converting to timing chain

[IHeartTurbo]

i was just wondering if anyone has ever heard of anyone converting one of our POS timing belts to timing chains? i was actually just wondering if it would even be possible. if you use the right size diameter pulleys wouldnt it be possible? im probably completely wrong but i would still like to konw

 

[Spidey]

My friend and I were talking about this a few weeks ago after hanging around some SR20DET friends. I think it is very possible but at what cost, I don't know.

 

[Defiant]

You'd have to come up with a case for the chain to run in oil. It would be possible, but difficult and costly. Belts aren't _that_ bad.

 

[greathuskie]

_yea_ _they_ _arent_ _that_ _bad_

 

[Zex4g63]

That's funny. Because everbody with a chain wants to convert to belt.

 

[GSX4LIFE]

A 4cyl with a timing chain, revving to 8000rpm+, can snap as easily as with a belt. Dont believe me? Ill show you the Ecotec 2.2 engine IM replacing right now because the chain snapped. And it didint just take out the valves, or the head. It wasted the entire engine. The chain wrapped arount the balance shaft chain, and snapped that. Them both wrapped around the crank. Bent all the valves. Snapped off the chain giude bolts in the block. Metal all through the engine. Scored the piston. destroyed the valve seats. Not pretty. There would be no gain, save for no service interval.

 

[mike9146]

POS timing belts? Says who? I know of nobody who has done proper maintenance and replaced all of the components listed on the VFAQ site and has had a single problem with the factory setup. Of course, the "New DSMer" doesn't want to hear about maintenance, as that's for everyone else. If you can't figure out how to keep your factory setup together, you stand little chance of engineering "better." Whatever "better" is.

 

[Unreal]

There is nothing wrong with the stock setup. Replace it every 60k miles, and you will never have issues.

How about converting to some cool new lubrication systems so you never have to change your oil? Why do any maintainence at all?

 

[ItsStockOfficer]

Timing chains are worse then timing belts. Belts were a huge improvement when they were designed in fact. think about how much more a chain weighs, for one thing, and how it has to be lubricated, and what kind of damage it can do? And how stable something that heavy can be at 7k rpm.

 

[jbillakdsm]

Just get yourself a high tension Kevlar belt from Japan for our cars. They're designed for applications that will be going over 10K rpm, will not stretch, and last longer than 60K.

Part of the reason our belts go bad is because they get dirty, keep your belt clean and it'll last longer. My neighbor was supposed to change the belt on his old Accord every 60K just like us, 225K miles later the original belt is there because he kept it clean.

 

[focusedrage]

i think if i was to do anything it would be to convert to a gear drive, like they offer for v-8s, that would be even more of a pain but would be super reliable...

the fact is the cost for a timing chain or gears, would be enough for a couple of timign belt changes, and the timing belt has proven its self on numerous racign dsms...

 

[Defiant]

Originally posted by GSX4LIFE
Ecotec 2.2 engine IM replacing right now because the chain snapped. And it didint just take out the valves, or the head. It wasted the entire engine. The chain wrapped arount the balance shaft chain, and snapped that. Them both wrapped around the crank. Bent all the valves. Snapped off the chain giude bolts in the block. Metal all through the engine. Scored the piston. destroyed the valve seats. Not pretty. There would be no gain, save for no service interval.

Days of the Datsun U-20. The timing chain's life is about 30K, half our belt's. It stretches enough to allow the upper tensioner to drop out, which rides the chain up to the cam cover, where it pops a nice, rectangular hole out as it blows itself out of the engine. No telling where the spring went to, but once the valves and pistons stopped the cam and snapped the chain, it would drop off and break the jackshaft chain, stopping the oil pump. Etc, etc, etc. $ $ $ $. Oh, and of course this was while Datsun had stopped making new heads- which you'd need.