I recently towed a W111 about 500 miles with my old Chevy van. No problems at all. The car was on a trailer that weighs 2,200 pounds.

A friend just did the same thing, only it was 200 miles, with a Japanese truck with a timing belt. The belt self destructed and was just eaten up.

Is this common knowledge? Are you running the risk of timing belt failure if you tow normally with a timing belt engine?

Or was this just a belt replacement that was put off for too long?

Towing makes no difference to the timing belt from cruising around town. The load on the belt to the camshafts and any other driven accessories (oil pump, water pump, etc) are the same regardless of what's in or behind the truck. I'd suspect someone gambled on the belt lasting longer than the manufacturer said it would and lost that bet...

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Current stable:
1995 E320 149K (Nancy)
1983 500SL 120K (SLoL)

Black Sheep:
1985 524TD 167K (TotalDumpster™)

Gone but not forgotten:
1986 300SDL (RIP)
1991 350SD
1991 560SEL
1990 560SEL
1986 500SEL Euro (Rusted to nothing at 47K!)

Probably a coincidence...old belt running a little warmer than usual and maybe revved higher while towing...agree no extra load on belt from towing if RPM' s are the same

A good belt would have no problem towing.

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"Rudeness is a weak man's imitation of strength" - Eric Hoffer

I'd bet coincidence. Older Toyota V8s (the 4.5 and 4.7) have a timing belt and seem to be trouble free when towing.

Interestingly enough, the 4 cylinder Duramax diesel in the new Colorado/Canyon has a timing belt and a pretty high towing capacity!

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-Justin

91 560 SEC AMG - other dogs dd
01 Honda S2000 - dogs dd
07 MB ML320 CDI - dd
16 Lexus IS250 - wifes dd

it's automatic.

Thanks. This is what I thought myself but then this was the first time I have ever heard of this.

I have seen a timing belt on a Ford Mustang II go, a 1600 cc engine like was in the Pinto. No damage to the engine but it was clear from looking at it the belt should have been changed long ago. That was clearly owner fault. A cheap car, used, owned by a guy who was always broke. What could go wrong?

But this one was so torn up... I think it was just a number to things. Like you guys have said, old belt, big load, more heat....

Some things you should just not put off.

I don't care what the marketing weenie says at the supplier: Fibreglass/rubber timing belts do not last as long as steel chains.


I have changed belts on several Volvos, for example and always did it under the timing belt wear mileage.


The only timing belt disasters I have seen were on Volvos and some Fords which are interference engines. Timing belt goes and so does the valve train!


Timing belts on Mitsubishi 3.0 litre engines are non interference, so you can redo them even if it goes. But chains last longer, no way around it.


Plus, the way people drive has a lot to do with timing belt stresses.

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
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My old Ferrari GT 250 had a massive three row chain on the cams. That engine and car was built to run at LeMans. Roller tipped rockers, 4 sets of points in two distributors each set running three cylinders designed with smooth long ramps on the point cam for sustained high rpm, massive radiator, massive aluminum brakes, aluminum everything almost...it held 12 Quarts of oil with 3 liters....40 gallon fuel tank and on and on. It had a steel body but had aluminum floor, fire wal, transmission hump and aluminum hood and trunk. The tubular frame ran under the transmission so the hump was removable and the tranny came out through the passenger compartment. I had that car all apart and back together again.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Beginning with Honda mower engines, and now moving up to some of the small Ford car engines, They've been running the timing belts internally, exposed to engine-oil!

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW

Buy proven good quality replacement rubber timing belts. Change them when the manufacture suggests. Just too many engines are damaged otherwise.

Unfortunatly some are easy to change and some more time consuming.We will only buy new cars with a timing chain. Used cars otherwise.

I have a used car that the change frequency is every 50k. Pain in the ass but the belt is also driving the individual fuel injectors up to pressure as well. Basically about two fifty to change it yourself for that one. With the water pump and idler etc. Aftermarket sells both good and bad components to do this. This is not an area to save money on.

For those cars that have timing chains. They are the most sensitive engine component to the lack of oil changes.

I try to avoid even used cars with timing belts - often the seller doesn't have a clue if it's ever been serviced. Though I once made an exception with an '84 Accord as I'd just replaced the timing belt for the seller a year earlier, and my 96 Camry, as it's 4-cylinder is non-interference, timing belt replacement is relatively easy, and the car was given to me.

Happy Motoring, Mark

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DrDKW