figured I would show you all some pics of my timing belt at 118xxx miles. Toyota makes some great parts, but don't put it off like I did



some hours later, all finished:

 

Wow...scary. You do have some harsh seasonal conditions to contend with. So. Cal cars, the TB's on average still look pretty good but it is risky unless one takes a look. Good job.

 

Damn, you got seriously lucky there man. That looks like it was gonna snap within a couple days, if that long. I'm wondering why it didn't snap yet, go play the lottery b/c you just won already.

 

hehe, well the car spent most of its life in Illinois so not as bad as MN. I bought it with 80k on it a year and a half ago. I called the Lexus dealer the car was bought from in IL when I turned 95k to check the service history and the timing belt and pumped hadn't been changed yet. Then I got busy with work and other car builds that this one just kept getting pushed off. Yesterday I said to myself I just have to do it so into the garage it went.

Everything else is in great shape though. Gonna be putting the car back to stock soon for the winter. Sucks I have to drive it through winter, but this should be the last one for this car, and then it will be pampered like my IS drag car.

 

and this, children, is why we replace our TB/WP BEFORE we hit 100k mi

 

haha, maybe I'll go buy a lotto ticket

I know, I was lazy

 

I bought a 99 LS400 last Friday with 139K and the original timing belt. Spent it's whole life in Iowa but I bought it out here in SD from the second owner. Got the timing belt service done a couple of years ago...but I was sweating driving it around those couple of days.

 

Mine was WORSE than this when I bought the car. I'm sure you'd understand the feeling I got in my gut when I saw this days before making a ~2000 mile drive. Thats why I always tell people to check the tbelt before they buy one of these older LSs

 

Yep. But the timing belt is what it is. But it's got to be done. If it hasn't, work it into the price if you're buying.

 

It is not just milage it is age too. It is a rubber product and cold, hot all the time deteriates the rubber quicker. Originally timing belts were (here in Canada) 6 years or 96km's (60k miles). Then all of a sudden around 2000 they changed the replacement times to 144km's (90k miles) but the belts never changed themselves still made from the same rubber etc. so it's a good thing to check now and again, at least pull off a cover and insp to see it is not like above pictures...

 

Wow I thought I was pushing it when I bought mine at 135k with the original belt, I wish I would of taken a pic of it, it looked like it wouldn't of even made it another 100miles before snapping....