Beryls Volvos timing belt question for Herd

[abscate]

Some you know I’m buying 1998-2000 P80s and giving to them away to people who need wheels

Two models of car

One I aim to get light duty , 4 years 20000 miles

Two -I aim to for 10000 mile a year runner

Question: what should I do with timing belts ?

It’s easy to say just replace on all cars but that’s expensive and time consuming. Obviously if something is one 25 year old parts , yes

Most of them are coming with 50k belts 6-8 years.


Any pointers on a strategy here?

I ignore the issue and accept the Judgement of Thor

B. Replace belt only on all cars

iii Evaluate and replace on cars headed for 10k annnual, isn’t suspect

[scot850]

Some belts have a date code on them. Maybe it is possible to see if they have one and work out from there.

Assuming you are not going OE Volvo. Continental does kits for 99- P80 cars at a reasonable price at Rock Auto. I just bought a kit with an Aisin water pump kit for an 05 P2 (same belt and idler, slightly different tensioner to a P80 and early P2) with a 5% discount for $280 CDN. To me other than the large time commitment and if you have no history it is a relatively small price v's a seized belt and broken car.

Neil.

[erikv11]

When I gave away my 96 P80 the timing parts were aging (in years, not miles) but still in spec, and I thought of it as "these will never need to be changed again, just give them the history and let it go." The new owner has been doing things like brakes and exhaust repairs to keep it going but preventive timing path jobs are outside of their budget.

So I think this decision is purely budget driven. Belt-only is fine for tier 1 level investment/expense, complete Rockauto kits for tier 2. I don't think there is a tier where I'd ignore the timing path.

From my take on the situation I would probably go with belt-only: always put on a new Conti belt when you get the car to have at least some kind of timing baseline; inspect the timing parts at that time, only replace if you see a wobble problem etc. somewhere.

The hydraulic tensioners have much longer lifespan, if you see that on a 98 it's probably a thumbs up. Unfortunately by 99+ uses only mechanical, and as you know with replacement rollers and mechanical tensioners there is the possibility of compete junk. So I'd look carefully for issues there but still plan on a t belt iff routine.

If you get super unlucky you might, might, might lose one to a timing path problem, but more likely is the car craps out for other reasons before that ever happens, once you are not maintaining them.

[volvolugnut]

It may be useful to do a cost benefit analysis.
Case 1: Don't change the belt and risk a belt failure at X miles. If belt failure, engine destruction is Y percent (Y percent is high).
This case likely results in near total lose of the vehicle (expect for salvage parts). Cost for this case is Z at X miles.
Case 2: Change the belt for A dollars in parts and time. Expect belt (and maybe engine) life of 100-125K miles with high percentage likely.
Compare case 1 and 2 cost and assumptions.
I think I would create a spreadsheet to play around with the numbers.
volvolugnut

[abscate]

Thanks. The funny part is these cars are so cheap that I make money parting them out if the belt goes. That will make for some funny math.

I’m leaning to replacing with Conti belts , especiallly for the 1998s , on all models


Keep ideas coming please!!