Timing chain or belt ?

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WyrTwister

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We purchased a 2015 Chevy Sonic 1.8l in June of 2015 .

I then learned , it had a timing belt . I was kind of ticked , figured a chain would be less maintenance .

But having done some research , the belt may not be that bad of a solution . DIY , looks like I could do it & not that expensive if I ordered the parts from RockAuto.com .

When the miles roll around , any recommendation as to the bran of kit to use ? Gates or Dayco ? Is the Delco kit worth the extra money ?

The water / coolant pump is exterior of the front plastic cover , so , I would only replace it if it was defective .

Thanks , :)
 
Aisin has a kit it looks like, it does include the water pump. That is the only brand I would even consider using except an OEM one.
 
Respectfully , I do not need a kit with a water / coolant pump . The pump is not inside the plastic front cover and can be accessed independently .

Aisin is not listed as one of the choices available w/o pump .
 
Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
Respectfully , I do not need a kit with a water / coolant pump . The pump is not inside the plastic front cover and can be accessed independently .

Aisin is not listed as one of the choices available w/o pump .

Right, no problem. I just know that out of all the timing belts I've changed and all the parts suppliers there are none I trust more than Aisin, their stuff is top notch. If it were me and I really didn't want to change the water pump now I'd put it on the shelf until I wanted to (it will likely be cheaper as part of the kit rather than separately). But that's just me, I've had quality issues with Gates stuff before.
 
Interesting . I have watched a lot of his videos .

I am wondering is the previous shop just threw parts at it ? Wonder if the sensor , belt or cam sprocket was the offender ? If I had to guess , I would say the sprocket . But I have nothing to back that up .

Thanks , :)
 
whenever timing belts are changed all other parts like tensioners are best changed as well. on my 201 jetta 1.8T I put 2 kits on at 70 thousand intervals + traded @ 200,000 running great. my water pump was internal + cheap in the kit so it got done as well. timing belts have advantages but need to be changed ON TIME if its an interference fit engine, chains can stretch causing issues but are less likely to break IMO
 
If it's a 2015 vehicle, I can't imagine you are anywhere close to the timing belt change interval which is usually in the neighborhood of 100k miles. How many miles are on it?
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
Respectfully , I do not need a kit with a water / coolant pump . The pump is not inside the plastic front cover and can be accessed independently .

Aisin is not listed as one of the choices available w/o pump .

Right, no problem. I just know that out of all the timing belts I've changed and all the parts suppliers there are none I trust more than Aisin, their stuff is top notch. If it were me and I really didn't want to change the water pump now I'd put it on the shelf until I wanted to (it will likely be cheaper as part of the kit rather than separately). But that's just me, I've had quality issues with Gates stuff before.


^This. That's really solid thinking! OE or Aisin only, Gates and Dayco are genuine tat.
 
Chains wear. They break too.

There’s something to be said about resetting your timing every 6-105k miles.

Belts don’t worry me. Nor do chains. Each has its considerations and neither is trouble free.
 
I've had good experience with Gates and Dayco products. Gates is a well-known brand, always developing and improving their products. Dayco supplies OEM parts to many manufacturers.

Whatever parts you use, be sure to keep the receipts and document all services on the Chevy owner's website to maintain your warranty. Also, I'm glad to hear your water pump is an external unit.
 
Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
If it's a 2015 vehicle, I can't imagine you are anywhere close to the timing belt change interval which is usually in the neighborhood of 100k miles. How many miles are on it?
I don't know about the OP's car but I have a 2015 Altima here with 140k on it.
 
Originally Posted By: DGXR
I've had good experience with Gates and Dayco products. Gates is a well-known brand, always developing and improving their products. Dayco supplies OEM parts to many manufacturers.

And unfortunately they have been packing Chinese-made components in their kits lately, like idler bearings and belt tensioners. Gates-branded water pumps have already been Chinese-made for many years now.

I'm sure Chinese companies are more than capable of making quality hard parts when tasked to do so, but nobody looks to China to build quality items, they look to China to make 'good enough... probably' stuff.
 
Originally Posted By: benjy
whenever timing belts are changed all other parts like tensioners are best changed as well. on my 201 jetta 1.8T I put 2 kits on at 70 thousand intervals + traded @ 200,000 running great. my water pump was internal + cheap in the kit so it got done as well. timing belts have advantages but need to be changed ON TIME if its an interference fit engine, chains can stretch causing issues but are less likely to break IMO


When the time comes , I plan to purchase the kit ( with all the assorted parts & pieces ) , less water / coolant pump .

I figure it is best to assume the Chevy 1.8l is an interference engine , although all I know is it is a 4 valve per cylinder , DOHC , engine .
 
Too bad there's no Gates Racing TB for this application.

The Gates Racing/RPM series belts are probably stronger than OE and might be a good choice if you're unlucky enough to have a stupid timing belt but lucky enough to have a Gates Racing belt available.

Looking at the Rock Auto listings for this Sonic, it appears the Enginetech belt is a reboxed Mitsuboshi. They make good belts. The Aisin kit also includes the Mitsuboshi TB.
 
Originally Posted By: Bottom_Feeder
If it's a 2015 vehicle, I can't imagine you are anywhere close to the timing belt change interval which is usually in the neighborhood of 100k miles. How many miles are on it?


52,000 and change . Owner's manual calls for replacement at 97,500 miles .

Just trying to think ahead .
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
Respectfully , I do not need a kit with a water / coolant pump . The pump is not inside the plastic front cover and can be accessed independently .

Aisin is not listed as one of the choices available w/o pump .

Right, no problem. I just know that out of all the timing belts I've changed and all the parts suppliers there are none I trust more than Aisin, their stuff is top notch. If it were me and I really didn't want to change the water pump now I'd put it on the shelf until I wanted to (it will likely be cheaper as part of the kit rather than separately). But that's just me, I've had quality issues with Gates stuff before.


^This. That's really solid thinking! OE or Aisin only, Gates and Dayco are genuine tat.


On second look , AC Delco is $ 69.90 cheaper than Aisin ( freight should be similar ) . So , not going there . That is RockAuto kit w/pump .
 
Originally Posted By: WyrTwister
On second look , AC Delco is $ 69.90 cheaper than Aisin ( freight should be similar ) . So , not going there . That is RockAuto kit w/pump .

They are probably Chinese components is why. I'd email them and ask the COO since my experience with Chinese water pumps has been pretty bad. I noted on Rock Auto that the Delco listing doesn't say anything about the components but the Aisin kit lists most items as Koyo or Mitsuboshi. Both those are Japanese and the highest quality you can get.
 
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