timing chain life

[mjoekingz28]

I'm wondering what life you guys are getting from your timing chains. I hear they're good for the life of the engine, but we all know how that goes. Also state your configuration.

DOHC I4
236k
It is rattling a bit on cold start up. It seems its time is coming. Just wondering if mine is going prematurely or is longer than expected.

 

[FowVay]

I have a SOHC I-4 in my pickup and the chain rattles horribly. I don't think the issue is with the chain but rather with the tensioner and guides.

I have 221,000 on my engine and will change the timing components this fall.

 

[SS1970chrysler]

The older 302's and 318's I've changed them on needed one between 65-80k miles. Mostly from stock nylon gears grinding down.

 

[Colt45ws]

Pretty much what FowVay said. Usually the tensioner and/or guides will fail first.
I know of a guy that runs a Taxi shop in Georgia. He told me he usually gets 400-600k miles out of the 4.6 SOHC. Usually what happens by that point is the plastic on the guides has worn through and go metal on metal with the chains. Its a pretty time consuming task to change the timing setup on that engine; in fact he can replace the engine faster and cheaper than putting new chains and guides on the old motor, which, has half a million miles on it and the typical problems that come from such miles. They usually make a really nasty chain-dragging on metal noise for about 15k then let go.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
Pretty much what FowVay said. Usually the tensioner and/or guides will fail first.
I know of a guy that runs a Taxi shop in Georgia. He told me he usually gets 400-600k miles out of the 4.6 SOHC. Usually what happens by that point is the plastic on the guides has worn through and go metal on metal with the chains. Its a pretty time consuming task to change the timing setup on that engine; in fact he can replace the engine faster and cheaper than putting new chains and guides on the old motor, which, has half a million miles on it and the typical problems that come from such miles. They usually make a really nasty chain-dragging on metal noise for about 15k then let go.


So just to change the tensioners & guides is that big a job?

 

[Smoky14]

Changed quite a few chains in Toyota 4M engines, at 60-80K, because of "stretch" which made the cam timing off so far it could not pass emissions test. It was truly amazing how much better they ran and the emissions would fall to new car specs.

As much as I hate to change my timing belts, sure is a lot easier and cheaper than a chain...normally quieter too.

 

[Colt45ws]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: Colt45ws
Pretty much what FowVay said. Usually the tensioner and/or guides will fail first.
I know of a guy that runs a Taxi shop in Georgia. He told me he usually gets 400-600k miles out of the 4.6 SOHC. Usually what happens by that point is the plastic on the guides has worn through and go metal on metal with the chains. Its a pretty time consuming task to change the timing setup on that engine; in fact he can replace the engine faster and cheaper than putting new chains and guides on the old motor, which, has half a million miles on it and the typical problems that come from such miles. They usually make a really nasty chain-dragging on metal noise for about 15k then let go.


So just to change the tensioners & guides is that big a job?

7 hours is book time. Closer to 8 if the chains need replacement as well. (Might as well if you are that deep?) Remember this is a Taxi shop. They pretty much work with CVs and not much else so they have them down to a science. They buy good junk yard motors (cheap) and throw them in lickity split.
There was a rash of bad guides that Ford put out about 10 years back or so? I want to say? They would go really quickly though like under 100k quick so I imagine that would swing the cost/benefit ratio towards repair, but I didnt ask.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

I was curious on my car as well for this very question. I have the Honda 2.4L in the CR-V with 111k on it. With my current driving habits it will have 200k on it in less than 2 years.

 

[zyxelenator]

When I had Altima with VQ35DE my chain was rattling (about 150k miles on car, got at 96),while cold and on rpms under 1200 mostly when cold. Also it was rattling more at around 3k on OCI, was a good indicator that it's time to change oil. Shop quoted 1400 to change tensioners and chain. My Fathers new(less then 10k) 2010 Cooper S rattles a little too since he got it.

 

[zyxelenator]

Originally Posted By: mjoekingz28
I'm wondering what life you guys are getting from your timing chains. I hear they're good for the life of the engine, but we all know how that goes. Also state your configuration.

DOHC I4
236k
It is rattling a bit on cold start up. It seems its time is coming. Just wondering if mine is going prematurely or is longer than expected.
Try to at LM MoS2, it's under $5 at NAPA. Maybe it will quite it down.

 

[qdeezie]

I feel that it is a best practice to change the timing chain out at 200,000 miles due to normal wear and stretching. This is a assuming it's a non-nylon gear all metal setup.

 

[Norm Olt]

W126 era Mercedes V8 engines require a tensioner, guide/chain "service" @ a cost of about $450-600 that is "recommended" every 90K (or so). In my humble opinion (and experience) the chain usually needs replacing every other time, especially if the mechanics take time to measure wear (actually "stretch"), but...

Compared with the cost of a new top end @ $2,500 to $3K+ (which usually includes rebuilding heads/replacing broken parts) I think it is a bargain. When properly done a new top end basically starts the cycle over as the bottom end is typically good for 500K, or so.

I understand that none of this makes any sense to an individual who leases a new car for three years (or less) and has no interest in keeping a car (or anything!) for it's functional life. Ours is now a "throw-a-way" society where the computer or phone you bought yesterday is already obsolete tomorrow (if you are lucky!)...

Same goes for the 1st, 2nd or etc. husband/wife.

Cheers!

 

[hattaresguy]

The M117/6 had issues with the plastic guides breaking, usually they fail on start up, right bank.


On the diesels they seem to average roughly 1 degree of stretch per 100k miles, which isn't to big of a deal. The older ones don't mind being out of time a bit, the 603's start to not run as good as they can when they are a couple degrees out, they like to be right on.

Now I have seen oil pump chains break.

 

[SLCraig]

mjoeking... Unless its making noise all the time, you are fine.
on my 96 SL2 the chain was loud at idle, cold or hot, didn't matter. Just keep on top of oil (top ups) and it should essentially last the life of the car. You'll know when its failing (sounds like a diesel engine as people describe)

 

[TooManyWheels]

I use to change the chain on small block Chevies at 100K and never had one that didn't turn out to need it at that mileage. But the last one I changed was twenty years ago, before the days of roller lifters and decent oil. My current SBC has 149K and I'm hoping to go to 200 before changing.

 

[Virtuoso]

Our 2.4L "twin-cam" '99 Malibu has (what I'm going to assume for now) some timing chain noise at hot idle in gear. Has to be hot, oil and everything, in gear, or it won't do it.

Sounds great at start-up and at all other RPMs.

It has 221k with unknown history before 150k so it's anyone's guess. I'll dig a little deeper before winter..

 

[Ben99GT]

Originally Posted By: Donald
So just to change the tensioners & guides is that big a job?


It's actually surprisingly simple.

 

[MetalSlug]

usually timing chain last a life time of the engine, but when ever take engine apart to replace something, good idea change the timing chain at same time.

 

[DavidZ28]

Had the '84 done at 122K and the person doing the job told me it had the nylon gears on it, and he could almost pull the chain off by hand. Car runs so much better since the timing chain got replaced too, no slack to contend with.

 

[antonmnster]

I've had 3 BMWs with chains; one 4-cyl and two 6-cyl, each run to between 170-250,000 miles.

The 318 needed a tensioner at 150, but the other 2 have been completely quiet and service-free. I don't expect to ever change them.