Replace timing belt due to age alone?

Finally joined the club. With the help of the pre-purchase guide on here I just bought a well maintained 2000 4WD Access Cab. Utterly in Love. It came with the full maintenance records.

Question:
The timing belt was replaced at 90k miles in 2016. The truck currently only has 124k miles. Obviously the new belt is well under its 90k but it is coming up on nine years.

Does it need to be replaced based on age alone? It looks fine to me, no cracks etc, but should I take the truck to a mechanic to take a better look?

Thanks folks.

 

Belts stretch with time. You won’t see that physically, only feel it when it’s off by a tooth.

You could probably go longer. My belt hasn’t been changed since 2010, BUT I haven’t taken a look under there and I’m overdue.

 

I will defer to the others however I would suggest doing it. New radiator, good flush all new pulleys water pump, serpentine belt etc. a chance to get the front end in good shape and the cooling system


Here is mine I just replaced just shy of 100,000 miles. it was about 6 years old. I took a peek at it, and I thought it was in excellent shape even when I took it off, but I looked at it again today and there were some minor cracks in it.

I mean it was probably still good for a while but one little peek at one little section of the timing belt does not tell the full story

 

Would it be fine for a while longer? Yeah, probably. My original belt lasted 200k and 23 years. Is it worth the risk? NO!

Are you considering having a mechanic do it? Or are you considering doing it yourself?

 

There was an excellent comment on one of the groups recently, I think for a person with a 15yo belt but under the mileage threshold. Something to the effect of: Timing belts are rubber, tires are rubber. Would you trust 9-10 year old tires under your truck before taking a long road trip? If not, why would you trust the rubber belt responsible for ensuring your engine doesn't turn into a potato?

Edit: Actually found the comment. Man the search over there is better. "Not the miles for you. The age is the problem. If rubber on your tires cracks after 8 or 10 years, why the hell would you trust a 20 year old belt? Think about that for a sec. Belt can look visually OK after 20 years too. But rubber is rubber. It oxidizes. It loses elasticity. It cracks or tears without warning. Would you trust this truck on 20 year old tires?"

 

Ok thanks for the help folks.

No I’m planning on having someone else do it.

Anyone have any shop recs in SoCal?

 

What part of SoCal? If you're near North County San Diego, this guy does good work and is a former Toyota tech that works out of his own shop area.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...rs-electrical-overland-to-fast-builds.202711/

 

Ok great! Thank you all for the advice. I’ll check that guy out. Might be worth the drive down. I’m in Los Angeles.

 

Before I bought my 2006 DC in 2020 the previous owner had the TB (with water pump etc. ) done at the dealer with only 50K miles on it.
So it was 14 years old at the time. As a 'buyer' this was huge piece of mind for one aspect of the truck purchase. I have limited income and didn't want the specter of a timing belt possibly grenadeing a toyota motor known for their longevity.
I'm not saying I would or wouldn't go 'longer', but I would 'think' a belts life could be shortened in extreme weather conditions, either hot or cold.
I'm certain there are PLENTY of folks out there who've gone well beyond the 10 year 100K mile recommendation with zero problems.
I guess it's just a matter of how important the truck's life is to you, and how much peace of mind makes you comfortable driving & owning your truck.
Some say F-it send it. . . . others mark their calendar when a TB change is due.

 

You're not alone, brother.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/1st-gen-lunch-table-general-discussion.60450/page-911#post-2617304

And if you want to see that after it dried to drill the point home: https://www.tundras.com/threads/1st-gen-lunch-table-general-discussion.60450/page-911#post-2617667

Gotta do what you gotta do, right? I since went to Utires.com and bought a used one for $50 shipped in 275/70r17, also A/T. https://www.utires.com/t/c/Used/