difference between drive belt and timing belt

#DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DRIVE BELT AND TIMING BELT CODE#

Belt-service intervals became longer, and consumers were getting used to this being a part of normal maintenance. A broken belt could mean a very expensive repair on interference engines.īelt quality and tensioner design improved quickly, eliminating many of the early timing belt troubles, and by the mid- to late-‘90s, timing belts were used on the majority of automobile engines. Simple tensioning systems required adjustment from time to time, and oil leaks also were a problem with timing belts, as they would degrade the rubber quickly and lead to a broken belt. Seemingly, all was good, but even with the advantages of a timing belt, they required replacement at specific intervals, and the one disadvantage that became known quickly was that if not replaced, they would break with no warning. The tensioning systems were simple, and the belts remained tight for a long time without wearing the cam or crank gear. They were quieter and lighter than a chain and less expensive to manufacture. Since timing chains suffered from inherent gear wear and stretching, engineers decided that belts were the way to go. The easiest way to drive the camshaft was via a timing belt. The camshaft was now located on the cylinder head, which eliminated push rods and, on some designs, the rocker arms were eliminated as well, saving weight, lowering cost, reducing valvetrain inertia and making multi-valve designs possible. Buckle Your BeltĪs the ‘80s rolled on, electronics, emission controls and technology were on solid cruise control and like flipping a switch, timing belts were suddenly in the picture.Īlthough timing-belt-driven overhead camshaft engines weren’t new by any means, the value of the design began to be recognized and auto manufacturers started to change over to this concept. The tried-and-true timing chain was simple and generally dependable, but times were changing. They ran quieter than a traditional steel gear, but they wore out a lot quicker and created problems long before vehicle owners expected, which didn’t do much for their reputation.

So, we just drove the cars until they wouldn’t drive any more.Įarly engine design was split between gears or chains, but chains ultimately became more popular because they took up less space and ran quieter, and by the early ‘80s, the majority of cars produced had timing chains.Īn evolutionary change of timing-chain design included nylon-tooth cam gears.

#DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DRIVE BELT AND TIMING BELT CODE#

And why? There was no crank sensor or cam sensor, and no computer to translate the signals into a crank/cam correlation diagnostic trouble code (DTC). They wouldn’t know at all until they started to get a hard-start or no-start symptom. When the chain or the drive gears began to wear, engine performance would suffer, but it would degrade slowly, and most vehicle owners had no idea there was a problem. A traditional, old-school timing chain was tight upon installation, and the overall timing set consisted of a crankshaft gear, a camshaft gear and a chain.

At least nothing of which the owner was aware.Ī timing chain, just like a belt, is there for one reason: to connect the crankshaft to the camshaft at exact points so the valves open and close at the correct time for engine operation. What happened when they did? On an old car, nothing right away. In the case of timing chains, they sometimes wore quicker than a lot of people realized. But the statement, while true, doesn’t always mean they built them better.

Or would they? A lot of people still say, “They don’t build them like they used to.” This is true, and coming from someone who is an old-car enthusiast, I’ll defend a level of workmanship that we don’t see in today’s vehicle. They were lubricated by the engine oil, so if you changed it on a regular basis, the timing chain would hold up well. Generally speaking, they were dependable and didn’t require any specific maintenance. For many years, timing chains were the go-to for engine design.

Difference between drive belt and timing belt