You like putting money into your car – but not throwing it away at the pump. Here’s a list of ways to manage your mileage.

Timing chain or beltchecker

The result: automation. Businesses are turning to automatic lubrication systems and maintenance technology. One of these automated technologies is auto-greasers, however, while auto-greasers help ensure routine greasing they are not without fault.

. If you keep a vehicle for 300k miles (like I do)…then replacing 1 timing chain could easily cost you 2-3 times the cost of the 3 timing belts you replaced.

Most engine made today have timing chains so I guess your question is; why did manufactures go from chains to belts 30 years ago?

When considering an auto-greaser for other applications or for greasing complete machines you really must consider all the factors.

Water pump replacement is not required, either for a chain engine or a belt engine. It’s just that if you take it all apart to replace the belt, the added cost of the pump is small.

I’ve done a timing chain before but I don’t think I’d tackle a belt. Just seems a lot more complicated and no room to work anymore.

Cam belt or timing chaincost

It seems a fair amount of heavy motorcycles use belt drives these day (if they dont use a shaft-maybe we could shaft drive a cam ? One reason I bought a particular import one time was because it didnt have a timing chain(people were lax on maintenance around here and those things failed before 100k.It was fairly hefty ,messy job to replace the timing chain and all the ancillary components and believe me if the manus wanted too ,the belt replacement could even be made far easier, Marketing gotta make money on repairs(maybe they will do the B&S thing stop requiring oil changes,when electrics hit en masse,they will have to be dumbed down enough to require fairly frequent service(cant have any 50 yr old electric motor driven vehicles running around that didnt require service.)

Timing beltvstiming chainpros and cons

The grease can be pumped to different fittings at different application rates, so each fitting receives the proper amount of grease.

The other big advantage is “automatic”. Auto-greaser grease is independent of the machine operator so it doesn’t matter if the operator knows he/she should grease or not! The auto-greaser takes care of grease as needed.

Plus AirTec CHP-1250 utilizes a copper flake additive that prevents corrosion, crucial in machines like hydraulic hammers that have seasonal and periodic use!

The most common machines using auto-greasers are heavy equipment and construction machines. This may include haul trucks, bulldozers, excavators, and hydraulic hammers. Many of these applications use a lot of grease and lubrication systems and work long hours in extreme conditions, meaning, they need a lot of grease to live.

Many businesses will see the efficiency and upside to auto-greasers for industrial applications and make a switch, however, there are significant drawbacks and benefits of auto-greasers that need to be addressed. Here are a few:

Timing belt or chainlist

Other than padding Tom & Ray’s bottom lines with required replacements at 70+K miles, why did auto engine technology go from timing chains to timing belts? I don’t think chains ever needed replacement and I have two cars with them. The other two have had to go thru the expensive surgery plus water pump replacement. What’s the diff?

Best used cars withtiming chain

My 74 Chevy Luv (Isuzu engine) used two short chains. Crank to a swivel gear…then a chain from the swivel gear to the cam. The chains were actually shorter then many V8 timing chains…It was however a little more difficult to align the timing marks.

However, you have to make sure you are using the correct grease in this auto-greasers-check out AirTec CHP-1250 for a chisel paste that checks all the boxes! Hydraulic hammers also require very short grease lines so you can use a grease that is specially designed for the hammer, you don’t have to substitute a thinner grease.

They still need to be refilled. The grease reservoir on an automatic greasing system still needs to be refilled and that requires a bulk filling pump. While the filling may only be weekly it will still require someone to fill, lessening the labor cost savings.

To me its six of one, half dozen of the other. Good posts above about the advantages and disadvantages of each. One advantage for belts I don’t think got mentioned, belts have less mass, which makes them easier to move around the timing loop. This might show up as improved engine performance, especially during hard acceleration, due to less inertia.

I don’t know this for a fact, but it’s also possible that variable timing valve systems were more prone to problems if cam timing wasn’t properly done, and belts exacerbated the problem.

Grease gun uses extend beyond the mechanic’s shop. The tools can also be used by do-it-yourselfers around the home. The grease gun applies a specified lubricant on a fitting at...

Cam belt or timing chainreddit

At the helm of AET Systems, Wesley Kolbe merges tradition with innovation to provide top-quality lubricants and unmatched service, ensuring every client's machinery runs at its best.

Maintenance is the backbone of any farm, construction, or industrial business. Without proper maintenance, the business will experience breakdowns, high repair costs and struggle to meet deadlines—all problems that can break a business.

I think the real reason most of them have gone back to chains is sales. Consumers got sick of paying for the surgery every 60-70K and too many TB replacements resulted in problems. Too many shops didn’t take the time to properly time the cams and too many operating problems resulted. Too many customers, after having a problem after belt replacement, started walking away from cars with belts. Manufacturers took notice.

