posted 01-03-2017 04:11 PM                  

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Originally posted by phil2237:
I sent you my address by PM, Please mark the belt if possible with the mileage so we can get an exact idea as to their life span. As soon as I receive the belts, I will test them the same day and post it here. I am very curious myself. As per the A/C belt, the old one broke at 195 pounds of pressure and the new one DID NOT BREAK all the way up to 300 pounds. The A/C belt was 7 years 8 months old and still looked to be in very good condition. Just for every ones information, The new Timing belt tested was a NEW Goodyear belt

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posted 01-10-2017 03:35 PM                  

When I measured MY OWN Mopar timing belt before testing it, It was 2mm longer than the NEW Mopar belt , so it had stretched 2mm in 19,200 miles. My own belt snapped at 78 pounds with no warning of splinter before snapping

The next belt was off a 2001 Intrepid from Illinois
This belt also looked VERY DRIED out. I did not check the measurements before testing as this belt WAS NOT A FACTORY MOPAR belt. The only marking on this belt are the letters (TB) I do not know or ever heard of this brand
After putting this belt on our tester, I was able to pin the pressure gauge well above the 300 pound mark with NO SIGN OF FAILURE.
After the test, I did check this belt only to discover that it was made in Germany and not the U.S.
I also was told by the Goodyear Rep, The average pressure with the engine at idle will be around 45 pounds of pressure against the belt, & that under HARD acceleration, that these timing belts can exceed over 200 pounds of pressure trying to keep the valves timed perfectly with the crankshaft.

Just my opinion.....If you haven't replaced your timing belt yet after all these years, I would seriously consider doing it now before it causes any damage, regardless of any low mileage Prowlers out there. I also was very impressed by the belt made in Germany as it most likely would have lasted many more miles without failing. Just a point to keep in mind...These belts do stretch over time, & depending where you live, temperature & humidity does effect the life of belts. Many Prowlers are still running around with the original water pump and belts, but after 15 to 20 years old, now would be a good time to do the replacement.

posted 01-25-2017 06:24 PM                  

http://www.breco.de/en/produkte

Or

http://www.bodebelting.com/AtlatosZahnriemen/ATLATOSDerZahnriemen/index.html

posted 01-25-2017 07:20 PM                  

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Originally posted by robin:
german belt with marking (TB ) I think would stand for timing belt.
Can you look with a bright light and a magnifying glass for a part number.

http://www.breco.de/en/produkte

Or

http://www.bodebelting.com/AtlatosZahnriemen/ATLATOSDerZahnriemen/index.html

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Not able to read any numbers off the belt as that area is very worn, I don't think it would do us any good to know the number as the belt seemed to be a half inch longer than the Prowler belt and was from a smaller Chrysler engine. I remember when I had our Mercedes, the belts seemed to last a lot longer than normal American belts. I guess the Germans make a better product than the American manufactures. Our Goodyear rep told me today that almost every timing belt that breaks, is when starting up your car, and especially when the car is in a very cold climate. He claimed he had not heard of one breaking while under normal driving but at start up is when the belt is at its highest tension especially once the engine starts to fire up. He did not know what the pressure would be at start up though. But he did ad that cars that are in colder climates, The timing belt seems to fail sooner than warmer areas of the U.S. He also told me car manufactures tell you to replace at certain time and mileage, while they know that the belt will last longer , but cover their liability by telling you to replace them sooner. Our cars are now approaching 15 to 20 years old now. Even though some of you may have low mileage, climate will take its toll on belts. So although this is just my opinion, Replace the belt as soon as you can, After 15 to 20 years, we have all got our moneys worth out of them. I would also recommend buying the MOPAR belt, water pump, & tensioner instead of other brands, again, JMO Factory and dealer belts, tensioners and water pumps, seem to last longer than all the after market ones. He also advised those with rubber timing belts and high mileage engines with the metal timing chains that live in cold climates to use synthetic oil, as synthetic oil does not thicken in cold climates and will put a lot less pressure on the belts and also the starter. I hope this helps everyone.

