MTSuby Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I can see some cracks in the top of parts of my drive belts, but they're really shallow cracks. Time to change them anyways, or are they good for a bit? They've really only got around 10,000 miles on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 older cars seem to wear belts entirely differently, i don't think there's a good "mileage or age" that would really apply to everyone. not sure if it's weather, belt quality, pulleys that are nicked/rusted/pitted and wear faster, driving style, temp...or what, but seems like belt life can be all over the board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave valiant Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I always replace mine when they start to crack. I just dont like the idea of getting stranded and belts are cheap and easy to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave valiant Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 I always replace mine when they start to crack. I just dont like the idea of getting stranded and belts are cheap and easy to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Usually once they crack they are technically failed. Time to change them, or carry the spares in the back of the car with the proper tools to change them. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zukiru Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 change 'em! you want to do it on your terms, not the car's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTSuby Posted March 31, 2008 Author Share Posted March 31, 2008 Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivantruckman Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 you definatly dont want your water pump to quit running, could cause alot of trouble if your not paying attention to the guages Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phizinza Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 When do you change your belts? When they slip/break Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill90Loyale Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 And put the old ones on top of your spare tire in the engine compartment (they rest perfectly in the full size wheel hub). You'll always have a spare tire AND a spare belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Bought an 86 sedan for $100... sat for 3 years with a broken ignition lock. I drove it for 10,000 miles - never bothered to change the belts. I figured since it had a redundant belt setup (double v-belt - same size), everything would be cool if one of the two went. So one day I was idleing in a construction zone. Not just any construction zone - one of the really slow one's where you have to follow a construction worker in a pickup through the zone. Each direction takes a turn.... ect. So while waiting for the other direction of traffic to finish, ALL my indicators light up. Alternator has gone I figure, or the drive belt. Obviously I can't get out to look. Temp starts to climb so I shut it off. Our turn comes and I fire it up and slowely creep through the zone, and about 1/2 mile farther. I pull over as the temp is pegged. What do I find? ONE of the belts broken - a peice of it slipped under the remaining good belt and popped it off the pulley. I have no 12mm - in fact I haven't got a single tool in that car - just my luck. I limp to a muffler shop and borrow a 12mm to put the good belt back on. By this time I have NO coolant. Once you get that hot, it just boils out the overflow bottle. I filled it up with water from the adjacent supermarket and head home. The next weekend I drive 500 miles to the next state, and 35 miles from home on the way back the water pump blows. I call AAA. I replace the water pump. Too late - the head gaskets have had enough. At 220,000 and two severe overheats they are toast. As an experiment (this is a $100 car after all) I try some of the magic head gasket repair in a bottle. What a freakin mess. It doesn't work. I buy a Fel-Pro set and do both HG's one afternoon. Great - perfect running temp. Sadly the magic HG in a bottle has clogged the heater core. I pull the entire dash to replace said heater core, and put it all back together. Awesome. Good heat, good temp. Never better in Sedan land. Traded the car to a friend's kid for an 83 hatch she found but needed too much work for her use. I gave her the 86 sedan, with about 5,000 miles on the new HG's and heater core. She drives it for one week, gets rear ended - car is a total. So - moral of the story: 1. Not replacing old belts is expensive, and time consuming. 2. Just because you have multiple belts, doesn't gaurantee you redundancy. 3. If you want a pretty decent EA81 hatch for your trouble - don't replace and belts GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoyale Posted April 1, 2008 Share Posted April 1, 2008 Bought an 86 sedan for $100... sat for 3 years with a broken ignition lock. I drove it for 10,000 miles - never bothered to change the belts. I figured since it had a redundant belt setup (double v-belt - same size), everything would be cool if one of the two went. So one day I was idleing in a construction zone. Not just any construction zone - one of the really slow one's where you have to follow a construction worker in a pickup through the zone. Each direction takes a turn.... ect. So while waiting for the other direction of traffic to finish, ALL my indicators light up. Alternator has gone I figure, or the drive belt. Obviously I can't get out to look. Temp starts to climb so I shut it off. Our turn comes and I fire it up and slowely creep through the zone, and about 1/2 mile farther. I pull over as the temp is pegged. What do I find? ONE of the belts broken - a peice of it slipped under the remaining good belt and popped it off the pulley. I have no 12mm - in fact I haven't got a single tool in that car - just my luck. I limp to a muffler shop and borrow a 12mm to put the good belt back on. By this time I have NO coolant. Once you get that hot, it just boils out the overflow bottle. I filled it up with water from the adjacent supermarket and head home. The next weekend I drive 500 miles to the next state, and 35 miles from home on the way back the water pump blows. I call AAA. I replace the water pump. Too late - the head gaskets have had enough. At 220,000 and two severe overheats they are toast. As an experiment (this is a $100 car after all) I try some of the magic head gasket repair in a bottle. What a freakin mess. It doesn't work. I buy a Fel-Pro set and do both HG's one afternoon. Great - perfect running temp. Sadly the magic HG in a bottle has clogged the heater core. I pull the entire dash to replace said heater core, and put it all back together. Awesome. Good heat, good temp. Never better in Sedan land. Traded the car to a friend's kid for an 83 hatch she found but needed too much work for her use. I gave her the 86 sedan, with about 5,000 miles on the new HG's and heater core. She drives it for one week, gets rear ended - car is a total. So - moral of the story: 1. Not replacing old belts is expensive, and time consuming. 2. Just because you have multiple belts, doesn't gaurantee you redundancy. 3. If you want a pretty decent EA81 hatch for your trouble - don't replace and belts GD Damn, What a week hey! And all because of two little belts... the story does have a good moral (Just change the cheep and easy belts) Just did mine last week, The old ones were slipping a lil' when at idel in gear. So it's time..... Plus it had two diffrent kinds on it Someone was too cheep to change both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTSuby Posted April 1, 2008 Author Share Posted April 1, 2008 And put the old ones on top of your spare tire in the engine compartment (they rest perfectly in the full size wheel hub). You'll always have a spare tire AND a spare belt. Ok Ok! I'll change them. This reminds me...anyone have luck with a full size spare in the engine compartment of a carbed wagon? I can't get mine to fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoyale Posted April 2, 2008 Share Posted April 2, 2008 Ok Ok! I'll change them. This reminds me...anyone have luck with a full size spare in the engine compartment of a carbed wagon? I can't get mine to fit. Just toss it in back, Or strap it to the roof.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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