My 1996 960 came to me with just 72k miles on the clock. The person I bought it from told me that the timing belt was replaced at 65k, then something broke (retainer clip, I think?) which caused the original engine to be damaged "beyond repair" (probably just a screwed-up head).

The engine was replaced with a lower-mileage example, but he couldn't tell me exactly how many miles or what, if any, prep work had gone into the newer engine before installation.

I am currently sitting at 82k, and I don't know whether or not my timing belt is about to cause a catastrophe or if it's good for tens of thousands of miles more. I don't drive my cars easy, but have been babying the Volvo lately out of fear that it could fly apart any minute.

How can I find out the state of my timing belt without taking the thing apart? Is there a noise I can listen for to determine the state of my belt (and supporting parts?)?

Lastly, if my belt does need replacing, is there anything especially tricky about it? The guy who works on my cars is a general tech who has been at it for over 30 years, so I think he ought to be able to handle it if there are no special tools needed. I would guess it would only be a matter of buying the right parts to make sure that the 70k change interval doesn't become shorter.

Thanks in advance for any advice y'all can offer!