i have the 2g 4g63 engine. does anyone know how much play there can be in the timig belt before it needs to be replaced. I just bought this car and the visually looks ok, still mitsubishi lettering on belt. the car has 150k plus miles on it, but runs perfect. the belt has approx. 1/2 to 4/3 play at top of belt. when i say play i mean vertical flexing not side to side. thanks in advance for any help.

i understand that it's probably a good idea to have this done, but i am just trying to gauage if this has been done recently on this car or not. dealer i bouhgt it from didn't know.

First off, wrong forumn, check out the 1st-gen/4G63 forumn off the top page. I would think that there shouldn't be any 'play' in the belt at all, as the tensioner should take up any slop. Do the cam gears move enough to suggest that the whole belt is pulling to give you 1/2in. play, or is there just that much between the gears? Does it run funny/ have a weird lope? Any CEL's? Either way doesn't sound to encouraging to me, just have the timing belt replaced and be done with it.

If you aren't sure it's been done, and the dealer isn't sure, I'd go ahead and replace it and the tensioner. Just to be safe. Beats busting a belt and bending valves.

These belts don't stretch, the teeth just break. The way they are checked is on the "tooth" side. The outside really does not mean much. I've seen belts with 50 miles on them where the outside looks crappy because it was barely rubbing against a piece of the cover. If you want to check the belt "officially" you have to take it off and bend it against the back. Then look for breaks or cracks in the teeth.
That being said, the roll of the dice would be up to you. 150k and you're not sure when (or if) it's been done.........could be a big ouch if you're wrong and you wipe out your valves. My car, my keeper, I'm gonna do it. Your choice.

MB

Are you talking about having play in the between the cam gears? Depending on where the motor "stops" you could have virtually no play or quite a bit. As Mark said, it's not so much the play you need to worry about but the teeth.
Edit: I just went back and noticed your mileage. Timing belts are "supposed" to be changed every 60K. Unless you can verify when the last time it was changed, it should either be ok or WAY over due!

depending on the how the cams are sitting ther can be a lil but there shouldnt be much