In most situations a visual inspection of a timing belt or timing chain will reveal little about its condition - unless it is very close to the point of failure. However, there are some other signs that may indicate the part is worn as it affects how the engine runs.

Our guide will explain the difference between a cambelt and a timing chain and crucially show which cars have a cambelt and which are fitted with a timing chain.

As with most things, main dealers will charge more than independent garages, but a timing belt change can cost as little as £350, all the way up to £1000 or more. In most instances we would also recommend having the water pump changed at the same time, as the required access is usually similar and it reduces labour costs.

Thrust needle roller and cage assemblies also can be unitized with lipped washers which service as raceway surfaces for the needle rollers. Washers can be supplied separately or can be mechanically unitized to the needle roller thrust assemblies for ease of handling all types have very small cross sections. If the backup surfaces cannot be used as raceways, hardened washers are available. Thrust bearings are also available with needle rollers or heavier cylindrical rollers for high load-carrying capacity.

Full complement bearings handle high radial load-carrying capability. Caged bearings provide high speed and maximum lubricant-retention capability

Radial needle roller and cage assemblies have a steel cage that provides both inward and outward retention for the needle rollers. The sizes are ranging from 3 mm to 165 mm bore (0.1181 – 6.4961 inch).

1.0-litre 1.2-litre, 1.4-litre, 30 TFSI, 1.5-litre, 35 TFSI petrol - belt. 1.8-litre, 2.0-litre, 40 TFSI, e-tron, 2.5-litre - chain

Historically timing chains were considered to be longer-lasting and more reliable than timing belts, although this is not necessarily the case on more modern engines.

Drawn cup needle roller bearings are available in 3 mm to 139.7 mm bore (0.1181 – 5.5000 inch). They support radial loads and reduce friction between rotating components, with a drawn outer shell serving as a raceway for the rollers. The small cross section of the drawn cup bearing provides high load-carrying capability with minimum required space. Drawn cup bearings are easily installed with a press fit in the housing.

Timing belt vs timingchainpros and cons

Heavy-duty needle roller bearings are available in 5 mm to 335 mm bore (0.1969 – 13.1890 inch) and have machined and ground channel shaped outer rings with a complement of needle rollers retained and guided by a cage. The thick outer ring provides maximum load capacity and shock resistance with a relatively small radial cross section.

On a basic level, a chain is a more sturdy component than a belt made of reinforced rubber, as well as having gaps for the timing sprocket’s teeth to fit into as a natural part of their design.

These bearings are available in a wide range of inch and metric sizes plus an array of design features including: integral seals, side flanges (or separate end washers), inner rings, oil holes and single or double cage sets (or full complement) or rollers

Timing belt warning signs

However, the age of car you are buying and how long you intend to keep it may influence your choices. If you are buying new then it should not be a concern assuming you are planning to stick to the recommended service intervals - or even more frequent than that.

Conversely, timing chains generally do not have a scheduled replacement point, but a car of advanced mileage may well require it and it is a matter of the condition of the individual car as to when this work may be required, if at all. It also tends to be a more expensive process than changing a belt.

Timing beltchainreplacement cost

Our thrust bearings are available in 5 mm to 240 mm (0.1969 – 9.4488 inch) and have a complement of needle rollers held in place by a cage.

1.4 16v, 1.6 16v, 2.0 16v 136PS, 2.0 16v 140PS, 2.0 16v 177PS petrol - belt. 1.6 16v VTi, 1.6 16v THP 140PS, 1.6 16v THP 150PS - chain

Available in two basic designs: with an inner ring for straddle mounting in a yoke or with an integral stud for cantilever mounting

There is a further complication thanks to ‘wet belt’ arrangements, where rather than operating as a dry belt, some engines run the timing belt within the engine oil. The advantage of this arrangement is better efficiency and reduced emissions, but the downside is that they are more susceptible to poor maintenance than dry belts.

