Saturn going to belts?

That is an old picture. Do you see the Opel logo on top? It appears the webpage maker wasn't provided a pic.

How often do timing chains go? I can't speak for Saturn engines with timing chains but I worked on several Ford straight 6 (300cid) engines where the delrin teeth on the cam sprocket wore and the timing slipped. I recall this happened at about 150K. The good news also about timing belts is that they are fairly easy to inspect for tension and wear. Chains often have a hydraulic tensioner which makes it even harder to see if tension is within limits without the engine disassembled.

Usually depends on how well they are lubricated. Usually after the car rots.

Thats about 3 times longer than some belts I've run into. When belts go, they dont give you a warning. Sprockets will also wear out with belts. If a mechanic doesn't know to inspect the sprockets on a belt driven engine those same problems of skipped timing will pop up. I say Fords issue was inferior steel, treatment, or poor oil/lubrication.

NSX timing belt service...$1500 dollars and up. Have fun climbing back there inspecting that.

Oh and while you're thinking of belts, think CVT...

I just hope that they choose to use a teflon reinforced belt as they did in the later L300 V6's. Those belts are supposedly rated at 100K intervals.

You sure about that "Teflon"? I thought that they were Kevlar reinforced. Teflon impregnated in addition, - maybe. I haven't seen the specification so couldn't say for sure. The timing belts that I use in my job (electronic motion controls and robotics) are mostly kevlar core with synthetic rubber coating. Those are from Stock Drive Products

I have a bad habit of saying teflon when I mean Kevlar, my bad, duh.

We had a 2000 LS2 with the 3.0L V6, which had a timing belt. We changed it at 160,000km, as recommended. The belt had virtually no wear on it. My mechanic friend said it would have gone another 100,000km.

On timing chains, the last chain we replaced was in a 1969 car. We have since driven Chevy V6s (except for the Saturn) and have never had to deal with timing chain issues. Two of these have already gone about 300,000km and are still going!

Just relating our real life experiences! David