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will tell you differently. Here's a message from him, to the IZCC list, on the subject from two days ago. > From: owner-z-car@taex001.tamu.edu
> [mailto:owner-z-car@taex001.tamu.edu]On Behalf Of Thomas Bell
> Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 3:37 PM
> To: z-car@taex001.tamu.edu
> Subject: Re: <90+> 60,000 timing belt revisited - and more
>
>
> On 9/5/06, James wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > What are the thoughts on replacing the timing belt on a 90ZX
> with 40,000
> > miles? Do these things deterioate with time? Or am I safe to
> go till the
> > 60k?
> >
> >
> Hi James!
>
> I think you may have one of the lowest mileage 1990 Z32's around!
>
> The timing belt is sealed on all sides, and isn't going to deteriorate as
> the accessory drive belts do. Nissan anticipated owners would drive about
> 1200 miles a month, so their change interval was set at five years of use.
> Nissan revised their estimates in 1993, and re-set the change interval to
> 100,000 miles - virtually the life of the car as they saw it. I changed
> mine after 15 years and it looked almost brand new - no cracks or dings
> anywhere, just a bit of wear on the back where the idler pulley and
> tensioner rubbed. It had not stretched or deformed anywhere. At the rate
> you're driving your car, however, you may exceed its lifespan by the time
> you reach the 60k in 2011, and who knows if the part will be
> available then?
>
> Seriously, I don't think you have to change the belt because of the age of
> the car, but it's your choice. Preventive maintenance is something else -
> hoses deteriorate with time, so you should have changed your
> radiator hoses
> by now, for example. Ditto with the A/C, water pump and alternator belts.
> If you plan to keep the car for a very long time, and want to change the
> belt as a preventive measure, then you should consider changing the
> timing belt, the tensioner the water pump and thermostat at the same time.
> Since you take the front of the car apart to do that, inspect the
> cam seals
> and crank seal for signs of leaks, the variable valve timing gear for
> correct operation and leakage, and the idler pulley for any indication it
> needs to be replaced also.
>
> If you're going to do the change yourself, buy a Factory Service Manual on
> CD-ROM from Courtesy Nissan's parts department ([ www.courtesyparts.com ]) and
> study the Engine Mechanical section where it describes the belt change.
> There are some tips on how to make this easier on
> [ www.twinturbo.net ] in their
> TECH section.
>
> If you're planning on going to the dealer, remember the age of the car, and
> that there were only about 80,000 imported to the US. Most dealerships
> don't have mechanics that work on these cars much, if at all, so that may be
> a factor. Independent shops also have similar issues, unless they
> specialize in Z's. The dealership flat rate time for a belt change is six
> hours, and that's just for the belt - not the tensioner and water pump. I'd
> add half an hour for those items
>
> Hope this helps!
>
> Tom Bell
> IZCC 2802
>
>
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