Has anybody ever attempted to convert the timing belt configuration to a timing chain setup? seems like it'd be possible if the cam gear was converted to the proper size etc... just something I thought about the other day.

 

Never saw a setup to do this, so you'd have to make your own sprockets and such. Timing belts are easy enough to change - why bother trying to convert it?

 

time chains are more reliable

 

Maybe, maybe not. Our timing belts aren't bad at all. Even tensioner failure is pretty rare and that is the part most likely to fail. Keeping to the service interval for changing it keeps the odds drastically in your favor.

 

Because if you convert it than u have twice the time interval or never have to do it again lol. I havent done it yet but doesnt look that easy to me.

 

timing belt isnt that bad, not what i was implying... but i wonder what the advantages are over a chain. chain would definitely last much longer, maybe even out last the entire car. and i can see how the gears would definitely be a custom job, but figuring out what size to make them wouldnt be that difficult.

It'd require a lubrication system though, that's probably where there would be a lot of modification.... but still possible, seems like it'd be a cool project. maybe when i finish school ill take it on.

 

Given the length of the timing belt, especially on a 2.8, I don't think a chain would last more than 50k miles. It would stretch.

 

I think that'd depend on the design of the chain used and any stretching would be taken up by the tensioner. I do agree that a chain of that length wouldn't make for a good setup, but 2 of equal length might be more logical in the v6 configuration. but for sure keeping it sufficiently lubricated would be the hard part to set up.

 

From the factory, yes. After you make you're own idler pulley, water pump pulley, tensioner pulley and cam sprockets? I seriuosly doubt it.

Belts are dumb, and everyone is going away from them. But a retrofit seems like a lot more work, and risk, than just changing a belt every 80,000 miles.

 

timing belt is a job you do every ~4 years or so. is it really that hard? timing chains are also way shorter than our timing belt, you would need a few of them vs one super long one.