Timing chain guide wear

[vavavroom]

This is just a general question in regard to timing chain guides and not related to any particular engine. Timing chain guides are known to wear out and or break eventually. When does a timing chain actually make contact with the chain guide? Does that happen only once a chain tensioner has gone too soft or are there other conditions that result in the chain contacting the chain guides, such as a rapid load change resulting in chain slap?

 

[bbhero]

I may well be wrong... But in some engines like my VQ the timing chain contacts the guides quite a lot.... The guide material what it is made of matters a fair amount in terms of how well the guides actually hold up in service. And that is a big factor in timing chain guide life... Wrong material for timing chain guides are going to fail much, much sooner than ones with a well matched timing chain guide material.

 

[Cujet]

As a general rule, the tension side of the chain has a straight shot to the camshaft. The guide on the tension side is there to stop or reduce any "chain slap" (unnecessary chain movement). The tensioner is on the slack side and simply applies enough pressure to remove any play in the system. The tensioner itself is designed to keep modest pressure on the guide.

 

[benjy]

a xxw30 oil is said to be better for chain guides, i always use a 10-30 fake synthetic year around in pa

 

[WobblyElvis]

The chain guides in my old GM ecotec contacted the chain constantly and remarkably lasted over 230,000 miles with very low wear. It appeared to me the chain and guides would last over 300,000 miles easily but I lost the car to an accident.

 

[vavavroom]

This all sounds like chain guides are a lot more in contact with the chain than I expected. That makes the chain guides wear parts.

 

[bbhero]

True I believe...


The chain guide material is a big factor in how well they hold up....

 

[Chris142]

The guides guide the chain. The 2 are constantly rubbing when the engine is running.

 

[UncleDave]

Originally Posted by vavavroom
This all sounds like chain guides are a lot more in contact with the chain than I expected. That makes the chain guides wear parts.


Yup - some set ups worse than others.

Typically a nylon type material in constant contact with the chain.

UD

 

[StarCaller]

Quote
a xxw30 oil is said to be better for chain guides


why would that be?
the heavier the better?
so a xxw40 would be even better?

 

[bulwnkl]

Originally Posted by StarCaller
the heavier the better?
so a xxw40 would be even better?


That principle can NOT be extended to infiniti.

 

[Redright9]

My 5.7l Hemi the tensioner is in constant contact with the chain. So far its doing well, I was able to peek at it recently, the engine has 170k + miles and doing well.

 

[WyrTwister]

I have read some engines have a lot more chain / guide problems , than others . In those cases , I also read , such repairs , can be pretty expensive ? I also read HIGH quality synthetic oil is preferred ? ( In any case , which will not hurt anything . )

A timing belt may be preferred ? Do not know . Our Sonic 1.8l is the first car we have owned that had a timing belt . It has not reached the recommended mileage to replace . And , as far as I know , we have not owned a car that has timing chain guides ? Although RA shows a timing dampener . Maybe that is similar ?

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/buick,2006,lacrosse,3.8l+v6,1432026,engine,timing+damper,5740

 

[tbm5690]

Originally Posted by WyrTwister
I have read some engines have a lot more chain / guide problems , than others . In those cases , I also read , such repairs , can be pretty expensive ? I also read HIGH quality synthetic oil is preferred ? ( In any case , which will not hurt anything . )

A timing belt may be preferred ? Do not know . Our Sonic 1.8l is the first car we have owned that had a timing belt . It has not reached the recommended mileage to replace . And , as far as I know , we have not owned a car that has timing chain guides ? Although RA shows a timing dampener . Maybe that is similar ?

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/buick,2006,lacrosse,3.8l+v6,1432026,engine,timing+damper,5740


Most prefer chains due to the maintenance-free aspect (mostly). Chains do slack over time, and belts are not only quieter but also usually not terribly expensive to replace at intervals of 80-100k plus.