Sue,
The b230 series engines are all interference engines, and due to my own
stupidity, mine recently proved how ghastly things can get, I hadn't
tightened the crankshaft pulley to the correct torque, the timing belt drive
behind it starting 'rattling', it's locating 'dog' shattered off, the belt
stopped turning, the engine stopped turning very shortly after, 3 exhaust
valves were history, one was so badly bent I had to break it to remove it, I
know I was lucky to get away with relatively minor (to me) damage.
If you are in any doubt about when the belt was last changed, it's not safe
to leave it, any experienced mechanic should be able to do the job in an
hour or less, the timing marks are clear, and easy to interpret, none of the
fittings/bolts etc are hard to access, the belts themselves are very cheap
for what they are/do. Here in the UK they average about 14-16 UKP.
Having never paid anyone to do my spannering (DIY mostly), I couldn't tell
you how much it would cost to do the job.
If you can actually see the belt (or remove the cover to get at it), twist
it round slightly at the longest section, then bend the teeth towards you a
little (this opens the teeth out a bit), do not crimp or fold the belt, this
will damage it, any slight evidence of cracking at the base of teeth is an
indication of being old, and not as reliable as you'd like.
Best wishes, Ken
sue sanchez said:
Our little dog rescue recently received the donation of a 1990 Volvo
740 DL sedan (no turbo). We have no way of knowing when the timing
belt was last changed (2111,000 miles on the clock). In general the
car was not well cared for but it runs well now that it has had a
tune-up.
Can a mechanic accurately inspect the timing belt to determine if it
should be replaced? Is this engine an "interference engine" where
gastly things will occurs if the timing belt breaks? Should we just go
ahead and replace it? How much should that cost?
Thanks in advance!Sue,
The b230 series engines are all interference engines, and due to my own
stupidity, mine recently proved how ghastly things can get, I hadn't
tightened the crankshaft pulley to the correct torque, the timing belt drive
behind it starting 'rattling', it's locating 'dog' shattered off, the belt
stopped turning, the engine stopped turning very shortly after, 3 exhaust
valves were history, one was so badly bent I had to break it to remove it, I
know I was lucky to get away with relatively minor (to me) damage.
If you are in any doubt about when the belt was last changed, it's not safe
to leave it, any experienced mechanic should be able to do the job in an
hour or less, the timing marks are clear, and easy to interpret, none of the
fittings/bolts etc are hard to access, the belts themselves are very cheap
for what they are/do. Here in the UK they average about 14-16 UKP.
Having never paid anyone to do my spannering (DIY mostly), I couldn't tell
you how much it would cost to do the job.
If you can actually see the belt (or remove the cover to get at it), twist
it round slightly at the longest section, then bend the teeth towards you a
little (this opens the teeth out a bit), do not crimp or fold the belt, this
will damage it, any slight evidence of cracking at the base of teeth is an
indication of being old, and not as reliable as you'd like.
Best wishes, Ken
