Hey guys, me again :p

just wondering if there have been many reported cases of timing chains breaking? i read somewhere that they're built to last about 500,000 miles, i cant back that up however so im just wondering if anyone has experienced or knows of someone who's experienced a breakage?

Thanks again,

2012;

On what buddy?

a 2001 1.4 MPi

many thanks

2012.

Never seen one break, even if it did its an OHV engine so damage would be limited. They just get noisier and noisier

Had a Felicia 1.3 in as a non starter, we had it running briefly but the valve timing was out. The car has done 120000 miles and it's the first one that I've seen like this:

http://briskoda.net/attachments/23100d1217351540-timing-gear.jpg

Had a Felicia 1.3 in as a non starter, we had it running briefly but the valve timing was out. The car has done 120000 miles and it's the first one that I've seen like this:

http://briskoda.net/attachments/23100d1217351540-timing-gear.jpg

is that just slack on the lower right? i assume thats how they come to be noisey?

do you know if the chain in a 2001 1.4mpi 8v is easy to get at in terms of changing it ? i have a few mechanically minded friends who may be able to sort me out if it is, or do you think its a garage job?

cheers and thanks for your response.

2012

I don't know if it's the pic, but that bottom sprocket looks badly worn. If the chain is worn, chances are both sprockets are too...

do you know if the chain in a 2001 1.4mpi 8v is easy to get at in terms of changing it ? i have a few mechanically minded friends who may be able to sort me out if it is, or do you think its a garage job?

I've not been able to find the pictorial I mentioned a while back, but it was one of those jobs that seemed relatively simple, provided you had the right tools and a means of getting under the car. The MPI engine is Communist-tech, so it would originally have been designed with user maintenance in mind!

The vast magority of the time (and this goes for all chains), they will only go with excessive wear.

The only real way they will have excessive wear on them is if they are not well maintained (cleaned, and oiled up).

So there is not much to worry about on the snapping front, as long as they have been maintained.!

Just keep an eye on it.!

Michael

that sounds good.

the obvious next question is, does anyone know where/how i can source the parts? i'm assuming it needs a new chain and possibly sprockets?

also, i may as well push my luck and ask if anyone knows if there is a pictorial guide on how to change the chain in a 2001 1.4 8v mpi? does the timing need locked in place?

Thanks again guys, really appriciate your help on this.

2012.

As I think I've mentioned before, there's a pictorial for the 1.3 in the Felicia, which is pretty much the same from that point of view. You might need to do a bit of searching, but it's definitely there.

Parts ought to be available from almost anywhere, as the engine only went out a few years ago. If worst comes to the worst, a dealer will have them - there's some legal thing about maintaining parts stocks, which [nerd mode] is why Lotus stopped making the Esprit, as it used the gearbox from a Renault 25 and Renault ran out after however many years of non-production... [/nerd mode]

thanks for the information. Are there any resources online for sourcing official parts, or at least for getting a rough idea of cost?

Many thanks,

2012.

I don't know if it's the pic, but that bottom sprocket looks badly worn. If the chain is worn, chances are both sprockets are too...

The bottom sprocket was the better of the two. The chain/sprocket kit was about £14, timing cover gasket about £1.80, crankshaft pulley oil seal £10.50 (not essential but well worth doing at the same time), we had a sump gasket on that at around £10, though I think that the Fabia sump uses sealer rather than a gasket and oil and oil filter. All prices + VAT, from a Skoda dealer.

Labour wise 2 to 3 hours and you may well need a beam to support the engine from above.