Why does Honda insist on using timing belts instead of chains?

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watch this video on an Audi A8, this more than any other reason displays why a belt is superior to a chain.




the repair cost often exceeds the residual value of the car, sometimes in exponential means

I have done those on an RS, A8 and others, the job is often significantly more than the car is worth.
This is so much easier.

Audi-A6-V8-Timing.webp
 
The 2.4L uses a chain. As long as you keep the oil level in the proper range and change per schedule, it should be fine over the life.

Honda seems to be shifting some of their J35 V6s to the 2.0T (Accord , RDX). If they do that with the Pilot/Ody/MDX then we can shift the discussion to hatred of G-TDI engines 🤣
 
Because in the vast majority of cases chains never need to be replaced. Belts always do. It's not rocket science...

I'm constantly hearing about timing chain replacement. Not to mention the tensioners, and guides that go along with them. That always seem to get chewed up. I had a belt driven camshaft on my 1979 VW Diesel. It had 137,000 miles on it when I sold it, and it was never touched. And if it ever needed replacement, it was a snap.

Simply remove the sheet metal cover, insert 2 dowel pins to lock the cam and crank in position. Then apply some pressure with a breaker bar against the tensioner, and slip off the old one, and install the new one. It was as, if not easier than replacing a Serpentine Belt that most all cars have today that drive everything.
 
Doesn’t this thread ignore the engines with chains with problesms that aren’t flat out horrible setups? No offense to German car lovers, but an A8 isn’t exactly the run of the mill appliance.

Didn’t GM have issues with 3.6 and 2.2 motors? Even the supposedly legendary Toyota 22R was known to eat chains.
 
I'm constantly hearing about timing chain replacement. Not to mention the tensioners, and guides that go along with them. That always seem to get chewed up. I had a belt driven camshaft on my 1979 VW Diesel. It had 137,000 miles on it when I sold it, and it was never touched. And if it ever needed replacement, it was a snap.

Simply remove the sheet metal cover, insert 2 dowel pins to lock the cam and crank in position. Then apply some pressure with a breaker bar against the tensioner, and slip off the old one, and install the new one. It was as, if not more easy than replacing a Serpentine Belt that most all cars have today that drive everything.
I don't know where you're hearing about all of these chain failures, but I haven't heard anything of the sort. In fact, most of what I hear is just the opposite. If only all vehicles that had belts were as easy to replace as your VW was, that would be one thing, but unfortunately, most vehicles are way more difficult and time consuming...
 
Doesn’t this thread ignore the engines with chains with problesms that aren’t flat out horrible setups? No offense to German car lovers, but an A8 isn’t exactly the run of the mill appliance.

Didn’t GM have issues with 3.6 and 2.2 motors? Even the supposedly legendary Toyota 22R was known to eat chains.
Again, most chains last the life of the vehicle. Belts ALWAYS have to be replaced...prove this statement wrong...
 
belts were the go-to for reduced NVH. this is why toyota used them on their old V8. of course by the end of the decade other manufacturers had smoother running chain driven engines

chains also help a lot with packaging. rear mount ones like the audi even more so
 
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I don't know where you're hearing about all of these chain failures, but I haven't heard anything of the sort.

They don't necessarily have to all out fail. Many get extremely noisy when the guides and tensioners get all chewed up, (which are plastic), to the point people bring in their cars for it. Then, the only solution is a replacement. Which is actually better. When timing chains fail on an interference engine, (which most are today), it completely trashes the engine, requiring a complete engine replacement.

I'm not saying it hasn't happened, but I have never heard of an engine getting trashed due to a timing belt failure.
 
Again, most chains last the life of the vehicle. Belts ALWAYS have to be replaced...prove this statement wrong...
Not going to, since it can’t. But this ignores the many chain setups that were problematic and ignores the belts which are “easy” to change. It also ignores the fact that a timing belt change is known about on the first day of ownership, is something listed on the maintenance schedule, and is something that can be planned for well in advance of need. For most, this will be what, once every 8 years? hard to be something that one cannot plan for.
 
Maybe I should put this a different way. 100% of belts need to be replaced. What percentage of chain drive engines have to have their chains, or chain related parts replaced? If this number can be obtained, I'm sure it's nowhere near 100%...
 
Belts have some advantages. Quieter, some are relatively easy to replace every 100,000 miles. Chains, when they fail are a major repair. There just isn’t enough room to remove those timing covers on a lot of cars, and some are also integrated into the head. It’s not just the chain, it’s the chain guides, the tensioner, the other chains running off a chain, the sprockets. It’s the special tools you need. It’s taking the engine out of the car (sometimes). It’s a big job. Whereas a timing belt is usually a $1,000-1,2000 repair for most people...and a $200 job for people that can comfortably do it themselves.

Having said that, I have a chain...I change my oil regularly, and knock on wood...I am not having issues.
 
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