Originally Posted by E365
I have an oil-bathed timing belt on my Focus 1.0 EcoBoost.
Either way, I don't care either way what it has. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I did the timing cover gasket and chain guides on my old E36 BMW. While the double-row timing chain is unlikely to ever fail, the plastic chain guides were literally falling apart upon disassembly. Brittle, like uncooked pasta. So you're pretty much gonna have to do a chain job anyway at some point if you're gonna keep something "forever" and put many hundreds of thousands of miles on it.
The guides seem to be the problem with a lot of engines with long chains, VAG V engines have a problem with them and they are a nightmare, engine out and all the rest of it.
I really like that 3 cyl engine in your Ford, the ones I have driven were nice in boost and rev freely. The belts seem to holding up well, no problems I have heard about on the first ones, the engine seems like a good one.