Belts - Time vs Mileage

[chrisjcoe]

Hi all

I'm looking closely at this, might take a drive down to take a look if possible. The answer to a question on the auction states:-

Hi there. Yep, full history in a big folder including old receipts and mots ect! I found receipts for the belts dated March 2005. The next record is an mot dated October 2005 at which the recoded mileage was 116,091. So only bout 7,000 miles done on the new belts! Also the has had 11 previous owners. Hope this helps! Luke.

I was wondering, despite only 7k miles being done on the new belts (assume cam and timing), is their age also a factor? If they were changed 7 years ago, but the mileage they have done is light, would you still change them if the car was yours?

 

[j4mou]

id seen that someone asked about belts and they havent been changed since 2005, they need doing now, I wouldnt even drive it home trailer job, meant to be every 3 years or 50k miles IIrc as they can perish over time without being used much. s1? just buy mine instead, belts are done and sills lol

edit: he says he has had three front engined Porsches however he does not know when a cambelt should be changed? I think id avoid it hes far to vague.

 

[Chrishazle]

4 years 48k miles for 944's IIRC, extended to 6 years/60k miles for 968. 7 years, even with low mileage, is pushing the luck a bit, although somehow I managed to let my 968 coupe go almost 10 years - but only about 25k miles! - between belt changes and got away with it! Many owners now change belts more frequently due, they say, to the age of the car.

 

[chrisjcoe]

Ah b*gger! it looked quite tidy. The girlfriend won't be happy if I chuck a couple of grand at a car and then have to shell out another £500 or so having the belts changed.

 

[Chrishazle]

I think £5-600 would get you a 24k service and belt change, not just a belt change. From what I can see in the history of my 968 cab, doing the belts is 3 hours labour plus best part of £100 for the belts.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Ah b*gger! it looked quite tidy. The girlfriend won't be happy if I chuck a couple of grand at a car and then have to shell out another £500 or so having the belts changed.

It doesn't inspire confidence that the car's been serviced at all, or certainly not properly, if the belt is nearly twice as old as the recommended maximum. It's four years/48K miles, as already mentioned, with a check every two years/24K. It can't have been near a specialist without them pointing this out.

Don't get too hung up on something like this needing dooing on car you buy though; we always suggest keeping at least a grand back for the first year's maintenance, in fact I'd up that now as labour costs have risen and VAT's 20%. A belt service will cost anything from the parts if you can do it yourself, to nearer £1K if you go to a specialist and it needs a water pump, rollers, oil seals etc. as well.

The trouble is that you'll have to spend money somewhere on any old car. I'd rather get one with good bodywork first, then look for major mechanicals like head gasket and clutch being changed or suspension and brakes overhauled. Service items like belts, tyres or brake discs are nice to have, but they are consumables after all.

 

[Eldavo]

I don't get the mystical panic about doing the belts on a 944?

It's not that hard, I've done it twice now and it is a Saturday morning job, takes me about 3-4 hours including putting the car on axle stands, etc. Read Clark's garage site a few times and then go for it.

I'd also argue that on a new purchase it gives you the opportunity to get up close and personal with the engine and front suspension to have a good poke about too.

 

[John Sims]

ORIGINAL: pauljmcnulty

....... I'd rather get one with good bodywork first........

Absolutely. Mechanicals, while not cheap, can be solved. Chasing rust is a heartless task, frustrating in the extreme, as the act of cutting out rust and replacing panels can encourage rust at the point where the old and new are joined. I hate rust.

 

[chrisjcoe]

It's not that hard, I've done it twice now and it is a Saturday morning job, takes me about 3-4 hours including putting the car on axle stands, etc. Read Clark's garage site a few times and then go for it.

That's exactly the sort of thing I would love to do, but being a novice would be a bit wary to tackle it first job. But then, jumping in head first is the way I like to do it. I will have a look at the Clark's guide though. Is this something a novice (with a bit of forum help and some shiny new tools) could do over a weekend or 2? I would have to drive the car back home about 2.5 hours though.

 

[Suffolk944]

Hmm a 2.5 hour long journey on 7 year old belts ? It could be fine of course but then again....

 

[j4mou]

it'd be coming back on a trailer if it was me buying it.

 

[PSH]

Hi Chris

I'd agree with the other comments given, that being not to take any risks with 7 year old belts. I know Porsche reccomend every 4 years and 48k miles but as a rule I changed mine every two years no matter what the mileage. Mind you I do this purely due to the car producing so much more than standard and therefore play safe. However 7 years is just too long a gap between changes, as already mentioned this is a job that can be done by most, you just need to take your time and ask for help here. There's no substitute for experience and this forum has plenty of that.

Good luck on finding a good car

Pete

 

[chrisjcoe]

I think I'd be looking at about £300+ for a trailer back from there, the extra costs seem to be raising the price way above my budget! Perhaps I'll look around some more.

Thanks for the advice guys, great as ever.

 

[J4CKO]

Depends I suppose how much the trailering costs, easy to run up a big bill getting it moved, Mine are due September, will be four years and about 15k, not panicing into doing them earlier, main thing is finding someone local to do them at reasonable cost, Hartech are the logical choice but it is a bit o a trek, day off work and a day in sunny Bolton.