Timing Chain Lifetime

[RicardoM]

Having changed the original timing chain on a Felicia 1.3 MPI/SPI/carb with a 3rd party timing chain, how many miles did you drive on average till you started noticing again the specific rattling of wear?

[KenONeill]

Ricardo, can I raise a related issue here?

 

When a timing chain (not a belt) wears and stretches, it also wears the drive cogwheels from even curves into hook shapes. Retaining the original cogs then causes a replacement chain to wear faster.

[RicardoM]

I don't know for other cars but in Felicia's case, a new timing chain is always sold as a kit with new cogs and sometimes with a few shims for correcting any alignment issues of the cogs. So in theory you're right but not in .Felicia's case.

 

 

Now, since nobody seems to have any data to share with the community, I will tell you about my findings. I know about 6 different Felicia owners (me included) that changed the original timing chain after 70,000 km or more (up to 130,000 km !!). Service manual says the timing chain should be replaced every 60,000 - 90,000 km. Sadly this lifetime seems unattainable with 3rd party timing chains. After only 15,000 - 20,000 km the rattling-clunking-hollow noise starts to be heard. I find this an alarming pattern because I have reported similar short lifetime on 3rd party water pumps...

[KenONeill]

Thanks for that.

 

I do have something else to add; if its links and pins (and the cogs) are properly heat-treated, a duplex chain as illustrated certainly should last way more than 15_000 km.

[RicardoM]

What I'm trying to achieve în this topic is to identify reliable parts suppliers based on members' experience. It looks like Czech parts have issues too. That's sad to say the least.

[nimbus]

But a timing chain should hold up to 200 000km, if not why is there a chain and not a belt ??

[RicardoM]

But a timing chain should hold up to 200 000km

Where do you have this information from?

[Breezy_Pete]

Rattling and clunking doesn't mean imminent failure as far as I know? Just a natural consequence of there being no tensioner to take up any wear-related slack?

Do they ever actually fail outright, and snap?

Over on the Mk1 Fabia forum, the 1.4mpi engines suffer the same rattliness, and I think they are fundamentally the same design.  The general advice seems to be "live with it, it's harmless".

[nimbus]

Where do you have this information from?

Well from two different people, the first is a good frend, he was learning car mechanic at school. The second one was a mechanician who told me that the car engine with chain can handle the 200 000 km without any trouble so for him a chain was better then a belt because you need to change the belt more often the the chain. My opinion is that my feli has now 100 000 km and the chain  is the original and there is no problem.

Edited 25 October, 2016 by nimbus

[Jeggo]

I changed mine at about 167,000 miles which was the original one from factory. was very noisy and floppy when it was attached (i had a little poke). new one is genuine skoda and is much quieter 

[RicardoM]

Rattling and clunking doesn't mean imminent failure as far as I know?

Yes, that is true but this is not what I'm worried about. It's that the new 3rd party chains started to be noisy at 20,000 km, while the original chains started to be as noisy at 70,000... To me that doesn't sound right. Literally.

[cesarbogota]

Hello, 

 

I agree, it is important to use original spare parts, I had a Fabia 1.4 and the chain only works for 15.000 km (a year), I used a generic part. The second one was a original chain and works better, Also the car won some power. I just bougth two chains, another  for may pickup.  

 

Other problem (in Colombia for instance),  you found a lot of counterfeit spare parts (for instace, I have the same box Ricardo shows without the blue border). Finally, in my garage I destroy every spare part I change to the cars I repaired.

[KenONeill]

Hello, 

 

I agree, it is important to use original spare parts, I had a Fabia 1.4 and the chain only works for 15.000 km (a year), I used a generic part. The second one was a original chain and works better, Also the car won some power. I just bougth two chains, another  for may pickup.  

 

Other problem (in Colombia for instance),  you found a lot of counterfeit spare parts (for instace, I have the same box Ricardo shows without the blue border). Finally, in my garage I destroy every spare part I change to the cars I repaired.

Cesar, I'm not surprised to hear that you picked up some power from a new chain over an worn and noisy one.

 

There are 2 main reasons for this:-

1. A worn chain is slack, and a slack chain actually consumes more power than a tight one (High school level engineering/mechanics).
2. A worn camshaft drive will affect the valve timing relative to the crankshaft, and may also affect the ignition timing (depends on how this is effected on the specific engine design, but I'm trying to make a statement that covers all engines in this family irrespective of ignition timing method).

[RicardoM]

If you are allowed to share a public opinion about UK companies, what is your opinion about the quality and reliability of car parts sold by BG Automotive (aftermarket division of the British Gaskets Group and a leading supplier of automotive engine parts based in Swindon, UK) and FAI Automotive (independent distributor based in Leighton Buzzard, England) ?

 

Both companies offer timing chain kits for Felicia.

 

http://catalogue.bgautomotive.co.uk/Products?type=Part&id=421867

 

https://www.faiauto.com/parts/timing-chain-kits/