355 Timing Belt - how long can it sit?

...got a little dilemma, need some expert advice help. I'm looking at a 95 355 with 17k on the clock.

If a timing belt was last done 8 years and 4000 miles ago, what are the chances of the engine surviving a 250 mile run at highway speed?

I'm (finally) buying my first F-car so a bit uncertain, frankly if it was any other kind of engine I'd figure no big deal, but I'm nearing belt life.

Car passed PPI and compression check with flying colors, sounded perfect on the stethoscope.

...so how long have you left the belt and would you drive it 250 miles after 8 years and 4k mi.??

 

depends on your appetite for risk...personally I'd cough up a few hundred $$ to trailer it for the major because you don't know how it was stored. If it was temperature controlled and started every week, then probably less risk of breaking. If it saw 8 winters and often sat for months without starting...much more risk.

 

Rubber sitting for 8 years = NOT GOOD!

Change the belt, or have it flat bedded. But what ever you do, DO NOT fire it up.

 

For further information on timing belts, valve guides, and other Ferrari related issues. Please see the official breast thread
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I agree with the risk metaphor. You can pretty easily calculate the odds you are getting on this bet. If it costs $400 to trailer it and either $0 or $10400 in addition to the price of your engine-out if you drive it (you still have to tow it after it blows up and takes out an entire bank of valves), then the odds you are getting are 26:1 because you're betting $400 to save $10400.

I say tow it, too. I don't think you're getting good enough odds.

 

Flat bed... followed by Major... then drive in peace. Just me.

 

If the car has been regulary driven during the past year, I would drive it home.

 

If I could show you a way you could potentially save $10-15k by spending $1k would you be interested?

Trailer it to the shop and have the work done....the valves are currently straight, lets keep them that way.

 

Look at it this way: If you're going to pay someone to do a major as soon as you get the car home for perhaps $5k, why not spend an additional $500 as insurance to tow it and make sure you get it home Ok? Your risk, and your choice, though.

 

i like the "breast thread" topic instead

on a more serious note, like the rest have said here, you are MUCH better off to have it towed and immediately serviced (major service) before even firing it up.

 

Ditto. I few hundred dollars versus a possible 10's of thousands in risk. Not worth the chance of breakage.

--Mike

 

I second the breast thread....

 

Breast thread thoroughly reviewed, thanks for the tip!

...as for the car, much appreciated. The car was recently driven back and forth to the PPI (about 10 miles) but I will pull the trigger on shipping, even though it's going to be about $2k more (I'm really remote).

I figure I can drive it to the local repair shop here as it's all low speed (35 MPH).

...any other advice for a long time classic car but first time F-car owner?

Cheers,

-Clint

 

Expensive, but results of failed belts are usually very ugly. I'd actually recommend that you try to get the car delivered directly to the shop doing the major, rather than driving it at all, especially if the shipping is that much. Best of luck!

 

Another vote for the flat bed.

 

+355

 

Asking a question about the risks of the timing belt breaking .... how many times you actually heard it has happened ? Mine is just pure curiosity.
Nothing to say about the fact I wouldn't take that chance either.

 

It does happen, but I would say not that often based on the Fchat posts. I bet more than a few breaks don't get reported here...and some do. Then again most people do the belt change 'on time'...and thus not many break.

 

2k to go 250 miles? wow I need to haul all your cars!

 

Sorry for the piecemeal thoughts, but maybe the buyer could find a good shop where the car is being purchased and have the major done there and then drive the car home? Put the cost of shipping towards the cost of the major service.

 

Ah, that would be because direct shipping involves crossing the US-Canadian border and there are fees galore for filling out 3 whole forms.

...and I won't torture you guys any further by asking about the damn RIV letter. I already know I'm screwed there

 

It's mostly due to a bad tensioner and higher RPM on other engines. Someone blips the throttle and the belt pops right off. I've never actually seen one break though.

I work with classic Buick engines and they love to explode so I'm already paranoid about the F-car...

 

I would have it towed to the border and drive it across, then have it towed to the shop.

I have a 355, it had new belts when I bought it. In the past I have had a 328 & a 348, they both had major's done as part of the purchase.

That said I have never talked to anyone who has had a belt fail.

 

Take it from someone who has had a 355 belt failure, unexpected and without excessive mileage, you do not want to risk the expense of a belt failure. Don't drive it.

 

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