If you are buying an older car and you plan to keep it for several years, you may wish to consider choosing one with a timing belt. Because engines with timing belts usually have a scheduled time for replacement, you can budget in advance for it and plan for when you will have the work carried out. Generally it is also a cheaper process, although this does depend on the particular car.

Not sure whether a car is fitted with a timing chain or a belt? We've listed every make and model on sale at the moment and over the past few years to help you out.

1.0 MPI, 1.0 BMT, 1.0 TSI, 1.2 TSI BMT (EA211), 1.4 TSI petrol - belt. 1.2-litre, 1.2 TSI (EA111) 1.4-litre, 1.6-litre, 2.0-litre - chain

We have our own production facilities in the United States and Europe, and special customized products are available on demand. Our needle roller bearings are suitable for many applications such as:

Chain cambeltreplacement cost

Timing belts have improved in construction and durability over time, and historically a cambelt change was required as frequently as every 60,000 miles, today many cars have belts that the manufacturers state are good for more than 150,000 miles or ten years. Some manufactures even say that the belt is good for the life of the car, although the term ‘life’ in this context is arguably a little misleading.

1.0-litre, 1.4-litre EA211 petrol - belt. 1.2-litre, 1.4-litre EA111, 1.8-litre, 2.0-litre petrol - chain All diesel engines - belt

1.0-litre 1.2-litre, 1.4-litre, 30 TFSI, 1.5-litre, 35 TFSI petrol - belt. 1.8-litre, 2.0-litre, 40 TFSI, e-tron, 2.5-litre - chain

However, like any component, a timing chain is susceptible to wear and stretching over time, albeit over a longer period than a typical timing belt. It is also still capable of being neglected by poor servicing - adequate lubrication is essential for it to function correctly, so neglecting oil changes can cause problems.

Drawn cup roller clutches and bearing assemblies are available in 3.2 mm to 35 mm bore (0.1250 – 1.3780 inch). These bearings are designed to transmit torque between the shaft and housing in one direction and allow free overrun in the opposite direction. When transmitting torque, either the shaft or the housing can be the input member. These designs use the same small radial section as drawn cup needle roller bearings and are offered as clutch-only units or as clutch and bearing assemblies.

Timingchainlifespan

Special manufacturing processes help increase roller fatigue resistance and minimize axial drift effects in critical applications.

Loose needle and cylindrical rollers are mainly used as bearing rolling elements to reduce friction and torque rotating and pivoting applications. However, these precision rollers have many other uses, such as shaft or locating pins. Diameters are available from 1 mm to 15 mm (0.0394 – 0.5906 inch) Lengths are available from 2.5 mm to 69 mm (0.0984 – 2.7165 inch)

Timing belt vs timingchaincost

Timing belts and timing chains have their inherent advantages and disadvantages, so one is not clearly better than the other.

Track rollers are designed with outer rings of large radial cross section to withstand heavy rolling and shock loads on track-type or cam-controlled equipment. The outside diameters of the outer rings are either profiled or cylindrical. Profiled track rollers are designed to alleviate uneven bearing loading resulting from deflection, bending or misalignment in mounting. Stud-type track rollers are available with or without lip contact seals, or with shields. Yoke-type track rollers are designed for straddle mounting. Each yoke-type is available with both radial needle roller and cage assemblies, or with a single (or double) full complement row of cylindrical or needle rollers.

The outer ring in the form of a cup is accurately drawn and no subsequent machining is performed to build the outer raceway. Drawn cup needle roller bearings are available in open ends or single, closed-end designs. They are also available with one or two integral seals. Other options include a single lubricating hole and matching inner ring.

