95 Grand Prix GTP timing belt question

[Kathy Collins Ives]

Hello, Just a general question here. I have a 95 Grand Prix GTP 89K miles. My mechanic is saying I should get the timing belt replaced now because If it were to fail the engine would lock up and be a goner. Is there any set milage that they fail? Should I go on and say, Ok go for it and replace it now?? This car is in great condition inside and out and been my baby since 95. Any advice would sure be welcome.

[Kathy Collins Ives]

Hello, Just a general question here. I have a 95 Grand Prix GTP 89K miles. My mechanic is saying I should get the timing belt replaced now because If it were to fail the engine would lock up and be a goner. Is there any set milage that they fail? Should I go on and say, Ok go for it and replace it now?? This car is in great condition inside and out and been my baby since 95. Any advice would sure be welcome.

[ctracer]

your mechanic is right. about 100k or around there is a good time to change it. every 50/60 k it should be done.
have him do it is my opinion. if that thing fails, your engine is toast.

[Kathy Collins Ives]

Thanks so much for the response, ctracer. I know I would hate to lose that engine. As few miles as I put on it this should be like a one time deal for me to have done.

[Fivefingerdeathpunch]

Also think of it this way.

The belt is 17 years old.

Do you really want to keep running on a belt that old??

I say get the belt changed and be a happy camper.

[Kathy Collins Ives]

Thanks Fivefinger.. yesss that is another thing the mechanic and I did discuss. The age over the milage. I guess I will give him a call tomorrow and tell him go for it. He was saying with the way I have kept it up and all and such low milage and great condition it would be a shame to lose that engine. An engine is a a few times more than then belt replacement.

[Fraschy]

You are supposed to replace it around every 60,000 miles. Apparently there have been cases where the timing belt snaps and the engine survives..they say it's only an interface engine at high RPMs. I can't recall of a specific story of that actually happening though. Take the covers off the belt and see what shape it is even in. Before I replaced mine it was so bad it started to shred up pretty bad.

All the black stuff was from my old belt:

[Kathy Collins Ives]

Thanks for all the responses. I am calling him in a few mins and telling him to go on and replace it. 60Kmiles? Then I am really on borrowed time with the one in there. Rather be safe than sorry and have to get a new engine latser or rebuild this one. Yes it is also a 17 yr old belt. Doesn't take a lot to get through and let me know I have to get this done. I just look at this as the car payments I don't have any more. When my son drives a G6 with payments of over $400.00 a month. Thanks again for all the responses and I am so glad I found this group!!

[BillBoost37]

Kathy..that is what many of us love about our cars. No payment and pretty reasonable to fix.

[Z34Phoenix]

my 96 DOHC had its first belt change at 105,000miles and i never changed it again. at 165,000 i kept checking the belt every 5,000 miles and it had no wear at all and was still tight. in the end the engine lasted 224,000 miles. what finally killed it was a part of the chain tensioner broke loose and wedged in the chain. i didnt find this out until i had completed my engine swap to the l36 in prep for a future SC topswap. i dont think i would have ever dug deep enough to look at the dummy chain. i knew the engine jumped time but the belt was still in perfect shape.

IIRC the 95 and older were not interference engines. the 96+ were. with valve float any non interference engine will have damage at high rpm

[lookout]

Thanks for all the responses. I am calling him in a few mins and telling him to go on and replace it. 60Kmiles? Then I am really on borrowed time with the one in there. Rather be safe than sorry and have to get a new engine latser or rebuild this one. Yes it is also a 17 yr old belt. Doesn't take a lot to get through and let me know I have to get this done. I just look at this as the car payments I don't have any more. When my son drives a G6 with payments of over $400.00 a month. Thanks again for all the responses and I am so glad I found this group!!

hi dont forget to replace the hydraulic actuator that pushes on the tensioner pulley.it is a dealership part,doesnt come with the belt kit

[Rico]

Thanks for all the responses. I am calling him in a few mins and telling him to go on and replace it. 60Kmiles? Then I am really on borrowed time with the one in there. Rather be safe than sorry and have to get a new engine latser or rebuild this one. Yes it is also a 17 yr old belt. Doesn't take a lot to get through and let me know I have to get this done. I just look at this as the car payments I don't have any more. When my son drives a G6 with payments of over $400.00 a month. Thanks again for all the responses and I am so glad I found this group!!

I would love to see some pictures of your car...looks to be in nice shape for a 95.