Timing belt. Need opinions

I just bought a very nice 232000 mile 2006 doublecab. No service history. Looked at the timing belt today and I think it looks fairly recent. Can any of you guys take a look and tell me if you agree?

 

I really don't think you'll be able to tell if it needs replacement from just looking at the outside of the belt, you need to see the cog side to check for wear and cracks. If you have no history it might be a good idea to just replace it for peace of mind. Good luck.

 

It's hard to tell on my phone, but it appears the belt is starting to show tiger striping, and the words on the belt appear illegible.

I'd say you've got another 20K in that belt before it absolutely needs to be changed. It's not as bad as my belt was at 280k.

Personally, I'd plan on changing it sooner rather than later just to be cautious, but it's your truck so do you

 

This is where I'm at. Gotta ask yourself a few questions. How long do you anticipate keeping the Tundra? How far do you want to go to protect your investment? Will you be doing the job yourself or having a shop or dealer do it? If you're in it for the long haul and it's in as good of shape as you're insinuating, I'd error on the side of replacing it. The cost will sting a bit but, you'll know it's done.

 

Yes, I agree it was probably changed but I’m no expert.

That Chinese sticker doesn’t look OEM considering our trucks were built by a corporation out of Japan. Unless that’s Japanese?? What do I know.

 

Do it. Ease your mind. Its money or time well spent.

when my buells drive belt broke it wasnt showing any signs of stress, delaminated, probably because of heat and stress.

after reading T2's comment, i'll agree you have some time. Any other parts of the truck unnatually clean?

 

First, there's no way that's the original belt. So it's obviously been changed at some point.

Second, that belt visually doesn't look like it's more than 4-5 years old, but it's purely speculation. If it was my truck, I'd feel pretty confident driving on that but I'd make checking it yearly a point.

When you say 'No service history', did you also sign up for the Toyota Owners website, plug in your VIN to assign your truck to your account, and look at the dealer service records? Toyota keeps a record of all dealership-based maintenance visits.

 

And the reason I tell you to look for dealership records at Toyota's site, I clearly see "TOYOTA" on the belt in one of those pics. And it's in the standard Toyota font, so I have my suspicions the timing belt may've been changed at the dealer, because most shops aren't going out of their way to buy belts from a dealership.

It's Japanese writing.

 

Change it, you don't know how long it's been on.

It's cheaper to replace it now then if it snaps.

 

I wouldn't change that unless I needed to work on something else in that area. If it would make you feel better to inspect the lug side of the belt, you can get a cheap endoscope on Amazon and take another look.

Agreed. I see "TOYOTA" most clearly on the first picture with the flash, in green just above the glare:

 

I bought a nice clean high mileage 2007 with 213k on it. I new when I got it I would want to go through and do the maintenance items, and have my own records as to what and when things were done. If it was me I would change the belt and water pump and be done with it.

 

I'd change it soon, for my own piece of mind, so I knew when it was done last. Then again, I would go through it and do all the fluids and stuff too. Just to know they were done, when, and properly.

 

The fact it says “Toyota” on it only makes me think it could still be the original. If my sleuthing could not definitively uncover the last timing belt change, it would be on my immediate to do list. When I bought my daughters SUV from the dealership that originally sold and serviced the car, it was sold with a “131 point inspection”. It was one owner with 113k miles on it. During my initial shakedown of the vehicle and its maintenance needs I discovered the air filter was in fact the original from the factory. Date stamped the same as the vehicle build date. Assume nothing.

 

That's pretty nuts right there. But yeah, if there's no record of timing belt service at the Owners website, and it's still rocking a Toyota belt, I'd be suspicious af. And that would be the nicest looking 17yo, 230k mile belt I've ever seen. We've had others post their 200k+ mile original belts on their truck and they were cracked to hell.

 

This is a no brainer ... change the belt. It is better safe than sorry.

 

I took a look at some of the bolt heads on my timing covers and they’re already starting to decay from rust. I may have to take one of those bolt extractor sockets to them. Fun times ahead.

 

Mine had a crack between every single rib when I got it....still didn't break. Think it may have had 260K+ miles on it.

 

The question is really, why don't people keep basic maintenance records, even scribbles on scrap paper. I have every maintenance record and receipt on my truck since I bought it new in 2001, including the window sticker, it's in a file cabinet folder about 1/2 thick. Maybe it's just me, but if you were to buy my truck there wouldn't be any wondering when things were done.

 

I have a file for every reciept. Except fuel and oil.

 

Ha, I even stuff the oil receipt in the file so I can look back and see what brand and viscosity I used. It's like a trip down memory lane. Weird I know.

 

Ditto. except I keep oil receipts. And upload all of it into the CarFax account I was given by the dealer whose back lot I poached the truck off of.

 

Regular mobile 1 full syn. Thats what grandpa has used since 4 miles. Every 5k, and i did 135k right before my light problems.

 

I even have every oil change receipt.

 

Pretty sure i have a fuel reciept thats 69.42

The 5k oil change has changed my life, used to write milage on stickers, but just remind everyone every 5k lemme know. And its going swimmingly.

 

Good thing is those bolts are installed with low torque, and the part of the bolt the thread engages is inside and protected from corrosion. I bet you'll be alright, but might want to throw some new ones on there this time.

 

I kept records to 100k and then just kept the receipts on parts and labor paid and tossed them on a shoe box. Now I have 2 shoeboxes full of receipts, some where the thermal ink completely faded away.

 

I can barely keep track of where my truck even is, let alone when the last time I worked on any given part.

 

I bought mine with no records and changed the belt within 300 miles. Not worth the risk imo. I also don’t think you’d forget the sticker somewhere under the hood if you had spent the money on the job. Mine was 17 years old and had 115k on it. It was the original belt, had the date printed on it, April 2005.

 

If it has no records and a timing belt - hooray for chains - and you want to keep it, then it should be the first job you do. Hearsay or visual assessment are poor substitutes when it comes to an interference valve set up and a belt that snaps. At least it's not a transverse engine, they are a proper pain in the ass unless you have kiddies fingers.

 

I was in the same boat when I got my truck at 228,000 mi. No record or evidence of any timing belt service. Out of an abundance of caution I changed it. This is what I took off. I'm 99.99% sure this is the original belt.



If I hadn't done so, I never would have noticed the water pump leak(s).