Timing Belt

[johns81]

My 1981 has 84,000 miles on it and I am not sure if these cars have timing belts that need to be replaced periodically. I sorta inherited this car when I got married and there is no vehicle manual with it. If anyone knows the answer please submit. Thanks!!

 

[DRTH VTR]

The timing belt is found on overhead cam engines. The Chevy small block cam-in-block engines have some form of timing chain. The chain is much more robust than the belt system.

 

[KANE]

My 1981 has 84,000 miles on it and I am not sure if these cars have timing belts that need to be replaced periodically. I sorta inherited this car when I got married and there is no vehicle manual with it. If anyone knows the answer please submit. Thanks!!

TIMING BELT!?!? You must have owned a Honda in a past life!

No- don't worry... your Vette doesn't have a belt. It has a chain and chances are it is okay. Now, if it runs like garbage... well then it could be a lot of things. Wires, plugs, bad gas, dirty gas/air filters, the CCC carb... a myriad of stuff you'll read about on this site.

I'd go out and buy either a Chilton's or Hayes manual for the car from ADVANCE AUTO or a store like it. The original owners manuals are more nostalgic than helpful.

Good luck and enjoy your Vette!

 

[Peer81]

I wouldn't be that sure about the quality of a original 81 timing chain. It's a single chain not a dubble and i heard the teath on the gears aren't that great either. If you aren't sure about the chain maybe you could check if the chain has some slack or not (or how do you say it in english?). I don't know how many miles the chain will hold maybe somebody has an idea?

Greetings Peter.

 

[bill81vette]

If you put a timing light on your vette and the light holds steady on the timing mark your chain is fine,If you see it bouncing around its time to change it!!
also get yourself a service manual for your '81 its the best money you'll ever spend if you want to repair your vette your self!!!

 

[KANE]

... I don't know how many miles the chain will hold maybe somebody has an idea?

In my experience, timing chains last from 100-140K miles depending on the overall maintenance of the car. Cars treated better (usually) last longer.

 

[craig32]

I sorta inherited this car when I got married . . .

You got a wife that came with a Corvette?? JACKPOT!!!

 

[garycr14]

I sorta inherited this car when I got married and there is no vehicle manual with it.

The vette must have been part of the dowry?

 

[Sensei]

You got a wife that came with a Corvette?? JACKPOT!!!

 

[johns81]

WOW!! I never looked at it that way. She put me in charge of getting the old girl running again (the vette). The engine runs well after a couple of minutes of driving, so I am not going to worry about the timing chain. Thanks for all responses.

 

[DRTH VTR]

WOW!! I never looked at it that way. She put me in charge of getting the old girl running again (the vette). The engine runs well after a couple of minutes of driving, so I am not going to worry about the timing chain. Thanks for all responses.

There is no reason to worry about it. If the timing belt in an overhead cam engine fails, there can be contact between pistons and open valves. This results in catastrophic damage. The timing chains generally do not fail like a reinforced rubber belt can.