Originally Posted By: 9050lx
Whats the status of the Honda GCV timing belts?Didn't they use to slip or break?
I've never seen a broken belt. There is an issue with the belt slipping off the top cam gear for the valves. The newer engines have a redesigned valve cover which fixes this issue. The newer covers also are direct swaps onto the old engines. Usually the belt can just be slipped back on, sometimes the engine needs to be re-timed, which isn't too difficult.
I find it is more of a quality control issue with the alignment of the top cam gear. Many engines run for hundreds of hours and never have a problem. I had one mower that the belt slipped off again a week after I fixed it, and only a new cover solved the problem.