Timing Belt

WARNING! WARNING! For all of those newbies with an escort...CHANGE YOUR TIMING BELT! If you don't know when it was done last then do it or you'll be stranded.

I was driving to the 24/7 Walmart at 1am and my timing belt went, car was running as well as it ever has and then all of a sudden nothing...Engine shuts down and won't restart, timing belt broke. Had to tow the car back home with my father in laws 89 full sized Bronco, if it weren't for him I'd have been paying over $200 for a tow.




Now for all those who know more about the car then me, is there anything I should do while I'm changing the damn thing? I have a 94 EGT.

When I changed my timing belt I left the cover off. That way I can keep an eye on it. It's hard to inspect with the cover on. Good time to check the water pump for play and/or leaks.

I would suggest changing the water pump as well if has not been done. Two weeks after changing the timing belt my water pump started to leak, and you have to remove the timing belt in order to do so. This save from haveing to do the timing belt job twice.

Here's a sugestion, I've done it to both of my Escorts, On a 1.9 the hard part of changing the belt is taking the motor mount off to get the cover off. I trimmed the back side of the cover so it slides out with the mount on. It doesn't take much, just trim it so it doesn't hang up on the heater hose. Next time you change it, it will take only 1/2 as long.

*relaxes w/ his Non-interferance escort* belt shmelt