I say shoot opinion number 1 giver in the forehead before the gun reform comes. 

But seriously, he's an idiot. It's a rubber belt that controls the life of your vehicle. And actually quite the opposite. The water pump is a complete waste of money because they do not fail.

HOWEVER, i halfway agree with opinion number two. If you have the extra money and it affect you financially I say do it. Because they will need to be done so better to have it done now when you can and not have to worry about it. Plus you won't have to pay timing belt labor for it. Only head gasket labor which will of course be more. But it will be cheaper doing them both at the same time VS at different times.

Now. Now is time.

Rodman wrote:

Do the head gaskets and valve cover gasket, timing belt and all related parts, water pump, thermostat, hoses, radiator. You can drive another 100,000 miles without worry.

What he ^^^ said. 


This coming from a new Saab 92x owner.....but seasoned 2004.7 STi original owner and track junkie, tink, tink from way back with tons of 2.0l/2.5l timing belt servicing and other repair builds under my belt.

Head gasket or valve cover?  Valve covers leaking isn't uncommon and is fairly simple, not addressing it will only result in minor oil loss and a dirty engine bay.  Head gasket leaking is a totally different thing and should be addressed asap! 

Having working in a dealership and seeing t-belts at different miles in addition to doing my own t-belts all the time (did my 9-2's at 90k) I recommend changing them by 90k but no more. 


A belt can snap even if it isn't' cracked, honestly I plan to change them by 90k on my own cars so if I go a little over, say 95k it's no big deal but I seem to see more posts about these cars snapping a belt around 90k than other cars...might just be flukes but I'd do it no later than 90.  I told customers to plan on getting it done around 75-80k but that was someone else's car that I didn't know their driving habits, and, if they went over I could have been liable for a snap had I told them 100k, so i told them a bit earlier than I would push my own.

By 90k a thermostat is a good thing to replace, especially if you're going to be right there already.  Be sure to check the heat range and get the right one, I think the one I have now opens a bit earlier than OEM, no harm there but I also don't live in the cold climates...dunno...I noticed it when it DID get around freezing, took longer to get warm inside the car, but I used to drive a motorcycle in the snow so it didn't phase me XD  just something I noticed.

Unless the water pump is difficult to turn, is leaking from the impeller shaft where it mates to the gear that turns it, or the impellers are eaten up, then just replace the seal where it bolts to the engine and you should be good. 

I would replace the cam/crank seals (they are cheap parts) as well as the oil pump gasket and seal.

ALWAYS replace all idlers and the tentsioner

There is no reason to replace a radiator that is not clogged, cracked, bent, or leaking, none at all.

Hoses, at 90k you shouldn't need to replace them, mine are in perfect shape, if they are cracked, brittle, or leaking then yes, otherwise no.

Last edited by NetG (2016-09-21 23:47:47)