An Overview Of How Timing Belts Work
In past articles, we’ve talked about a variety of important car parts without which your vehicle could not operate. That includes the transmission, battery, and tires. Today, we’re going to discuss one of the most overlooked parts. In order to keep the engine operating properly, timing belts are used to synchronize the crankshaft and camshaft. Each timing belt is made for a specific engine type, providing the best possible coordination and valve timing.
Playing A Critical Role
Within the engine, valves and pistons are required to operate hand-in-hand to avoid damage and maintain power transfer. If the valves and pistons don’t cooperate, then damage will occur, but the severity will depend on the engine type. The type is determined by the distance between the pistons and valves, but the two variations are referred to as interference and non-interference.
In an interference engine, if the valves and pistons don’t work in sync, then the piston will collide with a valve, bending the piston rod, bending the valve, or completely destroying the piston assembly. On the other hand, non-interference engines will automatically shut off in the event of a belt failure.
How They Perform Their Job
The timing chain is placed around the camshafts, crankshaft, idler pulley, tensioner pulley, and water pump. Depending on the engine, the number of camshaft pulleys will vary, either in a single overhead or dual overhead cam configuration.
When the crank rotates, the crankshaft pulley is activated and begins to move the belt. By moving it, the camshaft pulleys are activated, triggering the movement of the valves up or down to correspond to the correct phase. Four-stroke motors progress in the following manner: intake, compression, combustion, and exhaust.
During the intake phase, the down stroke of the piston creates a vacuum that sucks a mixture of fuel and air into the cylinder. The camshaft is positioned at this time such that the intake valves are open while the exhaust valves remain closed. Next, as the crankshaft rotates and compresses the mixture, the camshafts move in response, closing all of the valves. After the fuel is combusted, then the resulting crankshaft movement prompts the camshaft to move and open the exhaust valves.
Maintenance and Precautions
In most cases, a timing chain will last at least 60,000 miles, and it is strongly recommended that you consult the owner’s manual for the average belt life. Replacing a timing belt, however, is not as easy as it may seem. In order to access the part, the surrounding assemblies must be removed. After installing the replacement, the mechanic must synchronize the crankshaft and camshaft, or else serious engine damage could occur.
If you need to replace this part, I recommend that you allow a mechanic to perform the work. I’ve seen too many jobs botched by owners who thought themselves capable. Unless you have experience in replacing the chain, invest in having the work by a trained auto technician.
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