MONTH 2017 AFTERMARKET 3 www.aftermarketonline.net seen a reduction in belt replacements, due to rising demand for timing chain kit replacement. Technicians have had to adapt, even retrain in some instances, to meet this surge in demand. “If I were to give one piece of advice when undertaking this kind of installation, it would be to put emphasis on solving the root cause of the failure before a new kit is installed. We test many oil samples with our chosen independent lab and contaminants have almost always played a part in a failure. Whether it be fuel dilution, metallic or carbonbased particles, the chain system is forced to operate within a hostile environment. It’s therefore vital to flush the oil system removing all evidence of contaminants. “This is especially true of modern systems, as oil feed holes as small as 3mm can be easily blocked by particles suspended within the oil, causing the tensioner, oil control valves and VVT hubs to fail due to a reduction in oil volume/pressure compromising hydraulic efficiency.” Dominic added: “The upshot is an expensive repair bill for the customer but if you tell them this story, they’ll be more likely to consider booking their car in for a service.” For more information, visit: www.faiauto.com Regular maintenance Meanwhile, according to Dayco’s National Sales Manager Steve Carolan, Belt-in-oil (BIO) technology continues to represent an opportunity for the sector: “Largely for the emission reductions and fuel saving benefits they help to achieve, BIO timing drive systems continue to be a favoured solution among vehicle manufacturers, which is good news for the service and repair sector, as they will become an ever more regular replacement requirement for the long term. Although some might question the validity of the concept, preferring the traditional chain drive solution, the fact that many VMs have long since moved to belt driven timing systems and a growing number are adopting the BIO route, means that the replacement process, driven both by the scheduled service interval and by a repair requirement, will be a more frequent workshop activity.” There’s more though, as Steve observed: “Dayco has for some time been highlighting the importance to workshops nationally of carrying out regular maintenance in line with the VMs scheduled service intervals. This is because, apart from the catastrophic consequences that would result from belt failure, belt degradation can also have serious implications to several other components, such as the oil pump and brake system vacuum pump. “Should the belt need to be replaced, as the original equipment supplier for many BIO applications, we have replacement kits in the Dayco aftermarket range, and this provides factors with a genuine revenue opportunity because over the last year, our sales of BIO kits have doubled, which proves there is a growing demand for the parts and means factors can directly benefit from the BIO revolution.” Correct fitting procedure As Steve noted, garages need to keep any eye on these systems: “Part of this process is to react effectively when problems appear, quickly diagnose why they are occurring and then highlight the issues to workshops and technicians, so they are able to follow the correct fitting procedure to replace them successfully, which will increase customer satisfaction and avoid unnecessary warranty claims back to the factor. “A perfect example is the two-stage tensioning process that must be carried out when replacing the timing belt on the 1.6 and 2.0-litre HDI engines that are widely used by Fiat, Ford, PSA and Vauxhall, in many of their popular models in both passenger car and light commercial vehicle applications. Although the consequences of not following the procedure may not be immediate, because both units are of an interference design, the effect of a subsequent belt failure is likely to be catastrophic to the engine. Another topical example concerns oval crankshaft sprockets, which also require specific belt tensioning requirements that if not followed, can end up stripping teeth from the timing belt for example.” Steve concluded: “What these examples demonstrate is that even a scheduled service requirement on comparatively common engines requires technicians to follow a specific procedure, not apply a general rule.” For more information, visit: www.dayco.com Above: Timing chain kit from FAI Automotive OCTOBER 2023 AFTERMARKET 41 www.aftermarketonline.net Even a scheduled service requirement on comparatively common engines requires technicians to follow a specific procedure, not apply a general rule ” Below: Timing belt kit from First Line
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