Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - barney100
I can't remember when belts came in, I date back to HB Vivas and can't think when I first encountered the aforementioned. My car dosen't have one but SWMBO's does and I don't feel as if I'm missing out.
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - andyp
Wasn't the FD vauxhall victor the first mainstream british car to fitted with an cam belt OHC engine when it was introduced in about 1966/7 ?
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - Bromptonaut
I also seem to remember someone pointing out the "usp" of the FD series Victor.

Peugeot were another early adopter of the ohc 304/104 etc- though these were chian driven.
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - the swiss tony
I believe the German Goggomobil microcar to be the 1st mass produced vehicle to use one in 1950. The Vauxhall Slant Four was the first production overhead cam four-cylinder design to have one.
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - jc2
Been looking at Wikipedia,have you????
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - Stuartli
I bought a used Vauxhall Magnum 1800 around 1970 which had just over 13k on the clock - a few weeks later it spluttered to a stop one dark November night.

I tried all the usual tricks to get it going without success and, eventually, it was towed home the next day.

Turned out that the neoprene(?) timing belt had stripped some of its teeth; this was the first time I had had a car with a timing belt (to the best of my knowledge) and I recall being puzzled about the use of this type of belt in view of its demanding role.

However, its replacement lasted the remainder of the three or four years the car remained in my possession.
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - Lud
No one has said why the rubber toothed cambelt came in.

I think it was because it was cheaper to manufacture for the ohc engines being produced in the name of fuel-efficiency, ohc having been historically fitted only to relatively costly sporting cars. Worn chain drives and their associated tensioning devices - problematic in themselves and subject to wear or catastrophic failure - become noisy some time before they are on the point of failure; and replacement or repair of the drive chain or chains was a labour-intensive business involving major dismantling. This problem disappears with belts which are accessible from outside the crankcase and block. And they are quieter.

A chain driven camshaft in a pushrod or sidevalve engine is much less of a problem, the chain being shorter and with a much simpler 'run'.

Edited by Lud on 23/11/2008 at 18:05

Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - OldSock
In addition to being potentially quieter, a belt's inherent flexibility makes driving other ancillaries somewhat easier.

However, when such a component (e.g. a water pump) seizes and strips the belt teeth, this doesn't seem such a clever idea....!
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - NARU
AT least the original fitment (Vauxhall Victor FD) wasn't an interference fit. When I stripped the teeth off the belt (when pulling a rose bush out which I'd tied to the towbar with a long rope!), I was able to put a new one in and have another go at the bush the following day.
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - Cliff Pope
or chains was
a labour-intensive business involving major dismantling. This problem disappears with belts which are accessible from
outside the crankcase and block. And they are quieter.


Chains are normally outside too aren't they?
I remember replacing the chains on a Triumph Stag. This had a separate chain driven OHC on each bank of cylinders. It wasn't a particularly difficult job, and certainly did not involve major dismantling.

And unlike most modern so-called OHC engines, the cams acted directly on the valves. Don't most OHC engines now have old-fashioned rockers and tappets?
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - Stuartli
>>...used Vauxhall Magnum 1800 around 1970....>>

Based on the motoring holiday venues at the time, this was more likely to have been around 1976-77.....


Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - the swiss tony
Been looking at Wikipedia have you????

LOL you have me banged to rights!
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - Altea Ego
surely the real question should be, "when did the failure of the cam belt become a catastrophic engine breaker"
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - Happy Blue!
Correct

and I think part of the answer is when engines became interference types - i.e. when the piston crown meets the valves and damages them.

Right?
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - OldSock
On the subject of 'interference' engines, the 70s/80s Ford OHC 'Pinto' engine came in two capacities - 1.6 and 2.0 litre. The former was 'interference', whilst the latter (to all intents and purposes the same design) was not. Always thought that was a bit strange, particularly having personal experience of both types failing!

Edited by OldSock on 24/11/2008 at 10:56

Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - henry k
My 1.6 Pinto failed, no nasty effects, new belt and away she went til the tin worm won.
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - V69
Exactly the same story with my son's Fiat Uno (twice!) and again it was the tin worm that beat it.

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 24/11/2008 at 20:47

Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - the swiss tony
From memory, it wasnt the 1.6ltr, but the 2.0ltrs that clashed, well those and the 1.6 GT spec lumps... the 2.0 had a higher lift cam, which was shared with the GT (tuned) - higher lift = closer to top of piston = BANG!
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - none
1970's. The first time I came across cam belts was on the Bedford CF van range fitted with the slant four GM engine. The belts were promoted as 'weight for weight stronger than steel'. If I remember correctly, the engine was basically half of a V8 and behaved accordingly - trying to get one to tick over nicely was a lifetimes work.
I can remember having to replace a snapped belt for a Gent during his touring holiday, not much luck - even in those days valves touched pistons when the belt went.
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - Big John
My Capri 2.0 ghia auto was OK after a belt failure!
Timing belts, when did they come in and why? - barney100
I followed the HB Viva with the Victor mentioned in the replies and didn't realize it had a cambelt. As with other peoples cars of that period the tin worm menace struck with a vengeance on the victor. Strangely I saw the Viva 4 years ago in good nick with four lads in it in Blandford.