4D56 timing belt.

2sheddies, Aug 17, 6:52pm
Can one of you esteemed automotive wizards give me some kind of ballpark $ figure to have the timing belt changed on one of these, in an L300 van. I want to have some idea, as it'll affect the offer I make lol.

I understand these also have a harmonic balancer belt or something also? Does this need changing at the same interval?
franc123, Aug 17, 7:16pm
It's a balance shaft belt, yes it's all done together. Its advisable to do all the front oil seals and rocker cover seal as well because it leaks straight into the belt area. If including water pump and coolant flush and change you are probably looking around a grand for a complete and long lasting job.
2sheddies, Aug 17, 8:16pm
Okay cheers mate, just what I needed to know. Makes you wonder whether it's worth it on an older one with high mileage, worth only twice that lol.
2sheddies, Aug 17, 9:08pm
Yeah, this is just a cheap van to knock around in, not going to be worth spending a shit ton of money on it. This is why I tend to look at vehicles with timing chains instead. But this one is what it is.
franc123, Aug 17, 9:27pm
If you want a cut price job you could buy both the belts for under $100 and DIY. There is no special tools involved, the job is easier than doing the same on a 2L diesel Hiace. Obviously you need to know what you are doing when it comes to fitting the new belts, timing it up and tensioning them etc. Sticking your professional hat on and thus being subject to the full horror of the CGA on your repairs, until you pull it apart and examine everything you simply dont know what could need doing, especially if theres a couple or three hundred thousand km on it. Hence the seemingly high price estimate originally given.
2sheddies, Aug 18, 12:02am
Yes that's quite fair enough, I appreciate that. I just wanted a rough guesstimate, so I could factor it into any offer I may make. There is no proof of it having been done available, so in that case, I always assume it needs doing immediately. I like that idea of leaving the secondary belt off to lessen expenses. If it's not needed, I'd be inclined to leave that.

Are these an interference engine, and what sort of damage may occur if the belt were to break?
franc123, Aug 18, 12:19am
Yes they are. Due to the vertical valves they tend to fracture rockers, often 3 or 4 of them, when the belt breaks. I've not seen any other damage that would stop them from running again.
2sheddies, Aug 18, 12:26am
Cheers, so nothing too serious then. Obviously it'd be preferable to avoid it haha. I'm quite impressed with this thing to be honest. 400k on the clock and it drives as nicely as one with half the mileage. No rattles, no smoke, no nothing.
morrisman1, Aug 19, 1:22pm
Probably not a good idea. there are two balance shafts, one is driven off the back of the oil pump and the other by the small toothed belt. Disabling both of them is common in the 4g63 world to improve oil pressure and remove the potential failure of the belt, but to leave one spinning would be a bad idea for engine harmonics. The balance shafts are there for a reason and in a low revving diesel having them still fitted would be better than removing them.
stornello, Aug 19, 10:59pm
The balance shaft belt on a 4D56 just runs both shafts, no problem leaving it off. Of course it's supposed to be there, but you won't notice. Best result with a broken belt is a rocker or 2, but sometimes they will take out a cam bearing cap, and sometimes rip the cap out of the head. Repairable, but repairs cost money of course.
2sheddies, Aug 19, 11:41pm
It's all academic now guys, as the seller is dreaming a bit and expects much more than the vehicle is worth to me, although this might help out another 4D56 owner down the track. Appreciate all the responses.

Now I'm looking at a Hiace with the 1KZ-TE, and I believe they are known for being one of the simplest engines to do a belt change on, am I right?
gph1961, Aug 20, 6:18am
yes sir
intrade, Aug 20, 11:43am
1KZ-TE The E stands for evil. There is no repair component for internals for any of these nippon pumps that i am awear off. calibration testing for a pump like this is 1800$ . the last thing i would buy .
franc123, Aug 20, 12:15pm
Why the obsession with timing belts? They're just a periodic maintenance task. You do the job completely and correctly and it won't be an issue for however many tens of thousands of kms it's rated to last for. If you feel that a particular vehicle isnt worth investing the money on a belt job then maybe you should question why you are buying such an old low value moribund commercial vehicle in the first place. With both of these old Jap diesels, cracked heads and lack of cooling system service are far more of a concern when buying.
2sheddies, Aug 20, 8:11pm
It's not an obsession. I'm in need of a van, and unfortunately, I'm not a rich arse cashed up boomer, so going out and buying a brand new Hiace or iload is out of the question for me, so I've just got to do the best I can with the finances at my disposal, hence the queries. I'm not going to be landed with some heap of shit that needs a timing belt replacement at twice the cost of the vehicle, because the previous owner was too much of a useless tit to keep up with maintenance, as is so often the case with Kiwi vehicle owners.

Hence why all my other vehicles are chain driven. Sadly, there isn't the same choice with older vans. And no, I've never had any problems with broken or stretched chains in hundreds of thousands of kilometres. Belts are a pain in the arse.
franc123, Aug 20, 8:39pm
Have you ever considered using the need for an upcoming belt change as a negotiating tool? Do it right and you can get the previous owner to at least partly foot the bill. At the budget end of the market all you are doing is restricting your choice of possible options to buy if excluding all belt driven engines.
electromic, Aug 20, 9:31pm
Give me a timing belt any day over a chain. After replacing the chain on a Nissan vq25dd engine because it was stretched, a belt is cheap and easy to replace. I am lucky, I can do the job myself. I have seen an invoice for $3300 to do the job properly on a VQ engine. Chains have a recommended change interval just like belts but usually a bit longer. It is 200 000km on a Nissan VQ engine.
2sheddies, Aug 20, 10:07pm
Of course I considered that, I'm not that simple. But they still expected more than I was willing to pay, even knocking some off for the belt job. The trouble nowadays is, these dipsticks are all dreamers with completely unrealistic expectations as to what their POS is worth. They all believe their shitty, dented, dog eared wreck that's been to the moon and back is worth a king's ransom. Gives them a bit of a start when you tell them what it's really worth.
franc123, Aug 20, 11:17pm
How do you know the asking prices are unrealistic? Stuff either sells or it doesn't, as with anything else. Van's have never been really cheap unless its something that's clearly at the end of its life. The market has always been kept buoyant by backpackers in particular, although this may have dropped off lately for obvious reasons. Good luck, you will need it by the sound if it.
franc123, Aug 20, 11:24pm
Lol yes well you cant convince the belt phobic of that one. Chain replacement certainly isnt very pleasant, it's so much dirtier for a start, mucking about with scraping sealants and dirty engine oil.
2sheddies, Aug 21, 12:06am
Would you pay $3k for a dented, dog eared, worn out 400k ex courier van with windows that don't wind up, doors sagging on the hinges, fuel gauge that doesn't work, gear selector that feels like stirring a wooden spoon around in a bowl of whipped cream and just generally shit all over? I sure as hell won't! To me, that's a 2k vehicle on a good day, and I know I'm not alone in thinking that. In any case, I'm close to giving up on this notion. If others want to pay bullshit money and end up with a heap of crap that's about 12 months away from the end of its useful life, good luck to them. If this rubbish is all that's available to me, then I'll flag it away and keep my truck until I can afford something decent. Yes, the truck is dearer to operate, but at least it's a quality vehicle.
franc123, Aug 21, 8:07am
Fair enough too. You dont get much in the van market for that money, as you've found out.
2sheddies, Dec 2, 8:09am
Persistence pays dividends. Got one that's just had 3k spent on it, brand new timing belt, 12 months wof and reg, needs a good cosmetic clean up, but I'm not worried about that, nothing I can't fix and it's a work van after all. 400k and runs like a dream. Good score!