Honda Car Forum

I just got back from the San Diego Auto Show and was scrutinizing some
of the engines (Element and Acura RSX) and the hardware looked
indicative of chains: aluminum covers etc. Does anyone know anything
about this???

Yes, many newer Honda engines use timing chains. As far as I know, all
the i-VTEC engines use chains rather than belts.

"null_pointer@nowhere.com.net.edu.gov.de" wrote:
>
> I just got back from the San Diego Auto Show and was scrutinizing some
> of the engines (Element and Acura RSX) and the hardware looked
> indicative of chains: aluminum covers etc. Does anyone know anything
> about this???

In article <n27cvv8kfl6doghnbapgrgvsgs100n07ne@4ax.com>,
"null_pointer@nowhere.com.net.edu.gov.de"
<null_pointer@nowhere.com.net.edu.gov.de> wrote:

> I just got back from the San Diego Auto Show and was scrutinizing some
> of the engines (Element and Acura RSX) and the hardware looked
> indicative of chains: aluminum covers etc. Does anyone know anything
> about this???

I don't have any repair manuals for the Element and Acura RSX, however, I
just checked a repair manual for the 1998 and 1999 Honda Accord. It has a
timing belt.

The new 2.4L 4-banger i-VTEC engines in the new Accords and CRVs use timing
chains.

<null_pointer@nowhere.com.net.edu.gov.de> wrote in message
news:n27cvv8kfl6doghnbapgrgvsgs100n07ne@4ax.com...
> I just got back from the San Diego Auto Show and was scrutinizing some
> of the engines (Element and Acura RSX) and the hardware looked
> indicative of chains: aluminum covers etc. Does anyone know anything
> about this???

In article <mjKJb.51291$IF6.1101348@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>, "Sean
Donaher" <nospam@nospam.ca> wrote:

> The new 2.4L 4-banger i-VTEC engines in the new Accords and CRVs use timing
> chains.
>
> <null_pointer@nowhere.com.net.edu.gov.de> wrote in message
> news:n27cvv8kfl6doghnbapgrgvsgs100n07ne@4ax.com...
> > I just got back from the San Diego Auto Show and was scrutinizing some
> > of the engines (Element and Acura RSX) and the hardware looked
> > indicative of chains: aluminum covers etc. Does anyone know anything
> > about this???

Which leads to another question
Why did Honda stop making use of Timing belts--do timing chains work better?

This is speculation only on my part, but it seems the change from belt
to chain came with the i-VTEC engines. On VTEC engines different cam
profiles are selected depending on the operating conditions. On i-VTEC
engines there is the added feature that the cam shaft can be advanced
and retarded with respect to the cam shaft sprocket. My guess is that
this shifting adds enough strain on the valve train that Honda felt a
belt would not be reliable enough.

In the past, belts were more quiet than chains and cheaper to
manufacture. Once you have done your first $800 timing belt change you'd
probably wish for chain drive instead :-)

Tom Wilson wrote:
>
> In article <mjKJb.51291$IF6.1101348@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>, "Sean
> Donaher" <nospam@nospam.ca> wrote:
>
> > The new 2.4L 4-banger i-VTEC engines in the new Accords and CRVs use timing
> > chains.
> >
> > <null_pointer@nowhere.com.net.edu.gov.de> wrote in message
> > news:n27cvv8kfl6doghnbapgrgvsgs100n07ne@4ax.com...
> > > I just got back from the San Diego Auto Show and was scrutinizing some
> > > of the engines (Element and Acura RSX) and the hardware looked
> > > indicative of chains: aluminum covers etc. Does anyone know anything
> > > about this???
>
> Which leads to another question
> Why did Honda stop making use of Timing belts--do timing chains work better?