Fuel additives are unique substances that are added to gasoline, diesel, and other types of fuels to enhance their performance, reduce engine wear, improve fuel efficiency, and minimize pollution. They...

You like putting money into your car – but not throwing it away at the pump. Here’s a list of ways to manage your mileage.

Auto-greasers are a great option for pieces of machinery like hydraulic hammers or breakers that require extremely high-performance grease in large quantities. In fact, most hydraulic hammers come with auto-greasers from the factory because they are a great fit.

Less inspection by the operator. When an operator is greasing their machine, they are looking at all the moving parts and pivot points. During greasing when most problems are identified, therefore, when greasing is done automatically the operator is no longer forced to inspect the machine.

Hydraulic hammers not only need a lot of grease, they need highly specialized grease. Hammers need an extremely temperature-resistant grease with the highest-pressure tolerance. One of the few greases to meet this requirement is AirTec CHP-1250. AirTec CHP-1250 has a working temperature rating of over 2000°F!!

Timing belts are very quite, Lexus used timing belts for 20 years, not to save money. As timing chain engineering improved manufacturers began using chains again.

In years past, when more maintenance was performed at home or on the farm people were much more familiar with repairs and preventive maintenance like greasing. For this reason, many businesses are turning to auto-greasers or developing education programs for machine operators, so they know how and when to grease.

I am still wondering why polyacrylic rubber timing belts can’t work. Polyacrylic rubber is very heat and oil resistant and has been used in industrial applications.

Grease gun uses extend beyond the mechanic’s shop. The tools can also be used by do-it-yourselfers around the home. The grease gun applies a specified lubricant on a fitting at...

Auto-greasers came into existence because maintenance employees are in short supply for manual lubrication, additionally, fewer people are familiar with maintenance as many now live in cities and service work is done by professional repair businesses.

Experienced business owners know maintenance is key, but still struggle to have fail-proof maintenance programs—why? Finding experienced maintenance personnel is difficult and many present-day misconceptions have prevented new graduates from entering great-paying trade jobs.

Timing chainreplacement cost

They break. Machines that are greased completely by auto-greasers will have lines running all over the machine and these lines can become plugged, be damaged, or even be ripped off during use. When damaged or removed the machine does not get the grease it needs to function.

When working properly auto-greasers automatically provide automatic lubrication and grease at a set rate and a set interval. This can help ensure that bearings and bushings are not only getting the right amount of grease but are also getting grease when they need it!

Timing beltvstiming chaincost

Answer these questions and you will be well on your way to finding out if auto-greasers are the right fit for you and your business!

Expensive installation. The initial cost of installation is high for an auto-greaser and it will have to be removed, moved, or replaced if the machine is sold or replaced.

An auto-greaser (or automatic greasers) is an electronic greasing system that utilizes a reservoir or grease and an electric pump to supply grease to bushings and bearings through a series of hoses and pipes to each fitting.

The overhead cam engine that were manufactured in the 1980’s had reliability problems, the chains would stretch and the chain guides wore resulting in a noisy chain. I could recognize a Mitsubishi engine as it came up the drive way of the service department by the noisy chain. The most practical solution at the time was to use timing belts.

Auto-Greasers require different grease during different seasons and in general require higher more fluid greases because they must be pumped long distances for single lubrication points. For this reason, greases that do not meet the OEM requirements may be used, ultimately causing damage as the lighter grease cannot appropriately handle the temperatures or working pressures.

It’s easier to assemble or remove a cylinder head with a timing belt. A cogged timing belt is quieter than a timing chain. A timing belt is more durable than a timing chain at sustained high RPMs.

As for no room - that has nothing to do with belt or chain…but everything to do with engine configuration. My wife’s Lexus and my Highlander both have transverse mounted V6 engines…and both have chains. I won’t tackle that job

Fuel additives are unique substances that are added to gasoline, diesel, and other types of fuels to enhance their performance, reduce engine wear, improve fuel efficiency, and minimize pollution. They...

Not a great cold weather option. The long grease line requires lighter grease to start with, however, as the temperature drops, the auto-greaser will need lighter grease again or it won’t be able to pump the grease. With extremely light grease you must make sure your machine is being properly lubricated. More light grease doesn’t give the same protection as heavy high-pressure grease.

Timing belts arrived with the OHC, simpler to design and build with a belt. Some used chains in their OHC engines from the start (like Mercedes). They were not trouble free, either, the 3.8 l Mercedes V8 had to have its single-row chain and gear replaced with a double-row setup because of rapid failure, IIRC.

One of the most common applications for auto-greasers is hydraulic hammers. These breaker hammers are used in demolition, rock breaking, and quarries.

. Timing belts are far easier to replace…and the average back-yard mechanic can do it an afternoon (depending on the vehicle). Timing chains are much more complicated because of lubrication. Many times you have to drop the oil pan.

However, it is recommended even with auto-greasers that operators understand why greasing is important and know when something needs grease because auto-greasers can fail.