Timing Belts in Burton upon Trent
What is a cam belt?
A timing belt connects an engine's crank and camshafts. It is covered with 'teeth' that are different shapes dependant upon the type of belt you have. Newer models of timing belt tend to have rounded teeth, whereas triangular teeth tend to cover traditional belts.
Typically, timing belts are made out of rubber and are then imbued with materials such as fibreglass to strengthen them to ensure that they have a longer life. Modern cam belts will sometimes be made from durable materials such as HSN so that they are not damaged by high temperatures in engines. Recently made cam belts are manufactured much thinner so as to lessen their weight, to generate less friction.
What is the role of a timing belt?
Timing belts are found within your vehicle's engine that are able to control the timing of valves in engines. Engine valves must open and close a specific number of times and a cam belt is responsible for this happening.
The teeth on a cam belt are purposefully made with regards to the sort of engine that the belt is part of. The teeth turn the cam shaft and make sure that it stays synchronised with the crankshaft.
The camshaft will need to turn half as fast as the crankshaft and this is regulated by a cam belt. If this is not allowed to happen then the engine does not operate properly which will lead to serious engine damage.
Events that can lead to engine damage can be things like your engine's valves remaining open when they shouldn't be resulting in them being blocked by the pistons of the engine.
What happens when timing belt problems are not addressed
If you fail to notice your cam belt is damaged, or worse yet; failure to act upon it can have disastrous consequences for your engine. If your vehicle has an interference engine not replacing a broken timing belt can result in damage to your car.
Should your timing belt snap your vehicle will not run at all, but if it continues to function whilst damaged you could be blissfully unaware of the damage that it is doing to your engine. If your timing belt is damaged it will cause the valves and pistons to hit together which could cause your valve guides to crack.
You could also end up with bend valve guides which can cost a considerable amount to have fixed. The camshaft of your car may break in extreme scenarios.
Should be having difficulties with your timing belt you can call upon RepairACar to locate Burton upon Trent cam belt mechanics.
