engine that never needs a timing belt change??

[johnono]

spoke to a fella today

said his engine(316 from a 98 e36) doesnԚ´t need to have the timing belt changed!

i nodded along but iԚ´m M20 trained and that made my brain itch

[Widge]

WTF!!!!
If it has a chain I can believe it, but if they can make belts that can be garanteed to last the life of the engine you would of thought everyone would use them, and retro fit them. If I was running th company that made these non wear out able belts I'd make them in every design there has ever been, make every other belt completly obselete.

[ad318i]

hell have a shock when it finally goes!!

[johnono]

i have a feeling he said "chain" oops

[Widge]

With modern high tensile steels and what has been learnt with the post claim era return to timing chains I can well believe it.

[OllieB]

Oops indeed....

[johnono]

so is it correct then, a timing chain is a permanent item?

what gets changed / seviced then?? just seems a bit too easy fellas

[jonbuoy]

Chain tensioner's get changed.
If you hear a rattly M3 it's usually the tensioner's need changing but they're a bastard of a job!

[Brianmoooore]

Timing chains are lifetime items for BMW engines in most cases, but tensioners and guides may have to be replaced.

[johnono]

cheers lads

[Widge]

Chains can and used to stretch which isn't really a problem as tensioners ( if they work) can take this up, but ask anyone who has had a classic Saab 900, they can get very noisey when stretched. They will still be no where near breaking, but unlike a belt the sound warns you to do somthing about it. The noise was the reason most manufacturers went to belts in the '80's and '90's, then realised chanins were a better idea

[johnono]

why dont people convert the m20 to run with a chain?

[Brianmoooore]

BMW only made two designs of engine with belts.
Unfortunately, these are the ones occupying the engine bays of most E30s.

[johnono]

cant the pullys / runners be adapted or converted to run with chains?

[Widge]

More effort than it's worth, only worth the effort if you know you are going to keep it for 25 years! You only have to change them a few times if you keep the car a while, and they aren't that expensive or difficult to change. I can do a belt in 4 hours and they only cost Ԛ£15 ish

[Turbo-Brown]

The problem with converting say an M20 to chain drive is that the timing belt cover is designed to keep big bits of crap out, and the oil in the engine, whereas chains need to keep everything out except the oil.

[sixualhealing]

My one and only BMW was 20+ yrs ago.
A 1600, but that had a timing chain IIRC. Got a bit noisy, so I talked to BMWspares in Kent, ( I knew I couldn't afford main agent prices). He advised me to check the cylinder head for cam wear. They didn't run any bearings just the cam in plain ally, , but I found the actual cam was worn as well as the head. Too much for the chain tensioner to deal with. Too much expence for my wallet as well .
Sold it on cheap. 5 mths later the bill asked me if I had abandoned it in a carpark. No.

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[Dan318-is]

It would be impossible to convert an m20; the tensioner for the chain on most e30 lumps rely on oil pressure you see

[kam-325i]

And imagine trying to get the timiming right......

[georob]

so how often should the 320 lump timing belt/ chain get changed?

[OllieB]

I think the belt should be change every 60k or so geez....

Not that sure though, one of the technical geeks on here will surely tell you to the nearest .0002 of a mile....

[Widge]

40,000 miles or 2 years, whichever is first.

[FlappySocks]

Why do car manufactures use knicker elastic to hold their engines together instead of chains? Is it to save money?

Stuart

[Widge]

Nope it's because it's far quieter so they didn't have to spend so much time and research on sound proofing etc. But now they have realised customers resent having to forkout for regular like a timing belt and they snap so they fit chans and beef up the surrounding covers etc and new chains run pretty quiet anyway. Cheap compainies still fit belts though cos they are cheaper.