posted 01-25-2017 08:16 PM                  

Came across this that clearly states "made in Germany"
http://aam-europe.contitech.de/pages/downloads/docs/Riemen_Komponenten_Programm_en.pdf

posted 01-25-2017 08:52 PM                  

Altho there is discrepancy on it fitting prowler 3.5.....

posted 01-30-2017 07:35 PM                  

Mark
According to our online catalogue, we can recommend our timing belt TB295 for replacement for your vehicle, but not the pulley, water pump or tensioner within the kit you mentioned.
In fact, we list no timing kits for this vehicle, which indicates that the components with the belt in our kit are not recommended.

Thanks for your inquiry!

posted 01-31-2017 09:39 PM                  

Sometimes better way is to search for Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth 3.5L engine parts.

I've research many parts houses using Dodge Intrepid and Chrysler LHS. It's mostly all the same engine guts for each year.

Went to Continental website. Contitech Pro Series Timing Belt Kits for a 2000 3.5L LHS, Intrepid and Concorde. Guess what, all the same part numbers. Sure they don't list Prowler kits, but Timing Belt is same part number for Prowler, LHS, Intrepid and Concord 3.5L engines.

Me thinks LHS, Intrepid and Concord kits would work just fine.

Note that Contitech belts are glass fiber reinforced and require special care in handling. Per their instructions, No tight radius bending or you'll crack glass fibers.

Addition note: I did not search for earlier non-interference engines.

posted 02-16-2017 04:03 PM                  

Dealer comments to me were The Old Timing Belt was dry and starting to crack but was not frayed. Also said that about 2 of the hoses (didn't ask which ones) were not bent 100% to originals so it took the mechanic some work (probably elbow grease) but he got them all to work as required. Also did a safety check and told me that despite 21,500 miles the brakes are in "like new" condition, which was good to know.

Just passing along the timing belt info as this is always a point of discussion. Nice to get work done in February due to very mild and dry weather this winter so I am not waiting for an appointment in the Spring.

posted 02-18-2017 03:22 PM                  

quote:

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Originally posted by kriegsadmiral:
OK, just picked up the car and the Timing Belt, Water Pump, tensioner and guides were replaced. While everything was drained I thought it might be a good time to get rid of those 18 year old hoses so I had them install the RPL Radiator and Heater Hoses that were on my shelf. Took a big chunk out of my wallet but should be good to go for a while (knock on wood)

Dealer comments to me were The Old Timing Belt was dry and starting to crack but was not frayed. Also said that about 2 of the hoses (didn't ask which ones) were not bent 100% to originals so it took the mechanic some work (probably elbow grease) but he got them all to work as required. Also did a safety check and told me that despite 21,500 miles the brakes are in "like new" condition, which was good to know.

Just passing along the timing belt info as this is always a point of discussion. Nice to get work done in February due to very mild and dry weather this winter so I am not waiting for an appointment in the Spring.

Happy Prowlin

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posted 02-18-2017 05:34 PM                  

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Originally posted by quincy:
It would be nice if you could send your old timing belt to phil2237 so he can perform a burst test on it. The more tests we can perform the more believable the statistical data becomes. I will send mine in as soon as the repair is completed in the spring. Thanks for posting!!

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posted 02-24-2017 10:35 PM                  

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Originally posted by mslc10:
Can anyone explain the harmonic balancer re-install? Special tool needed?

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When you go to reinstall the harmonic balancer the first thing you will notice is there is no keyway. Then you find out that the bolt that holds it on is too short to even start threading and to try to pull it on with the bolt. I will look and see if I can find my old post of a home made tool I made to pull it back on the end of the crank shaft. You need a piece of metric all thread to make my tool. It is important to use all the threads in the crankshaft so you don't damage them.

Here is the link.
http://www.prowleronline.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/004444-2.html