Old timing belt risky - do they deteriorate?

martyp

Hi all,
Would a timing belt start to go 'bad' after being in a box on a shelf for a period of time? I wondered about buying a belt for my car but it's old stock as such so although it's not used it's been sat around in a box for maybe quite a few years...
Is it risky? It's the actual manufacturer's part, not a cheap one or OE etc...

Weird_Nev

Should be ok...it's exposure to light and oils that kills them so as long as it's been sat in a box on a shelf I wouldn't be bothered.

The real question is 'does your car have a non-interference engine'....

mikey72

It'll deteriorate in the box. Eventually it'll set to the shape it's in, and start to crack.
I'd only use new, or at least less than two years old.

Weird_Nev

mikey72 wrote: »

It'll deteriorate in the box. Eventually it'll set to the shape it's in, and start to crack.
I'd only use new, or at least less than two years old.

So what about the one you get on the car? The five year old/40k mile one that's been spinning and spinning and spinning and getting hot and cold and hot and cold and been splashed with oil and tar and water and oil.....

Or do you check batch dates for timing belts???

mikey72

Weird_Nev wrote: »

So what about the one you get on the car? The five year old/40k mile one that's been spinning and spinning and spinning and getting hot and cold and hot and cold and been splashed with oil and tar and water and oil.....

Or do you check batch dates for timing belts???

That's why you change them. No pont in putting on a belt that's older than the one you're taking off!

martyp

Thanks both, I'll have a rethink as to what might be the best to get...

TrickyWicky

Odds are whatever you buy it may of been sitting on a shelf for a few years anyway. Personally I'd only worry about it once its fitted which is when the real strain takes place on the belt.

It depends on the type of belt though. If its a narrow 1cmm wide belt being wrapped up in tight loops for a few years won't do it much good. If its one of the big 1inch+ wide belts used on big engined vehicles it'll be strong enough to cope with ease.

pendulum

If it looks new and feels right I'd be happy with it. Items you buy from GSF / Eurocarparts could easily have been sitting in a warehouse for years, you never know.

maxheadroom

Continental belts come with a 'fit by date' printed on to them, but they are the only one manufacturer i have seen do that - though they seem to have a long shelf life as purchased one as NOS from ebay about a year ago and its fit by date was 2014!

TrickyWicky

The thing you need to remember is many cars don't get their cambelts changed on time. It's not unusual for cars to go 10-20k over the mileage and several years over the change by date. Then they sit out in the freezing cold, the boiling hot, the dryness the humidity etc.. they still survive so being in a box for a few years isn't much of a strain on it in reality. I suspect those that are fitting fit by dates are trying to encourage a few more quid through their books for kits that don't get used very quickly.

mcjordi

mine wasnt due on mileage but was due on age. (was 2 years overdue) when it was done i could see all the cracks in it.. wouldnt of lasted much longer..