Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Here we go. I've got to take exception when it comes to timing belts vs. the chain drive. Never worked on a vehicle, or have never had a timing chain break, stretch yes, rattle yes, but never break, but certainly can’t say that about a belt. In fact, just replaced a broken timing belt on a Toyota as there was a small oil leak that contaminated the belt and away it went. Some manufacturers recommend a timing belt replacement every 60,000 miles, or even sooner depending on the vehicle, sorry but that is ridiculous. They went to belts for lower cost and less engineering problems with lube on long chains, however, some will say less noise with a belt, but that is certainly subjective as the Maxima we're speaking of has no audible sound from the chain drives.
As usual just my

07TLTypeS420

iTrader: (1)

+1 agreed.

sleeper22

I hate cars

I haven't had an outright failure of a chain either but I've come close and my father has. His 1,000rwhp GN broke the chain after not so many miles. It made a pop through the intake and it was dead.

I've caught many stock Buick V6s in different states of failures. Mostly due to the nylon cam gear teeth used to quiet the chain. That can be chalked up to a bad design but I've had double rollers with billet gears stretched with frozen up links or even one side with a couple broken links. Since there is no interval on chain equipped cars, the owner will never replace it unless you're lucky and it gets noisy and you will eventually have a failure. Belts have a set interval, replace it when the manufacturer says and that odds are slim to none that you will ever have a failure.

Chains also have harmonics. Usually the manufacturer has a way of dealing with this but it is something that has to be taken care of. And last, who wants a 4' long chain on a DOHC V6? It's too much stretching, too many links to go bad, and if supplemental lubrication is not used somewhere else in the "chain", lube can be an issue as well.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Replace the timing chain on the Buick GN with a timing belt and see how long it lasts. Have had many nylon coated cam gears go many years ago, and people would replace the gear, never clean the oil pan of the debris, drive the car and have the debris get sucked into the engine when the relief valve opened on the pump screen and wipe out the motor.
Ferrari finally went with a chain. Guess the $7000 to replace the belt every 7-10,000 miles was getting old and they wanted to be in the same classs as Lamborghini.
As far as stretching, same as belts, some have guides and tensioners to adjust the slack.

I hate cars

Interesting, I thought only the Buick V6s had the lame nylon cam gears. Exactly as you said, people didn't clean out the pans and eventually it led to total engine failure.

There are positives and negatives to both designs. My main point at the beginning of all of this is chains will need replacing too but at a longer interval. Since there's usually no specified interval, the owner drives until it breaks unless you're lucky and it gets noisy as it stretches and/or the tensioner wears out when applicable.

Since we're a little off topic anyway, my father went with a gear drive. Since they only made the noisy ones for the Buick engine, it sounds like it's supercharged at low load before the turbo whine takes over. Kind off an oddball sounding setup.

I guess the ultimate solution to this is to use a rotary.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

We agree.
Although I like the little rotary, 300+ HP from 1.3 cu.in. a piston engine is better served for both torque and power.

Guess I had better let the thread get back on track.

Scottwax

No, not even. I've had two Accords and two Maximas. All four were pretty reliable and drove well. The 6 speed Maxima was definitely the quickest and most fun to drive. Honda/Acura do have nicer interior materials (especially compared the 1st gen Altimas and 6th gen Maximas) and hold their resale better but if you buy used, you get a lot of car for the money with a Maxima and even though a Maxima might need a couple more repairs over a 3-4 year period, it isn't enough to come close to wiping out what you save when you buy one. Plus, with the exception of the 6th gen Maximas, they aren't known for automatic transmission issues.

The main issue for me going with Honda over Nissan this time is that the 5.5 gen cars are now at least 9 years old and most are over 100k miles. I hate the 6th gen cars, they had timing chain issues (nylon guides would get chewed up by the chains) and the automatics are similar in reliability to Honda/Acura. The 7th gen Maximas have that idiotic CVT, no conventional automatic or manual. Since 2004, they've taken the Maxima in a direction I don't like. The G35 was an option but I wanted a 6 speed sedan and they aren't easy to find. The coupe doesn't have much of a back seat or trunk room, plus they are going for $3000-4000 more than the sedans. Of course, one pops up after I got my Accord.

What sucks overall is that the only TLs that appeal to me are the 3rd gens, Accords the 7th gens and the Maximas the 5.5 gens and they are all now 1-2 redesigns behind what is out there now.

Scottwax

Timing chain in my Dad's 300ZX broke at 48k miles. Lucky for him he had the extended warranty because it cost over $4000 to fix (new heads, etc) and that was in the late 80s. The dealer told him it was the first time they'd ever seen that happen.

The timing chains don't make noticeable noise in the Maximas but the VTC sprockets are well known for their cold start rattle. Doesn't affect engine longevity though.

I hate cars

I've never looked into it but is it safe to assume the Murano 3.5 uses chains?The GF's Murano had what sounded like a valve train noise which was cured with Redline.

Off topic again, raced a GTR a while ago in a friend's GN. Nice running Nissan.

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Looks like belt to me:
http://zhome.com/ZCMnL/PICS/timingBelt/timingBelt.html

Same belt was used '84-'89 and another belt '90-'96.

Scottwax

Could have sworn my Dad said it was a chain. Regardless, occasionally timing chains do break but usually because something else in the system failed. Never had one go bad in my Chevelle, Z/28 or 455 Cutlass. Of course, the chains are pretty short in those engines.

Scottwax

Detailed a GTR today, don't ever get a black one, what a PITA to polish out.