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87 timing belt


corvairbob
11-27-2016, 06:57 AM
i just got an 87 lebaron with 44,000 miles on it. yep 44,000 miles and the 6th digit is still zero. anyway i took off the timing belt cover and the belt is still original. i know belts can last a long time but i'm not sure about the timing belt? it looks to be in good condition with no cracks or even rotted on either side of the belt. i rotated the crank to check it some and did not see anything. most of these first belts required 60k for change and the newer ones are getting to 120k but that is with the miles i'm not familiar with age related change on these belts as most cars don't get the age before the miles. thanks bp.

MikeCStig
11-28-2016, 05:34 PM
When it comes to timing belts, I wouldn't recommend taking any chances. Let's face it, even with the low mileage, your timing belt is only a year younger than me if it's the original. I'm not sure if your Lebaron has what's called an interference engine. If it does and your timing belt snaps the valves will stick open and the pistons will smash into the valves and completely ruin the engine. If it's not an interference engine and the timing belt snaps it may still do some damage to your engine and it will at the very least be a major pain in the ass. I would recommend replacing the timing belt and if the water pump is driven by the timing belt (which it often is) replace the water pump while you're in there. Just because the timing belt looks OK, doesn't mean that it's as strong as it should be.

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