The Timing Belt and Its Essential Function

The Timing Belt and Its Essential Function

Many car owners know that the engine’s timing belt can ruin their day if it fails. What they don’t realize is the vital role that this simple component plays in keeping the vehicle running smoothly. Read on to learn more about the timing belt and its essential function.

The timing belt is also known as the cambelt (it’s a chain in some engines) and it plays a vital role in your engine’s operation. It synchronizes the movement of the crankshaft and camshaft, so that the intake and exhaust valves open and close at the right time. The resulting mixture of air and fuel is then pushed into the combustion chamber to be ignited by a spark plug. The pistons then move up the cylinder and compress the mixture, before it is released through an exhaust valve. The process repeats itself over and over again. Your engine can only work properly if the timing belt is synchronized correctly with the camshaft and crankshaft.

While some cars and trucks use chains, most have a cam belt because they’re quieter and more efficient. In addition, they don’t require lubrication to work effectively. The downside is that they’re more likely to fail than a chain, so you should make sure that the belt is replaced at regular intervals.

A failure to replace the belt can cause the internal combustion process to get out of sync, which can result in major engine damage. That’s why it’s so important to maintain the proper timing belt tension, which can be done by using a simple tension gauge.

Unlike other flat belts, the timing belt has teeth that match up with a special pulley on the crankshaft. This pulley is a special type called a camshaft pulley, and it has a mark on it that shows when the engine should be at top dead center. The belt then runs over this pulley, a water pump pulley and another camshaft pulley before reaching the cylinder head.

Once the belt is in place, a spring loaded tensioner (on some engines) extends and tightens it. The tensioner has two adjustment bolts, one of which is fitted over a slot. You can adjust the tension by loosening these bolts and moving the belt tensioner up or down on the shaft.

Ideally, the belt should be as tight as the tensioner can hold it without any noticeable slop in the system. If you can deflect the belt more than an eighth of an inch (depending on specs), it’s too loose and needs to be replaced.