My manual provides no answer. How often should timing chains be replaced? 200,000 miles? 300,000?
How often to change timing chain?
- Thread starter blackman777
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The only time I ever replaced a timing chain is when they broke or jumped - that was usually around 200,000 miles. However, my brother had a Chevy truck he ran till 345,000 miles on the original chain with no problems chain wise.
It seems some modern long DOHC chains seem to be sensitive, particularly in CAFE regions and when oil degrades/shears beyond suitability. BMW is not immune, but they seem to be faring the best IMO. OHV timing chains are stocky and short and generally do much better.
Just need to take it out, measure it, and re install if it is in spec every 12,000 miles or one year. Whatever comes first.
^Terrible joke, do not do that. Chains are all considered lifetime of the car items. Sometimes they will stretch and make noises and need to be replaced once or twice though.
^Terrible joke, do not do that. Chains are all considered lifetime of the car items. Sometimes they will stretch and make noises and need to be replaced once or twice though.
Chains are lifetime, generally speaking. They don't need to be changed. Even if they stretch, there are tensioners on the guides that will adjust as necessary.
You change it if it breaks or (presumably) if you rebuild the engine.
Depends upon the model. The well-loved 22RE (and similar engines from Nissan/etc of that era) seem to suffer from guide issues around 150-200k. Lifetime? IMO it was honestly beyond what was considered "lifetime" at that time. Similarly the V8 motors of old had chains that stretched (or nylon gears that erroded) before/around then, despite being shorter in length. And again, many of them were pushing up weeds around that time anyhow.
But for both types I think it was not a major job to do. Well, maybe the 22RE was (not sure on any of them) but comparing the work done every 60-80k for a timing belt vs every 150-200k on a chain, I suspect it's a wash. [Timing belts used to be 60k items, today they can be up to what, 120k?]
I'd say it's too model dependant to go too much by blanket statements.
But for both types I think it was not a major job to do. Well, maybe the 22RE was (not sure on any of them) but comparing the work done every 60-80k for a timing belt vs every 150-200k on a chain, I suspect it's a wash. [Timing belts used to be 60k items, today they can be up to what, 120k?]
I'd say it's too model dependant to go too much by blanket statements.
One way to tell if the chain is truly stretched out is to use OBD2 software to monitor specific data blocks for the tensioners. There is an upper and lower limit, and if the tensioner is constantly running at those limits it tends to indicate the chain has stretched.
Every other oil change.
Guess it depends on whether its a cam-in-block or OHC design as well. I don't know of many people that have changed the timing chain on a cam-in-block. I'm thinking they're as close to lifetime items as come in a car.
A friend of mine works at a vw dealer. Apparently they have had problems with chains on various vw engines for some time now. Mostly the 1.4 and 1.2 tsi/tfsi engines. He says they can controle if they are stretched by analysing ignition timing and correct/incorrect vacume in the inlet manifold. Eventually they will start rattle at startup.
Originally Posted By: shDK
A friend of mine works at a vw dealer. Apparently they have had problems with chains on various vw engines for some time now. Mostly the 1.4 and 1.2 tsi/tfsi engines. He says they can controle if they are stretched by analysing ignition timing and correct/incorrect vacume in the inlet manifold. Eventually they will start rattle at startup.
Yes, the rattle is actually from the tensioners failing to take up the slack.
A friend of mine works at a vw dealer. Apparently they have had problems with chains on various vw engines for some time now. Mostly the 1.4 and 1.2 tsi/tfsi engines. He says they can controle if they are stretched by analysing ignition timing and correct/incorrect vacume in the inlet manifold. Eventually they will start rattle at startup.
Yes, the rattle is actually from the tensioners failing to take up the slack.
IF I ever replace my oil pump/pickup tube to a higher performance version, I will replace the timing chain and gears with the updated LS2 versions, since the balancer and cover have to come off anyway, but not until then (almost 170K miles and counting!
).
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Every other oil change.
It's cheap insurance.
Every other oil change.
It's cheap insurance.
The timing chain itself might be a lifetime item (stretching not withstanding), but the sprockets are definitely not.
Here's an SBC where the chain jumped a few teeth:
Here's an SBC where the chain jumped a few teeth:
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