2000 Rodeo 3.2 with 136,000 miles

A few questions about the timing belt.

Is it common for these belts to break on the 3.2?

Is my engine an interferance engine?

What else should be replaced while changing the timing belt?

Tranny question.

How do I check the level/condition of the transmission fluid?

Did you break the belt?

It's not uncommon to get 100K + out of the belt. It is an interference engine. You should change the belt, water pump, tensioner and its pulley, idler pulley.

You check the tranny fluid level with the higher of the 2 plugs on the bottom of the tranny pan. You start it cold, let it idle a couple of minutes, put the truck in N, pull the top plug. If a little trickles out, the level is good. If none comes out, you pump in some fluid until it starts leaking out and replace the plug. Loads of info available if you search.

http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m200/McKee_62/rodeotiming1.jpg
I like posting this pic whenever timing comes up...

It is an interference engine. .

Hey Surf, think you may have mis-worded....maybe, or has it been proven that the 3.2L IS interference.

Just double checking.

Is my engine an interferance engine?

What else should be replaced while changing the timing belt?


it is NONinterference.

which will give you a little reassurance, but you don't want to wait, cause it can cause other damage, like to the tb covers. not to mention, the water pump is done at the same time (recommended) and if yours hasn't been done, the wp can seize and cause tb problems among other things.

hth
//bc

Just plain wrong, I guess. I thought we had posters with valve damage following a timing belt break...

I defer to the master...2eyefishclaw...
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=624425&highlight=interference

See!
[Picture of 4 cyl. with piston damage deleted because it makes the page too wide.]




(Wonders how long before they realize it's a 4 cylinder engine....)


Must have been thinking about this one!

2carpros.com says:
SOHC no
DOHC yes.......

Did you break the belt?

It's not uncommon to get 100K + out of the belt. It is an interference engine. You should change the belt, water pump, tensioner and its pulley, idler pulley.

You check the tranny fluid level with the higher of the 2 plugs on the bottom of the tranny pan. You start it cold, let it idle a couple of minutes, put the truck in N, pull the top plug. If a little trickles out, the level is good. If none comes out, you pump in some fluid until it starts leaking out and replace the plug. Loads of info available if you search.

The belt isn't broke, just thinking ahead and trying to solve the interferance mystery.

As far as the tranny goes (automatic) I read in the shop manual the fluid gets checked by a temp gauge. Is your way another way of doing it?

Why can't this tranny have a dipstick like all the others in the world?

As far as the tranny goes (automatic) I read in the shop manual the fluid gets checked by a temp gauge. Is your way another way of doing it?
Yes. I don't have a temp guage. So my method is less exact for sure. I'm sorry for the short, incomplete answers. Searching or reading the manual will help fill in my omissions.

FWIW - Surf, I thought there was a poster at one time, with the 3.2L that had broke his belt and it HAD done damage; so I'm not 100% either, although I believe the experts: JLEMND and 2eyefish clearly state that it's a NON-interference.

OP - agree, don't want until yours breaks before changing it out - 130k is long enough. When you change your timing belt, I highly recommend doing the following as well:

waterpump
timing belt tensioner - VERY IMPORTANT
other accessible coolant hoses/driving belts while everythings available.
thermostat - change with OEM Isuzu ONLY
Flush radiator

Transmission -

Have you ever changed the tranny fluid/filter before??

I hope so, otherwise, you may want to leave it alone at this point - except to add fluid if needed. That 136k mile fluid may be the only thing holding it together - IF it's original fluid, that is.

If you've changed your fluid within the last 40-50k or so, I'd drop the pan, clean it, replace filter and refill.

Just killing time last night!

re: checking tranny fluid with special temperature tool-

Tranny fluid is checked at a specific temp and thats why the tool is recommended. My tranny guy told me if I was trying to check it without the temp gauge, to put my hand against the pan(s) and when its hot, but not so hot that i cant can keep my hand on there, thats approx. the right temp to check it at.

That said, I checked and topped my tranny off at full operating temp prior to having this conversation with him, and he said the level was good when he checked it.

on a side note - if you have a tranny leak around the smaller front tranny pan (the one with no drain plugs) check the actuator cover just above it on the passenger side. Hopefully someone wont waste time and $ doing that gasket like I did. If your drive shaft is covered in fluid all the time, you shift a little rough, or you get 'hick-ups' followed by a 'check trans' light, and/or you have a clank at startup... that cover might be your problem. Good news is its an easy cheap fix! (<$200) Its common enough that my tranny guy had a box full of those covers on hand.

Good luck all! I have harvested a ton of info off this site, so im trying to give a little back!