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has anyone had a timing belt break?

18K views 30 replies 20 participants last post by  davedrivesody  
#1 ·
Our friends have a 2nd generation ODY and have over 180,000 miles on it without changing the timing belt. Now my wife thinks that we should not change ours (95,000) 3rd generation. I know the manual says 105,000. She is used to Toyota's and letting them run until they break. She does not think it is necessary so soon. What has been your experience. I changed my Miata's TB but I don't think I want to tackle the ODY.
 
#2 ·
Why does your wife think she knows more about cars and timing belts than you (when you've actually changed one in the past)? You could let it go a little over 100k, probably not going to cause a problem, but I would not let it go much past that. If it snaps, you're looking at major engine damage as the pistons will hit the valves and bend/break stuff everywhere.
 
#3 ·
There was a member here just the other day that had one break and was contemplating the cost of rebuilding the engine. Even if you are not able to do it yourself the job is less than $1000. Considering what $1000 buys as a replacement or the negligible impact it has as a down payment on a new car why risk it? And just because someone she knows has been lucky doesn't mean you will be, like crossing the street without looking. This is all said not really knowing the current condition of the van. If it is otherwise trashed and not worth anything anyway then maybe drive it until it breaks, but my 120K van still looks pretty new and has been maintained in a constant state of lot ready condition, so I am already looking forward to the next TB change at 210K and won't hesitate to do it as long as nothing happens to it in the meantime.

BTW, if you do it don't shortcut it. Do the tensioner and idler as well because if either of those fail it takes out the belt and the result is the same. You are already there so its just the cost of parts. JMO of course. There is a general consensus here that the water pump is likely to make it to 210K, so many consider it optional.
 
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#4 ·
BTW, if you do it don't shortcut it. Do the tensioner and idler as well because if either of those fail it takes out the belt and the result is the same. You are already there so its just the cost of parts. JMO of course. There is a general consensus here that the water pump is likely to make it to 210K, so many consider it optional.
I would do the water pump. It's not that costly of a part and you're/they're already in there. If it seizes, the result is the same as the above.
 
#6 ·
I believe most Toyota's use timing chains instead of belts. Depending on the model of your Toyota, if it has a timing chain, it usually doesn't need to be changed. I think it is worthwhile to change out the timing belt not too far past the suggested miles.
 
#7 ·
Monky, I believe you are wrong on Toyotas mostly having a timing chain, and not a t belt. That instead would be true for Nissan and Infinity. The difference with the Toyota is that they do not have interference engines as Hondas do, so when your timing belt breaks on Toyotas when the engine is cranking, then you will not bend your valves and have major engine damage as is the case with Hondas.
 
#9 ·
I bought my 2006 Ody recently. I talked to the dealer about a week ago. The general Honda answer is By 105K or 7 years. Mine is 7 years and 91+K. I expect to do my TB before it gets cold. Since I have been reading this forum and watching numerous videos online, I realize that I can do the TB over the course of a weekend. Patience is the keyword and safety is a close second. Since I will have everything taken apart, I plan on buying the tensioner, idler, water pump, and anything else that I can/should. I realize that some of this could be considered preventative maintenance, but I certainly expect to keep this Ody until 300K, Hopefully more. I have always erred on the 'better safe than sorry' motto. Playing Russian roulette and crossing the street without looking are not what most Honda owners do. :DD
 
#12 ·
-1

Wasn't disagreeing with replacing it. It's not seizing the engine running on the flat side.
 
#13 ·
my 06 ODY EXL is at 100K mi. I just learned my next service could cost $1,300! TB, Tensioner, Spark plugs, coolant. Read your posts and they helped calm me down.
i bought it used with 77K mi and really like it. Just have to figure how to pay for it.
I'd planned to keep it to 140K mi
Thanks,
Leland
 
#14 ·
Just got my 08' oddy back from the shop this pm after timing belt service. I delayed to 130k miles because most of my miles are highway. The tech said that the belt was hard and quite brittle. With the winter coming, a cold timing belt that is brittle could easily snap. Glad to be ready for the next 130k miles.
 
#17 ·
Looking at replacing the belt in our 2006 EXL. The local price is about $875 to replace belt, water pump, coolant (Muller Honda in Chicago area, plus tax). I can get the full part kit (AC Delco or AISIN) for about $200 at RockAuto (or can anyone recommend a better place to get an OEM kit)? I'm trying to go through the cost in my head of using a whole weekend day to replace or have the shop do it. It's about a 6-8 job for a handy DIY if I'm reading the forums right, correct?
 
#19 ·
I wonder what the Honda book time is for TB job is. I have done 3 TB jobs on Honda J35 v6 engines. My ody with VCM, another Ody LX w/o VCM and friends Acura TL. It definitely does not take 6 hours to do the job. My last one was closer to 10-12 and I consider myself handy. In each case I replaced every single component, except for seals. Drained the coolant, including draining the block, did spark plugs. The clearance is very tight even for my small hands and number of bolts is mind boggling.
The only thing I dread about the TB job is removing the crank bolt. I use the crank holding tool and a breaker bar. The amount of pressure required to remove the bolt is just crazy. Good luck.
 
#18 ·
#25 ·
My 2005 has 103,000 miles and I had the TB replaced around 70k but that was 8 years ago and it seems to be noisy. I suspect it should be replaced again despite low miles on the unit but are there actually reports of low mileage failures just due to age?
Most definetely. Timing belt replacement is based on both mileage and time - both are equally important. At 8 years, your timing belt is due for replacement. Get the Aisin kit from Rock Auto.