Chain cambeltreplacement

1.0-litre 1.2-litre, 1.4-litre, 30 TFSI, 1.5-litre, 35 TFSI petrol - belt. 1.8-litre, 2.0-litre, 40 TFSI, e-tron, 2.5-litre - chain

1.4-litre, 1.6-litre, 2.0 FSI, 2.0 TFSI (BWA/CAWB/BWJ/CDLD/CDLA/BWJ) petrol - belt. 1.2 TSI, 1.4 TSI, 1.8 TSI, 2.0 TFSI (CCZB) - chain

Thrust needle roller and cage assemblies are complements of small diameter needle rollers arranged in a spoke-like configuration. Needle rollers are equally spaced by means of a cage whose web section separates the rollers and provides guidance to keep them tracking in an orbital path. The purpose of these assemblies is to transmit a thrust load between two relatively rotating objects while greatly reducing friction.

Long term reliability is a key factor for many car buyers so knowing exactly what's under your cars bonnet when it comes to maintenance is crucial. And the most critical part is the cambelt or timing chain.

The designs provide maximum cage strength consistent with the inherently high load ratings of needle roller bearings. Accurate guidance of the needle rollers by the cage bars is allowing these bearings to operate at high speeds. Also available are needle roller and cage assemblies using molded, one-piece glass-reinforced engineered polymer cages. Needle roller and cage assemblies are manufactured with either one or two rows of needle rollers.

1.6 EcoBoost, 2.5-litre petrol - belt. 2.0-litre, 2.0 EcoBoost 203PS, 2.0 Flexifuel, 2.0 EcoBoost 240PS, 2.3-litre - chain

Oil leaks, poor performance, unusual noises from the engine, excessive smoke and overheating can all be warning signs of a work timing belt or timing chain, so if you are experiencing any of these problems it is important to have them checked out.

When it is not practical to manufacture the shaft to raceway quality, an inner ring allows a customer to obtain acceptable bearing performance

Combined bearings consist of a radial bearing (needle roller bearing) and a thrust bearing (needle or cylindrical roller bearing). They are available in 5.000 mm -70.000 mm bore (0.1966 – 2.7559 inch). Some combined bearings are constructed similar to drawn cups, but with an added thrust bearing component. Like other needle roller bearings, these combined bearings can be matched with an optional inner ring or thrust washer as the opposing raceway.

Timing belt orchainby registration

If there is an issue with this timing at the very least you will experience poor engine running. Should the chain or belt deteriorate to the point where it fails, vital engine components can go completely out of sync and can even result in valves making contact with the top of the pistons.

1.0 EcoBoost 85PS (SFDC) - belt. 1.0-litre EcoBoost 101PS (B3DA), 1.0-litre EcoBoost 125PS (B7DA), 1.5-litre EcoBoost, 2.3-litre EcoBoost - chain

This can have catastrophic consequences. A broken belt or chain can also get caught up in other rotating engine components, causing yet more damage. This is why the condition and maintenance of your timing belt or chain is crucial.

In simple terms, the timing belt or chain controls the rotation of the camshaft, which in turn controls the opening and closing of the valves in the cylinder head. For your car’s engine to work optimally, the opening and closing of the valves needs to be precisely timed.

Metric inner rings are available in 5 mm bore (0.1969 inch) to 180 mm (7.0866 inch) outer diameter and are made from bearing-quality steel and their diameter and bore are precision-ground. They function as the inner raceway for a needle roller bearing by providing a surface that meets all shaft raceway design requirements (hardness, surface finish, roundness etc.)

Just as with the proverbial piece of string, the cost of a timing belt change varies considerably between manufacturers, specific engines, and where you have the work carried out.

Our Stud type track rollers are available in 10 mm to 130 mm diameter (0.3937 – 5.1180 inch). The Yoke types are available in 10 mm to 300 mm diameter (0.3937 – 11.816 inch). They are characterized by their thick-walled outer rings that run directly on a track. The thick outer rings permit high load carrying capability while minimizing distortion and bending stresses.

1.6 Ti-VCT, 1.6 EcoBoost, 2.0 EcoBoost 240PS, 2.5 turbo petrol - belt. 2.0-litre, 2.0 Flexifuel, 2.3-litre, 2.0 EcoBoost 203PS - chain