FAI has issued some useful advice on the popular misconception that timing chains never need to be replaced. 

The company points out that belt replacement and maintenance schedules have become less of a concern to owners as their pride and joy probably comes fitted with a timing chain system. If buying used, they may have asked the question “when was the belt last changed?” only to be met with “don’t worry, it’s a chain and they don’t need replacing!” However, is this the complete picture? 

With a greatly extended working life when compared to belts, most chain issues fall outside the manufacturer’s warranty period but with garages seeing symptomatic issues and outright failures on a weekly basis, the term ‘fit for life’ doesn’t ring true. In recent years, most garages have seen a reduction in belt replacements, directly replaced by rising demand for timing chain kit replacement. Garage Technicians have had to adapt, even retraining in some instances, to meet the surge in demand for timing chain kit fitment and this will only grow further as the car parc ages.   

FAI Technical Director, Dominic Moxon has decades of experience within chain systems, he says, “If I were to give one piece of advice when undertaking this kind of installation, it would be to put emphasis on solving the root cause of the failure before a new kit is installed. We test many oil samples with our chosen independent lab and contaminants have almost always played a part in a failure, whether it be fuel ingress, metallic or carbon-based particles, the chain system is forced to operate within a hostile environment. It’s therefore vital to flush the oil system removing all evidence of contaminants.”

Dominic adds, “This is especially true of modern systems as oil feed holes as small as 3mm can be easily blocked by particles suspended within the oil, causing the tensioner, oil control valves and VVT hubs to fail due to a reduction in oil volume/pressure compromising hydraulic efficiency. The upshot is an expensive repair bill for the customer but if you tell them this story, they’ll be more likely to consider booking their car in for a service. It’s for these reasons that demand for our extensive range of Timing Chain Kits & Oil Control Valves continues to grow”.

FAI offers a comprehensive timing chain kit range with over 500 part numbers, covering over more than 16,000 modern and popular cars and LCV’s. The ethos of the FAI TCK programme is to bring a complete solution to the aftermarket, so FAI ensure that all the parts needed to complete a timing installation are included, right down to the last stretch bolt.