You may have heard of timing belts, but how do they work?
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According to Medium:
“Timing belts are essentially reinforced rubber bands that co-ordinate the rotation of the crankshaft and camshaft in your car’s internal combustion engine. They control engine operation, and some power the water pump too. Timing belts are usually manufactured from high-quality rubber and nylon-reinforced cords.
But how exactly do timing belts work?
How Timing Belts Work
“The timing belt’s job is cyclic. Its primary function is to rotate the camshaft pulley, synchronising this pulley with the crankshaft pulley. Some models have two camshaft pulleys. The timing belt synchronises the valves and pistons so that they push cams on the camshaft at the right times. This process is comparable to pedalling a bicycle. The cams must reach the top of the cycle before the valves and pistons push them down again.
“The inner part of the belt contains teeth that correspond to the gears. The teeth create friction as the timing belt comes into contact with the crankshaft and camshaft sprockets. If the teeth are damaged, the timing belt can pull the crankshaft and camshaft out of synchronisation. This throws the valve and piston timing, which can destroy the valves and pistons. The damage is often even worse if you have a timing chain.
“Each timing belt also needs a tensioner to maintain pressure on the timing belt. The tensioner may be spring-loaded, oil-pressure-activated or set manually. Tensioners ensure that the timing belt delivers enough tension to move all of the pulleys that drive engine components.
Replacing Your Timing Belt
“When your timing belt fails, your car will grind to a halt, and you’ll need a new timing belt. Filter your search to only the timing belts suitable for your vehicle by searching your number plate in our car lookup tool.”
Timing is everything. For jokes, music, cooking, dating—even engines! That’s because your car’s engine relies on a timing belt to stay in sync. The timing belt makes sure everything in the engine is operating smoothly, keeping you safe on the road.
Replacing the timing belt is an important maintenance item! So, if you own a car, you should understand how a timing belt works and when to replace it.
Read: The Car Maintenance Checklist Every Driver Needs
The company is the world’s best Automotive Timing Belts supplier. We are your one-stop shop for all needs. Our staff are highly-specialized and will help you find the product you need.
Think of a timing belt like a bike chain for your vehicle—it keeps all the internal moving parts of an engine in sync. It also sometimes powers the water pump, oil pump and injection pump.
The timing belt is a rubber belt with hard teeth that interlock with the cogwheels of the crankshaft and the camshafts. It synchronizes the movement of the crankshaft and camshafts. This ensures that the engine intake and exhaust valves open and close in time with the pistons. If the crankshaft and camshafts are not operating in unison, the vehicle will not run correctly.
If the intake valves open too early, there may be too much fuel-air mixture flowing into the engine combustion chamber, leading to poor combustion and power loss. And if the exhaust valves open too early, the combustion chamber will lose pressure and cause a power loss. If the engine components are very out of sync, they might collide and damage each other, resulting in costly repairs.
Depending on your vehicle model, you might have a timing chain instead of a timing belt. A timing chain functions the same as a belt, but it is metal instead of rubber. Because they are lighter and quieter, timing belts became popular to use after they were introduced in the s.
Thanks to design improvements and a long lifespan, many modern cars have returned to using timing chains instead. If your car has a timing chain instead of a timing belt, you may be able to go longer before replacing the timing chain. As always, check your owner’s manual or give us a call to be sure.
It’s important to replace your timing belt at the mileage intervals your vehicle manufacturer recommends. Every manufacturer is different, but typically, it needs to be replaced every 60,000–100,000 miles. The recommended interval for your specific vehicle can be found in your car’s owner’s manual.
Because the timing belt is made of rubber, it will wear down over time and eventually break. When it breaks, the engine will stop running or the components will be out of sync, damaging the engine.
If you don’t replace the timing belt at the recommended time, you could end up with total engine failure, broken or bent valves, cylinder head or camshaft damage, and piston and cylinder wall damage. This is not the type of situation where it’s safe to think: ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’ Replace the timing belt according to the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule to avoid thousands of dollars repairing or replacing your engine.
Often, there aren’t any warning signs before a timing belt breaks. But here are some possible indicators that it might be time to replace your belt:
While your vehicle is in for service, we recommend also replacing the water pump. The water pump usually has a similar lifespan and is easy to access when the timing belt is off. That way you save money on labor costs.
Read: What Is a Serpentine Belt & When Should You Replace It?
Replacing the timing belt is an expensive service. It is an intricate, labor-intensive process that can take 4–8 hours, depending on the vehicle. But replacing the timing belt before it breaks will prevent engine damage and save you money in the long run. If you’re unsure about your belt needs to be replaced, stop by Virginia Tire & Auto today.
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