# Timing belt or chain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [January 11, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263 "2008-01-11T01:19:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![painter\_li](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e99b99/32.png) [@painter\_li](https://community.cartalk.com/u/painter_li)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 1:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/1 "2008-01-11T01:19:28Z")
Does the 1998, Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight have a timing belt or a timing chain? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/2 "2008-01-11T01:28:57Z")
The GM 3.8 liter engine is a push-rod engine. So it uses a timing chain. Tester ---
**Author:** ![macfisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@macfisto](https://community.cartalk.com/u/macfisto)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:52am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/3 "2008-01-11T04:52:26Z")
Chain. Tester: Out of curiosity, do all OHC engines use belts instead of chains? ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/4 "2008-01-11T04:58:36Z")
All Toyota 22R and 22RE are OHC and use a chain. Also, the Cadillac Northstar engine has 4 OHCs, and uses 2 chains, one for each bank. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 1:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/5 "2008-01-11T13:06:58Z")
No. Some OHC engines use a chain. My Nissan pickup has an OHC engine and it uses a timing chain. But all push-rod engines use a timing chain. Tester ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/6 "2008-01-11T16:22:29Z")
> Tester: Out of curiosity, do all OHC engines use belts instead of chains? NOPE…As far back as my 74 Chevy Luv (Isuzu)…overhead cam with timing chain. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/7 "2008-01-11T18:01:50Z")
Actually, lots of OHC engines use chains. Manufacturers are going back to chains. My tC, a Camry 4-banger, has a chain. My Toyota pickup, a 22R, had a chain. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 9:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/8 "2008-01-11T21:54:04Z")
Mike…you went from a Vega to a '74 Luv? You poor thing! Seriously, our Vegas had chains, as I recall. It was the only part that didn’t break. ---
**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 1:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/9 "2008-01-12T01:27:07Z")
Add all Ford Modular engines to that OHC with chain list. That is a lot of engines, 4.6, 5.4, V10,… ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/10 "2008-01-12T22:53:51Z")
> Mike…you went from a Vega to a '74 Luv? You poor thing! Yea I know…I needed a cheap pickup…and boy was that it…I hauled a load of TopSoil once…At 40mph I could turn the steering wheel left or right and NOT effect the direction of the truck. Seriously, our Vegas had chains, as I recall. It was the only part that didn’t break.[/quote] Vega’s had a belt…and they broke…but a non-interference engine…Mine broke on the highway in Nashville TN…Coasted off the highway and replaced it at the side of the road. ---
**Author:** ![ses5spd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/35a633/32.png) [@ses5spd](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ses5spd)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 1:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/11 "2008-01-13T01:49:59Z")
And the 2.0L Focus, too… ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 5:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-belt-or-chain/9263/12 "2008-01-13T17:27:35Z")
Timing gears are out of fashion now it seems. They were once very common. Some earlier OHC engines used reciprocating rods to turn the cams.