HERBIEMERCMAN
Senior Member
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2008
- Messages
- 1,407
- Reaction score
- 40
- Location
- PRESTON, LANCS.
- Your Mercedes
- 97. E300.TD. 7 SEAT.ELEGANCE. EST.TOYOTA SUPRA MK4. RS. VAUX. CORSA.GLS AUTO. SPORT.
hi everyone, it amazes me how many car owners ruin their engines due to ignorance of the rubber timing belt failure, smashing the pistons and valve gear on their car.
also how many garages just change the belt ? as unless you check and replace the water pump and belt tensioner, then a new belt can be a waste of time, if water gets onto the belt it will slip out of sink with the crank timing, or if the tensioner allows the belt to come loose it will also get out of sink, leading to total engine failure.
i do not know how many merc. models have the duplex chain drive as my
e-300 has.
all the old ford transits with rear wheel drive have collapsable push rods.
new front wheel drives have the belt drive. a friend of mine who works in engine recon told me that much of their work comes from belt failure.
as an engineer i find it sad that the automotive designers can live with knowing that the average motorist is not aware of the consequences of belt failure and the very expensive consequences.
my brother has a 500 bhp supra, he said i have only done 12,000 miles in the past 5 yrs, so my belt should be ok ? normally the supra belts are 50,000 miles, but he could not appreciate the 5 yr threshold, i explained that rubber has an age reversion, and compresion set, and in un used conditions will fatigue and fail. failure on his engine would be circa £5,000.
has anyone seen any adverts warning car owners about the consequences of belt failure ? i have not, i wonder why ? herbiemercman.
also how many garages just change the belt ? as unless you check and replace the water pump and belt tensioner, then a new belt can be a waste of time, if water gets onto the belt it will slip out of sink with the crank timing, or if the tensioner allows the belt to come loose it will also get out of sink, leading to total engine failure.
i do not know how many merc. models have the duplex chain drive as my
e-300 has.
all the old ford transits with rear wheel drive have collapsable push rods.
new front wheel drives have the belt drive. a friend of mine who works in engine recon told me that much of their work comes from belt failure.
as an engineer i find it sad that the automotive designers can live with knowing that the average motorist is not aware of the consequences of belt failure and the very expensive consequences.
my brother has a 500 bhp supra, he said i have only done 12,000 miles in the past 5 yrs, so my belt should be ok ? normally the supra belts are 50,000 miles, but he could not appreciate the 5 yr threshold, i explained that rubber has an age reversion, and compresion set, and in un used conditions will fatigue and fail. failure on his engine would be circa £5,000.
has anyone seen any adverts warning car owners about the consequences of belt failure ? i have not, i wonder why ? herbiemercman.