View Single Post
  #3  
Old April 12th 17, 06:23 PM posted to rec.autos.tech
dsi1[_11_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 331
Default ###TIMING BELT CONSPIRACY THEORY###

On Tuesday, April 11, 2017 at 3:45:45 PM UTC-10, Andy wrote:
> On Wednesday, July 20, 1994 at 4:15:51 PM UTC-5, Owen Lee wrote:
> > I have a timing-belt-conspiracy-theory, please read and comment:
> > (I'd like to compile some data and will post the results later)
> >
> > I had a 1983 Honda Civic, with a 5 sp. It went ~170k miles without
> > ever breaking the timing belt. My Uncle's 1986 Buick Park Avenue has
> > over 100k miles (Automatic), without breaking the timing belt. None
> > of my friends (work and social) has every broken a timing belt. In
> > fact, the only sources of broken timing belt stories a auto-shops,
> > dealerships, and friend of a friend of a friend who has a broken one
> > once.
> >
> > Harley Davidson uses a similar belt to drive its 800 pound motorcycles
> > in place of a chain. Now if a rubber belt is stong enough to drive a
> > 800 pound bike for usually 10's of thousands of miles, wouldn't you think
> > it's strong enough to last for a life time when used to drive a couple
> > of cam shaft, which probably offer resistance equivalent to about 20 pounds?
> >
> > My theory is that timing belt breaking is a scare story cooked up by
> > people who want you to spend $2-300 every 60k miles, so that the auto-
> > service industry can have a few billion dollars more business. After all,
> > the timing and valves were supposed to be adjusted anyway, why not add one
> > more item while the valve cover is off.
> >
> > I want to know if you have had a timing belt broken before, if so,
> > which car was it (make, model, year, etc), transmission type (which
> > affects engine rpm), mileage (highway miles, local miles, average
> > speed), whether you are throttle happy, how high do you rev your
> > engine before shifting, climate (hot air presumably makes plastic
> > deteriorate faster), etc. All the variables that you think may
> > effect the life of a timing belt.
> >
> > It's important that that you respond even if you have not had a broken
> > timing belt, especially if your car has gone over the magical 60k mile
> > mark without replacing the timing belt. Also, please include all cars
> > in your family so that I can have a big database. Otherwise I will
> > get only broken timing belt stories.
> >
> >
> > And please be honest.

>
> Breaking timing belts are not a myth.
>
> I was driving to work when my timing belt broke.
>
> Car died and I had to go over a curb to get off the road.
>
> Timing chains may not break but rubber belts do !!
>
> Andy


When I used to see Fiats 124 and Subarus on the side of the road I pretty much knew it was because of broken timing belts. I recently broke the timing belt on a VW 1.8T, I sure wish it was some wild rumor or conspiracy.
Ads