Dan's Automotive in Leeds NY Dan's Automotive in Leeds NY

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Your Vehicle's Timing Belt + Why It should be Replaced

timing belt and tensionertiming belt and tensioner
timing chainstiming chain and sprocket set - for oldtimers

The timing belt is the most important belt on your engine. It is the belt that drives and synchronizes your engine's camshaft(s) with your engine's crankshaft, on an overhead cam, or OHC, motor. It replaces the earlier timing chains, which resembled a bicycle chain and sprocket set, that older OHC motors had, as well as even older motors that don't have overhead cam(s), like the old style V-8s with mere overhead valves. Without delving into more details, it is a really important part that can and will wear out. Certain sorts of motors, called interference engines, will self destruct if the timing belt breaks or slips too much. This happens when the out of synch valves hit the pistons, the the valves bend and break

So you should be very wary of your timing belt. Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule. If the car is used and/or you don't know it and when it was replaced, and it has over 100,000 miles, get it checked and replaced. If you hear the belt slapping against the plastic cover, or the engine starts running really poorly with low power, that might mean trouble too.

cam belt driven water pumpcam belt driven water pump

and while Dan has your motor and radiator all apart, it is a great time to replace the water pump too, which is usually driven off the timing belt. This is actually suggested in many maintenance schedule for the mere fact that the labor to just replace the pump would be astronomical, so you do the water pump along with the cam belt. Also, if it a high mileage motor, the tensioners and pulleys for the timing belt should be checked and maybe replaced, along with the oil deals at the end of the cam(s) and crankshaft. It can get expensive, especially if you have a V-6 transverse mounted motor, but it has to be done and done right occasionally

timing beltjust the timing belt