Timing Belt Maintenance? help please

[Kronite]

I have a e30 89 325i, about how often or after how many miles is it recommended that you replace your timing belt...
In advance thank you for the advice
-Leif

[stonea]

http://bfy.tw/8rYe

[UlrichFennec]

Every 50,000 miles. Do the water pump, thermostat, coolant temp sensor and your hoses while you're doing it. Knock out the whole shebang.

[ForcedFirebird]

...or 4yr. They dry rot. If you don't know the last time it was done, just do it or you may be rebuilding/replacing the head.

[Das Delfin]

60k/4years. Replace it with a new tensioner, guide pin and spring

Replace the water pump every 2nd timing belt

[jeffnhiscars]

I still don't know why anyone replaces the guide pin when all it does it hold the spring in place til the belt is tensioned and doesn't wear at all.

I'm a water pump every other belt kinda guy but can't hurt to replace such a critical part more often

[ForcedFirebird]

I do it all at once every time, pumps are cheap enough.

As far as the pin, only if it's rusted/damaged/missing, spring is every time since it puts the proper tension on the belt before the tensioner is tightened. It's amazing how many times we change the belts and the spring/pin is missing. We used to keep the old timing belts hanging on the wall, but that's an old habit as the pile got quite large, plus it's been a long time since anyone has asked "can you do timing belts?" hehe Now there's a large shelf full of cracked 885 heads we have save over the years.

[jeffnhiscars]

If you replace a bad water pump by itself there's really no reason to replace the spring and pin, other than to not lose them.

[ForcedFirebird]

If you replace a bad water pump by itself there's really no reason to replace the spring and pin, other than to not lose them.

The spring is released when removing the pump, though. Then the belt needs to be re-tensioned. Just like people leaving the spring out all together. Will it work? Yes. Is it proper? No.

Why skimp on parts that cost less than the change you can find in most car ashtrays or toll bins?

[nando]

you don't need to release the tension from the belt to change the pump (if you are doing the pump, but not the belt). That's what he's talking about. As you said, the spring sets the tension - but it doesn't hold it there.

Also, springs don't really "wear out". Unless it's severely rusted, there's no reason to replace it either. it's not like it's a valve spring that's been through 100 million cycles.

[jeffnhiscars]

The spring is released when removing the pump, though. Then the belt needs to be re-tensioned. Just like people leaving the spring out all together. Will it work? Yes. Is it proper? No.

Why skimp on parts that cost less than the change you can find in most car ashtrays or toll bins?

That's not true, john. Removing the pump, spring and pin does nothing to the belt as long as you don't touch the tensioner. the spring would be a safety precaution if the tensioner gets loose on it's own, but otherwise it does not need to be there once the belt is tensioned


I missed nandos post. Did not mean to pile on poor John :)

[ForcedFirebird]

True. Also probable reason I see them missing often when we do belts. I tend to just to do the whole thing. Pump and belt at the same time every time. But, I am also "that guy" that puts a new belt on every time it's disturbed - even if it was put on recently. Just seen too many failures, and it's cheap insurance.