Originally Posted by berniedd
10 year old Ford truck, guys. Manual says change timing belt at 80,000 miles but makes no mention of time allowed. I am nowhere near 80,000 miles and I'm getting uncomfortable with the engine now at 10-year old mark. How much longer can I stretch it? I drive normally, no towing done.
You bring up an excellent point, about how a timing belt change is supposed to be done whether it is needed to or not, preventative maintenance. Because even if you have an interference engine, which most engines are and a small and select few are not. If it snaps on you, the interference engine has a strong chance of being done for, best case scenario a valve job which means head off. The non-interference engine may not be damaged, but still will not run home.
I remember the interval being something like 10 years or 100,000-110,000 miles, or if not previously known when it was changed. This always meant to me that you buy a used car, if the previous owner changed it yesterday and did not document it, you should change it again to be sure. Because maybe it is the original timing belt that came with the car. Same with spark plugs, do you know when they were last changed? Without records, all you have is a visual inspection and same with battery, is it the OEM style battery? This is your only clue.
Do you feel like your belt may be in a position where its condition is starting to deteriorate? You do not seem to be too hard on your Ford truck, this probably how most people use their vehicles, though severe service can constitute if you have to stop at a few lights or stop signs on the way to wherever you are going. The more lights you stop at, the more severe. The timing belt stays in its own sealed compartment on the side or front of the engine, depending, and you have a belt not a chain, okay.. I would agree that age can be a factor in if they snap on you.
You got a 5.4 Windsor? a 4.6? A V-10? 10 years old, so it cannot be a 4.9 I-6.. ? 3 Valve?