Every car engine currently available uses either a chain or a belt to connect the crankshaft to the camshafts, and thus keep the valves in sync with the pistons.

Belts might be cheaper to manufacture, and they definitely produce less noise. But they also require replacement every 60,000 to 100,000 miles. While the cost of the part isn’t high, swapping in the new belt can require hundreds of dollars in labor. Not replacing the belt can cost even more, as the engine can be ruined if the timing belt breaks.

Since a chain does not require this expensive periodic replacement, and the difference in manufacturing cost is not large, it would seem the logical choice. So why don’t all engines have timing chains? I suspect because car buyers don’t insist on timing chains as much as they insist on low prices and quiet engines. This, in turn, could well be because sites like TrueDelta rarely if ever specify whether an engine has a belt or a chain. People don’t think about this factor until the service writer informs them it’s time to spend $500 and up, perhaps even $1,200, to replace the timing belt in their V6 engine.

Because this information is important to have, I hope to add it to TrueDelta’s model information pages within the next month or two.