95 volvo 960 6Cyl Timing belt check.

There is no visual check for timing belts, nor is there any way to tell if they are about to fail. They do not show the critical wear externally as do fan belts. A timing belt can break without warning nor any apparant damage.

The best advice is to change it. Have a water pump, tensioner, tensioner pully, idler pully, and of course, a timing belt all on hand when you do this job. Failure of any of those parts will cause top-end destruction of the motor. For example, see the pic of the water pump that nearly failed in my 960 which should be up on the Brickboard.

ALso, be sure any under-body covers ae in place which helps keep water, stones, and dirt out of the belt as well.

snipped-for-privacy@pipemedia.co.uk wrote:

__ __ Randy & \ \/ /alerie's \__/olvos '90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate "Shelby" & "Kate"

I agree completely with Randy G.

When we bought our first car with an interference engine, the owner had no record of any timing belt change. Changing the thing is either expensive or a lot of work (depending on who does it), so I considered it...

1) It may be overdue, in which case I need to change it immediately. I think that was actually the case. 2) Maybe it was changed recently, and didn't have to be changed for a while. But how would I know when it was time? Wait until it fails and change it the week before? The only sane approach is to change it right away. You will not only have a known good belt, you will know when to change it the next time - assuming you still have the car.

Mike

It is expensicve to have done becasue the shop will hit you for parts big time, ort use parts of questionable quality and hit you big time. The alternative is to go to Volvo and let them hit you for parts AND labor big time... ;-)

The job isn't terribly difficult, at least on the '93. If done with care it can be accomplaised with about the only special tool needed is a bench vice to compress the existing tensioner (that is, if it is going to be reused). In the '93 the radiator does not have to come out. I remove the fan and shroud and place a door skin (thin plywood) against the radiator to protect it.

__ __ Randy & \ \/ /alerie's \__/olvos '90 245 Estate - '93 965 Estate "Shelby" & "Kate"

If you're even remotely in doubt, *change it*, it's simply not worth the risk with that motor.

i would expect that if you can read the markings on the belt it isn't the original one. A belt with 103K will be very shiny on the outside