Regarding the timing belt and Water pump

[JT-Pera]

this might seem like a stupid question.......but how many miles should a timing belt last for?.........i bought a 96 honda del sol sohc vtech si and i currently have just about 119000 miles on it and i don't know if the previous owner had the timing belt replaced ( my guess is that he didn't)i know its a good idea to change it anyway, just for peace of mind.

[b16a3sol]

its usually changed at 90,000 miles. some people like to change it anywhere from 60,000 to 75,000. just take a look at the belt and see if it looks old and worn. if it does, replace it soon, before it breaks and you need a whole new engine. if not, you should be pretty safe.

[JT-Pera]

Thanks for the reply. I've made arrangements to get the water pump, timing belt, and the Cam and Crank seals replaced. the honda dealership said that its not practical to just check it, because of the labour cost, they said that you might as well just change it since the motor is already pulled apart. the bad thing is its gonna cost around $700 canadien before tax.
so i ordered the parts from the dealer, and my friends mechanic is gonna do it for me.
again thanx for the reply

[94SolGrl]

just to let you know, just looking at a belt is not a good judge of whether it needs to be changed or not, especially the timing belt. One of the reasons it wears out faster than other belts is A) constant motion/wear, and B) excessive heat since it's in the engine itself. You can look at a belt that's a month old or a year old and I can guarantee you they'll look almost the same. Depending on how hard you drive, you need to replace it more often. I replaced mine at 98,000 (when I first got the car), and am about to replace it again, now with 135,000 on it. Why? Because I race/autocross/drive like an ass, and there is NOTHING more embarrassing than snapping your timing belt halfway down the quarter... I promise you that

[Plastic_Fork]

Honda recommends replacing it every 90,000 miles. I replaced mine at 70,000 when I got my car and will do it again sooner than 90,000 because I drive the car pretty hard.

[JT-Pera]

Again thanx for all the replies. Timing belt and water pump got done.