timing belt age limit

John OoSTerhuis

Life Is Good!
Joined
May 10, 2005
Messages
5,218
Location
Bettendorf, Iowa
Bike
1991 SSMST1100
STOC #
1058
All the ST1100 timing belt failures I know of were caused by pulley bearing failures. The belts' edges then frayed creating a growing birds nest of belt fibers until...
One STrider caught an impending belt failure when he pulled the little Timing Hole Cover and saw the mess.

John
 
Joined
Sep 24, 2015
Messages
547
Location
East Anglia, England
Bike
ST1100X
STOC #
#1702
I changed the belt on my '99 after 13 years and 56k miles. It looked good, but I did it anyway. I accepted a pattern part from the well known UK supplier of Honda spares. It turned out to be a Gates belt packaged in a Triumph wrapper!

No-one mentioned any changes/improvements after a belt change - but my bike tickover was much smoother and more regular after - something I hadn't been able to fix by balancing the carbs. I had checked for perfect belt alignment, before taking the old one off. I hadn't realised that the tensioner is 'locked off' after belt installation. - Perhaps there was a bit of stretch?

I also trimmed the plastic inspection plate to enable easy assembly without removing the clutch cover.

Other things done at the same time were the valve checks (all good) and I fixed a small oil leak from a cam cover with some goo from a tube, plus a coolant change, etc etc. The only difficulty was refitting the top hose and getting away from a neighbour whose 3/8" socket I'd borrowed..... (More tea? :)

I can't understand anyone having 'difficulty' removing/fitting the fairing parts, but then I have had the bike a long time.
 
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
2,029
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
Bike
91 ST1100/06 ST1300
I can't understand anyone having 'difficulty' removing/fitting the fairing parts, but then I have had the bike a long time.
It's not so difficult physically. I think the 'difficulty' is psychological...it's time consuming and may have an 'I need to get started' intimidation factor.

Most daunting thing for a first timer is keeping track of the plethora of panel fasteners styles and sizes. I simply loosen them then tape them in place with blue painter's tape. Next would be to remember the order of removal/reinstallation of the panels.
 
Top Bottom