Lose your timing belt, lose your engine

Watch out! Many Japanese products use timing belts with non-free running
(interference) engines. When, not if, the belt skips or breaks, your
engine and $8,000 is gone. Even if you get through the warranty period,
the resale takes a big hit because the word has got around.

Auto makers, heed this warning. The public knows gear, shaft, or chain
driven single or double OHC engines are are safe design. Timing belt driven
setups are not.

Suzuki is an exception. Their cars are okay.

"George Orwell" <nobody (AT) mixmaster (DOT) it> wrote

Watch out! Many Japanese products use timing belts with non-free running
(interference) engines. When, not if, the belt skips or breaks, your
engine and $8,000 is gone. Even if you get through the warranty period,
the resale takes a big hit because the word has got around.

Really? Japanese cars still have high resale values compared to their
American competitors.

Auto makers, heed this warning. The public knows gear, shaft, or chain
driven single or double OHC engines are are safe design. Timing belt
driven
setups are not.

Really, now? Most members of the general public don't even know what a
timing belt is.

Suzuki is an exception. Their cars are okay.

Yeah, like you know.

Jeff

Jeff wrote:

"George Orwell" <nobody (AT) mixmaster (DOT) it> wrote in message
news:ec813952b460ac615bc8b58fc606cd73 (AT) mixmaster (DOT) it...
Watch out! Many Japanese products use timing belts with non-free running
(interference) engines. When, not if, the belt skips or breaks, your
engine and $8,000 is gone. Even if you get through the warranty period,
the resale takes a big hit because the word has got around.

Really? Japanese cars still have high resale values compared to their
American competitors.

Auto makers, heed this warning. The public knows gear, shaft, or chain
driven single or double OHC engines are are safe design. Timing belt
driven
setups are not.

Really, now? Most members of the general public don't even know what a
timing belt is.

Suzuki is an exception. Their cars are okay.

Yeah, like you know.

Like it's not trolling to multiple post this in honda, toyota, nissan

forums...
Kind of like the number of post mid 90's model 4 cyl. Nissans offered
for sale on web auctions here, where the owners claim that the timing
belt has just been replaced...

"George Orwell" <nobody (AT) mixmaster (DOT) it> wrote

uninformed and never-the-less opinionated troll crap deleted ...
... double OHC engines are safe design.

Since when does a DOHC engine HAVE be a non-interferance design? Also since
when does a timing chain solve the "problems" with belts? Ever heard of
timing chain chatter?

SD

What happens with a stretched or broken timing chain? I have 110k miles on
2002 K20A3 and I had belted Honda before this. Still runs great and I guess
it was kinda cool I didn't have to do or pay for the timing belt service.
What's the downside and eventual maintenance of timing chain?

"MAT" <marcoat*RM_@SPAM_*hotmail.com> wrote

What happens with a stretched or broken timing chain?

First the chain wears ie gets slightly longer, and the cam + drive gear
teeth get worn as well. The chain starts to chatter, and the valve timing
goes off a bit. Timing chains seldom if ever break unless the lubrication
system fails, at which point the chain gets REALLY noisy. If left long
enough, the lubrication failure may affect the cam bearings or even main or
big ends. I've never seen a chain break on the old BMC A and B series, Ford
Cortina 1500/1600 engines and an E-type Jag engine I worked on years ago.
Just about everything else let go, but not the chain ...

An severely overreved engine would sometimes stretch the chain and throw the
valve timing really off.

SD

George Orwell wrote:

Watch out! Many Japanese products use timing belts with non-free running
(interference) engines. When, not if, the belt skips or breaks, your
engine and $8,000 is gone. Even if you get through the warranty period,
the resale takes a big hit because the word has got around.

Auto makers, heed this warning. The public knows gear, shaft, or chain
driven single or double OHC engines are are safe design. Timing belt driven
setups are not.

Suzuki is an exception. Their cars are okay.

6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. I've had a timing gear fail, I've

had chains fail, I've had timing belts fail. I kinda prefer the
timing belts all in all, quieter, better valve timing. I've never seen
a chevy V8 that didn't have a lot of slack in the timing chain after 80K
miles.

"jim beam" <spamvortex (AT) bad (DOT) example.net> wrote

MAT wrote:
What happens with a stretched or broken timing chain? I have 110k miles
on 2002 K20A3 and I had belted Honda before this. Still runs great and I
guess it was kinda cool I didn't have to do or pay for the timing belt
service. What's the downside and eventual maintenance of timing chain?
#1 problem is chain stretch - that leads to cam timing issues and noise.
belts are quiet, highly reliable within their stated mileage limit, and
don't stretch. long term, you'll get more out of a well maintained belted
engine than what is basically supposed to be an unmaintained chain engine.

Newer timing chains appear to be much improved. Several people in the Prius
forums I frequent are right around 200K miles and have not had timing chain
problems. There is no schedule for changing the chain, either. Disclaimer -
not enough data for a positive answer yet.

Mike

Moe wrote:

George Orwell wrote:

Watch out! Many Japanese products use timing belts with non-free running
(interference) engines. When, not if, the belt skips or breaks, your
engine and $8,000 is gone. Even if you get through the warranty period,
the resale takes a big hit because the word has got around.

Auto makers, heed this warning. The public knows gear, shaft, or chain
driven single or double OHC engines are are safe design. Timing belt
driven
setups are not.

Suzuki is an exception. Their cars are okay.

6 of one, 1/2 dozen of the other. I've had a timing gear fail, I've
had chains fail, I've had timing belts fail. I kinda prefer the
timing belts all in all, quieter, better valve timing. I've never seen
a chevy V8 that didn't have a lot of slack in the timing chain after 80K
miles.

I prefer gears. My 1964 Studebaker P/U 289 has over 300K and the timing
is fine...

JT

On Apr 5, 12:33 am, jim beam <spamvor... (AT) bad (DOT) example.net> wrote:

Michael Pardee wrote:
"jim beam" <spamvor... (AT) bad (DOT) example.net> wrote in message
newsL6dnQQf0ft974nbnZ2dnUVZ_uqvnZ2d (AT) speakeasy (DOT) net...
MAT wrote:
What happens with a stretched or broken timing chain? I have 110k miles
on 2002 K20A3 and I had belted Honda before this. Still runs great and I
guess it was kinda cool I didn't have to do or pay for the timing belt
service. What's the downside and eventual maintenance of timing chain?
#1 problem is chain stretch - that leads to cam timing issues and noise.
belts are quiet, highly reliable within their stated mileage limit, and
don't stretch. long term, you'll get more out of a well maintained belted
engine than what is basically supposed to be an unmaintained chain engine.

Newer timing chains appear to be much improved. Several people in the Prius
forums I frequent are right around 200K miles and have not had timing chain
problems. There is no schedule for changing the chain, either. Disclaimer -
not enough data for a positive answer yet.

Mike

well, chains work, but belts are a better technical solution.
particularly for high performance engines - less momentum and angular
velocity fluctuation.

don't forget, design criteria these days are all about life limitation
and cheapness - chain wins on both counts.

I guess it comes to how well built the motor is, belt or chain. Fact
is, Nissan VQ V6es are legendary, reliable timing chain motors. They
just don't die. Even the SR20s, KA24s and GAs seem to hold up quite
well. All timing chain motors. Honda and Toyota make great, long
lasting timing belt motors.

CD