer layer. I would replace both at the same time.

When replacing the belts follow the workshop manual. The tensioner, for instance, has two bolts that must be tightened in the correct sequence or the tension will be wrong.

 

[sk66]

The timing belt shouldn't be loose, and that could be the cause of your slipped timing.

I saw something recently where they said there is a periodic tension check/reset for the 4D56 timing belt at 40k (I think)... I hadn't heard/read that before, but it makes sense.

 

[Growlerbearnz]

You haven't mentioned if you've done it yet, but be sure to dismantle and inspect the rocker gear and rocker shaft, looking for any cracks or damage. If the valves contact the pistons the rockers are designed to break first, sparing the valves. If the contact is only light (belt slipped just one tooth, for example), the rockers sometimes crack but don't break completely.

Pay special attention to the rocker shaft retaining bolts when you remove them: the soft alloy threads in the cam caps sometimes strip, and you'll see pieces of aluminium stuck in the bolt threads. Stripped threads can be easily fixed with a Heli-Coil or similar thread repair.