178k miles, never had timing belt changed

I purchased this the other day in PA...long story, but my in-laws are in Lancaster, PA, this truck is in Philly...little over an hours drive. So instead of me driving 4.5 hours to test drive from VA, she went and checked it out for me. Very nice, clean as a whistle, NO RUST, one owner, clean title and Car Fax. Only reason why I'm buying this 3 states away is...killer deal.

Anyway, there is no mention of a timing belt being replaced in the Car Fax and no sticker on the fan shroud....I managed to speak to the original owner tonight, he said he never had it done. He's about to retire, older gentlemen, very nice. No tow hitch, said he babied it. Just wondering why he never changed it.

With all that being said, would you trust driving it 200+ miles from PA to VA with the original timing belt? I found a thread on Yota Tech, and some owners claimed to have put 265k on the original....some 150, some 180, etc...

Being this is my 10th Toyota, third Tacoma, I know how important this is to do.

What do you all think? Would you schedule an appt with a dealer up there before the drive? Just want some of your takes on it. I've attached a pic of her.

 

Absolutely I would jump in fire it up and drive home and not really worry about it. The timing belts are pretty beefy on these trucks. Besides even if it breaks these are non interference engines.

 

drive on it. i wouldnt worry about it and have it changed when you get back into town. isnt the V6 an non interferance engine?

 

Ride with it. Yes it in non-interference.

 

Yeah, the 3.4's are non-interference....

 

I bought my truck with 160k on the stock timing belt. Like you I had to drive about 300 miles to get it home, and it was fine. In fact, I didn't get around to changing the timing belt for another month or two! Good luck and enjoy your truck.

 

That is a clean lookin truck, and go ahead and drive it I guess.

Just change it and the water pump when you get home.

 

mine has 220k miles on original belt

 

Nice looking truck. I like the color.

Anyone who gets 180K or 220K before changing has a remarkable waterpump. The waterpump usually starts leaking around 90K and can be the main reason for going in there. If the waterpump was changed out without doing the timing belt... well that's just foolish.

 

^At 160k, my water pump was the main reason for me to change the belt.

 

232,000+, still on original belt, soon it will get changed when I get all the parts, planning radiator, pump and belt...engine purrs and runs like new...

 

I agree. I called both owners prior to me and they said nothing done in belt area. Though I will be doing it when i hit 400 000 KM if i still have it. It currently has 364 000 KM

 

Drive it home. The belts are beefy most likely the tensioner is worn out and not keeping pressure on the belt as it should. But as mentioned above it is a non interference engine. Replace it once you get it home..

 

I would bet your belt tensioner is clapped out. When I did my belt at 94k I could press it in by hand.... so as you increase rpm the timing is changing due to a weak tensioner. I felt a big difference with the new one.

 

i'm at 177,000 on the original belt. planned on doing in a month or two but really haven't had a hiccup at all with the truck.

 

Drive on it... The way i see it, its been fine for 178,000 miles... the odds of it breaking on your 200-300 mile drive home are slim to none. If it does break on your way home, never go to Vegas. lol

 

DRIVE it!

 

Thanks ya'll...taking a train to Philly on Monday AM, have a friend meeting me at the 30th Street station and she's going to drive me to where the the truck is.

I actually found the original owner and contacted him. Older gentleman, just retired and traded it in for a SUV. Him and his wife are going to travel. Said the truck was perfect, never towed anything, babied it. I think I got really lucky with this one. It is super clean, hardly a blemish on her.

 

I bought mine with 194K and the belt was never changed. I did just replace it at 195K with the water pump, should be good to go now for at least another 100K

 

I bought my 2000 taco new and drove it 209,000 miles on the original belt (12 years almost to the date). No leaks and no problems whatsoever. Ran perfect when I traded it in on the 2011. Drive that beast!