Yeah, it would be nice to have a indication of when the timing belt fails, but if you take the gamble and lose, you're paying for a whole new engine.
This has reminded me I'm overdue on the timing belt for the Aveo. Calling the shop right now.
The Automotive Thread
- Thread starter envirotex
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Help Support Professional Engineer & PE Exam Forum:
Yeah, it would be nice to have a indication of when the timing belt fails, but if you take the gamble and lose, you're paying for a whole new engine.
This has reminded me I'm overdue on the timing belt for the Aveo. Calling the shop right now.
knight1fox3
Jedi MASTER & Friend of Capt. Solo
MetsFan
Well-known member
knight1fox3
Jedi MASTER & Friend of Capt. Solo
I don't know for sure. But either way, it hasn't been replaced.
MetsFan
Well-known member
Road Guy
Well-known member
I thought if your timing belt or chain broke your engine would just stop running I didn't think it would actually break?
Mine Broke in a 1984 ford ranger once and I just sort of came to a stop and had to get the chain replaced
Mine Broke in a 1984 ford ranger once and I just sort of came to a stop and had to get the chain replaced
knight1fox3
Jedi MASTER & Friend of Capt. Solo
Depends if its an interference fit motor or not. If it is, you're going to bend a bunch of valves.
^Yeah, and my Aveo has an interference motor. $658 to replace the belt, along with the water pump. Apparently the water pump is run off the timing belt?
Not too bad considering it's the only major service I've had to do in 10 years, and hopepfully will last another 10.
Not too bad considering it's the only major service I've had to do in 10 years, and hopepfully will last another 10.
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Road Guy
Well-known member
looks like it more common on smaller engines?
http://www.agcoauto.com/content/List_Of_Interference_Engines
http://www.agcoauto.com/content/List_Of_Interference_Engines
I believe that in general smaller engines have a belt as opposed to a chain. I don't know for sure, but I suspect that it's the older designs that are interference as it's a pretty poor design choice to have the integrity of the engine depend on a rubber belt.
Not likely. I know with my old Mazda the water puump impeller was plastic and had a finite life. It sits in very close proximity to the timing belt so it's best to replace them both at the same time when everything is disassembled than to do them independently and have to tear everything apart twice.
^^^ Yep. My Porsche setup isn't that far off, but uses the backside of the timing belt to drive the pump instead.
MA - There are a surprising number of small, interference fit motors out there. It has largely to due with getting as much power/efficiency out of a small engine as possible. Higher compression and variable valve timing often have a lot to do with it, and clearances in that chamber get awfully tight. More often than not, if they want the motor to have a small footprint, they will use a belt, since it makes packaging the water pump and accessory drives easier. They can also help valve train life by damping some of the engine harmonics.
MA - There are a surprising number of small, interference fit motors out there. It has largely to due with getting as much power/efficiency out of a small engine as possible. Higher compression and variable valve timing often have a lot to do with it, and clearances in that chamber get awfully tight. More often than not, if they want the motor to have a small footprint, they will use a belt, since it makes packaging the water pump and accessory drives easier. They can also help valve train life by damping some of the engine harmonics.
Thanks. I guess that makes sense but I still maintain that trusting the life of the motor to a belt is not a sound engineering decision. Kinda like suspending tunnel ceiling panels over a very busy roadway using only a epoxy adhesive anchors. Can you say Big Dig?
