# For Car dopers **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 9, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356 "2016-03-09T00:25:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/1 "2016-03-09T00:25:13Z")
I’m giving away my parent’s 1997 Mercury Tracer. It has 60,000 miles on it. I’m trying to find the recommended Timing Belt replacement schedule, so I can tell the people who I’m giving it too how soon they need to replace it. I can’t find the Ford documentation, but [Gates](https://www.gates.com/~/media/files/gates/automotive/catalogs/automotive/timingbeltreplacementguide.pdf?la=en) says “inspect at 120,000.” This seems very, very long - almost 2x every other vehicle. If this is accurate, why this long interval? Also, does this agree with the actual Ford interval? ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/2 "2016-03-09T00:45:58Z")
According to this site, [http://www.underhoodservice.com/ford-timing-belts-chains/](http://www.underhoodservice.com/ford-timing-belts-chains/) 120,000 is the correct mileage for replacement. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/3 "2016-03-09T00:49:42Z")
Just for time in existence and exposure to air, 19 years is pretty well past a safe replacement interval. The blurb on the front cover of that Gates guide suggests that your timing belt should have been changed three times by now. _Avoid Costly Engine Damage; Change Your Timing Belt At The Recommended Interval Or Every 72 Months, Which Ever Comes First._ I’d certainly suggest replacing it sooner than later, so it can be done on your (or your buyer’s) schedule, rather than breaking in the middle of nowhere, at night, in a rainstorm. As for the seemingly long inspection interval, my WAG is that the 1997 Merc engine is a non-interference design, so you just stop moving if it breaks, rather than destroying the engine. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/4 "2016-03-09T00:53:45Z")
The Tracer engine is non interference, so if it breaks you’re stranded but no real damage. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/5 "2016-03-09T01:12:50Z")
I would replace it just because of the age. it’s a 20 year old car at this point, and timing belts degrade with both usage and time. as for the interval, the recommended timing belt replacement interval on my SRT-4 (a sort-of interference engine) was 100,000 miles, but I did it at 90k. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/6 "2016-03-09T01:46:33Z")
Believe it or not, a lot of old timing-belt equipped cars just didn’t have a factory recommended change interval. I had an '86 Accord that had an interference timing belt, but looking in the manual you’d have had no idea the thing even had a timing belt at all. I guess you were supposed to let the dealership remind you and trust their judgement as far as mileage. (Although I note that at some point Gates switched from listing it as “no manufacturer recommendation” to the fairly conservative 60k miles. I guess that’s one way to sell more timing belts.) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/7 "2016-03-09T02:47:28Z")
Thanks for the info, everyone. I’ve already put new tires and front axles into it, so since it’s not an interference engine, I’m just going to tell them to start saving up for a belt replacement. Who knows - maybe it will last another 19 years… ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/8 "2016-03-09T12:39:15Z")
no, it probably won’t. The likely failure mode for a belt that old is the crank sprocket shearing off a run of cogs off the belt when you go to start the engine. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/9 "2016-03-09T13:51:22Z")
You’re _giving_ away this car, and fixing it up?? Why? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/10 "2016-03-09T13:52:26Z")
Oh, I forgot, can I have it? Please replace the transmission first. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2016, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-car-dopers/748356/11 "2016-03-09T13:57:42Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > You’re _giving_ away this car, and fixing it up?? Why? Because we don’t need it, and my we have friends who do - and who are not as financially secure as we are. It’s a small gesture that will greatly improve their lives. Living without a car in Phoenix is not easy - this is not an easy place to get around by public transportation.