In article <3FF8CA82.DD2753C0@junkmail.com>, Randolph <trash@junkmail.com>
wrote:

> This is speculation only on my part, but it seems the change from belt
> to chain came with the i-VTEC engines. On VTEC engines different cam
> profiles are selected depending on the operating conditions. On i-VTEC
> engines there is the added feature that the cam shaft can be advanced
> and retarded with respect to the cam shaft sprocket. My guess is that
> this shifting adds enough strain on the valve train that Honda felt a
> belt would not be reliable enough.
>
> In the past, belts were more quiet than chains and cheaper to
> manufacture. Once you have done your first $800 timing belt change you'd
> probably wish for chain drive instead :-)

Thanks for the info. You are probably right. I have a VTEC engine in my
1999 Honda Accord EX. What's the difference between a VTEC engine and a
i-VTEC engine?

Tom Wilson wrote:
>
> In article <3FF8CA82.DD2753C0@junkmail.com>, Randolph <trash@junkmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > This is speculation only on my part, but it seems the change from belt
> > to chain came with the i-VTEC engines. On VTEC engines different cam
> > profiles are selected depending on the operating conditions. On i-VTEC
> > engines there is the added feature that the cam shaft can be advanced
> > and retarded with respect to the cam shaft sprocket. My guess is that
> > this shifting adds enough strain on the valve train that Honda felt a
> > belt would not be reliable enough.
> >
> > In the past, belts were more quiet than chains and cheaper to
> > manufacture. Once you have done your first $800 timing belt change you'd
> > probably wish for chain drive instead :-)
>
> Thanks for the info. You are probably right. I have a VTEC engine in my
> 1999 Honda Accord EX. What's the difference between a VTEC engine and a
> i-VTEC engine?

On i-VTEC engines there is the added feature (compared with regular
VTEC) that the cam shaft can be advanced and retarded with respect to
the cam shaft sprocket. Thus the valve *timing* can be changed
continuously. With VTEC you only change between two or three fixed cam
profiles. Each of the profiles have different lift and different timing,
but you can only select one profile or the other (or the third), you can
not get anything in-between those fixed profiles.

tomwilson@nospamhotmail.com (Tom Wilson) wrote in message news:<tomwilson-0401041820010001@pm5-broad-97.snlo.dialup.fix.net>...
> In article <mjKJb.51291$IF6.1101348@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>, "Sean
> Donaher" <nospam@nospam.ca> wrote:
>
> > The new 2.4L 4-banger i-VTEC engines in the new Accords and CRVs use timing
> > chains.
> >
> > <null_pointer@nowhere.com.net.edu.gov.de> wrote in message
> > news:n27cvv8kfl6doghnbapgrgvsgs100n07ne@4ax.com...
> > > I just got back from the San Diego Auto Show and was scrutinizing some
> > > of the engines (Element and Acura RSX) and the hardware looked
> > > indicative of chains: aluminum covers etc. Does anyone know anything
> > > about this???
>
> Which leads to another question
> Why did Honda stop making use of Timing belts--do timing chains work better?

Chains are more durable. When Honda redesigned their engines (long
overdue IMHO) they took the opportunity to make several improvements,
including the use of chains to reduce maintenance costs. No more
mechanical distributor, either.

Happy Motoring

GMW

"GMW" <gmw003@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:99d06c55.0401070808.1a4c2212@posting.google.c om...
> tomwilson@nospamhotmail.com (Tom Wilson) wrote in message
news:<tomwilson-0401041820010001@pm5-broad-97.snlo.dialup.fix.net>...
> > In article <mjKJb.51291$IF6.1101348@ursa-nb00s0.nbnet.nb.ca>, "Sean
> > Donaher" <nospam@nospam.ca> wrote:
> >
> > > The new 2.4L 4-banger i-VTEC engines in the new Accords and CRVs use
timing
> > > chains.
> > >
> > > <null_pointer@nowhere.com.net.edu.gov.de> wrote in message
> > > news:n27cvv8kfl6doghnbapgrgvsgs100n07ne@4ax.com...
> > > > I just got back from the San Diego Auto Show and was scrutinizing
some
> > > > of the engines (Element and Acura RSX) and the hardware looked
> > > > indicative of chains: aluminum covers etc. Does anyone know
anything
> > > > about this???
> >
> > Which leads to another question
> > Why did Honda stop making use of Timing belts--do timing chains work
better?
>

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