Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

clan chieftain · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2041 Location: Motherwell

Most older cars have timing chains although some moderns are going back to chain drive. The belt is OK providing you stick to the schedules for changing them but some are too complicated and time consuming therefore expensive.My son had a V6 Calibra and the engine had to come out. Luckily his pal done it but it wasnt too expensive. Years ago when you bought a car you took the head off it and done a decoke. Now unless you know when the belt was changed you change it for peace of mind and you do the idlers and sometimes the water pump. Belt or Chain? Chain wins it for me.
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roverdriver · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 9:32 am Post subject:

I couldn't trust any engine that has its camshaft driven by a rubber band! Gears or chains for me!
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buzzy bee · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 3382 Location: South Cheshire

Chains are not the most reliable at times! Shocked

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22802 Location: UK

Jim.Walker · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 1229 Location: Chesterfield

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22802 Location: UK

RUSTON · Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 144 Location: Matlock.

I always preffered a chain, though if you look on the Practical Motorist forum there seems to be a lot of chain breakage and stretching on modern engines so maybe there isn't much to choose between them nowadays?

Pete.
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exbmc · Posted: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:15 pm Post subject: chain or belt

Like Jim, i have only ever had to deal with one broken chain. That was on a Morris 1100, in the 60's.
There are certainly some "moderns" with a reputation for chain problems, mostly i think where a single chain is used. The V6 Suzuki engines are known to have problems, usually these can be staved off by using full synthetic oil, this stops the tensioner wearing away. Some of the smaller engined Vauxhalls have problems too.
Belts are i think, are not much more unreliable than chains. What matters is correct tension, and use a OEM belt, along with good bearings in whatever pulleys etc you have.
As Clan Chieftain started this thread, he might like to know,if he doesn't already, that the facelifted Marina, called Ital, had a belt on the 1.7 engine. These could be changed in about 5 minutes! We used to remove and check them at 12000 miles, then refit if ok. At 24000 miles, they were replaced, and all it cost extra was the belt, as it was comfortably done in the standard service time.

buzzy bee · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 3382 Location: South Cheshire

Hi

The problems I have with chains, are that one does not expect them to break alot of the time, so when one does, it is not a good thing, not that a belt going is, etc if you know what I mean. I know of 2 or 3 that have gone amoungst friends.

Cheers

Dave

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22802 Location: UK

clan chieftain · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2041 Location: Motherwell

Very true exbmc the 1700 belt was a dawdle but it was an engine I never liked especially doing the valve clearances with special clamps and shims...nightmare stuff. Give me the old A series and B series any day. Some of the Itals were fitted with the O seies 2 litre engine but I never had one of them.
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The Clan Chieftain

RUSTON · Joined: 07 Mar 2011 Posts: 144 Location: Matlock.

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7215 Location: Edinburgh

My modern is a Mondeo TDCi with chain driven camshafts. Apparently the chains are ok but the plastic tensioners can cause problems and turning the engine backwards is a No No!

Curiously enough my last car was a Mk I Mondeo Diesel and not long after I bought it I had the belt replaced but not long after that I needed a new cylinder head. The belt was fine but the idler wheel that tensions the belt had broken-up. There after I always asked for both to be changed and I then had 12 years of trouble free running. (I don't work on moderns except to change the oil.)

Peter
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1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4254 Location: South Cheshire

In the last 5 or 6 years the replacement interval for belts has increased....
Peugeot (on the 407's anyway ) recommend timing belts are changed at 160,000 miles or 10 years! Shocked

Our firm runs a few hundred 407's, we run the cars to either 150,000 miles or 5 years miles whichever comes first, I spoke with our fleet manager who couldn't recall a cam belt failure.. Surprised

.perhaps they are chains in disguise Smile

The recomended interval for Stag timing chains is 15,000 miles, its quite common for them to stretch and do loads of damage Crying or Very sad

Dave

MVPeters · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 822 Location: Northern MA, USA

& then we get into the discussion about the often-fatal damage done when these belts break.
OK, so you might crack a timing chain cover when a chain goes, but modern engine design has "progressed" to the point that valves hit pistons when a belt breaks on many cars.
Did this ever happen with chains on classic cars?
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