# Timing chains vs belts **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** nissan, sentra\ **Created:** [September 1, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chains-vs-belts/35975 "2009-09-01T23:25:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![west\_ghent\_witch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bc79bd/32.png) [@west\_ghent\_witch](https://community.cartalk.com/u/west_ghent_witch)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chains-vs-belts/35975/1 "2009-09-01T23:25:23Z")
Do I have to change a timing chain in my 2006 nissan sentra at 60,000 miles ---
**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:** [September 1, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chains-vs-belts/35975/2 "2009-09-01T23:33:23Z")
What does the owners manual say? Tester ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 12:36am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chains-vs-belts/35975/3 "2009-09-02T00:36:19Z")
No. Timing chains normally last the life of the engine and do not require periodic replacement. ---
**Author:** ![Scudder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scudder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scudder)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chains-vs-belts/35975/4 "2009-09-02T00:40:22Z")
…but unfortunately the tensioner and guides don’t. ---
**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 1:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chains-vs-belts/35975/5 "2009-09-02T01:26:46Z")
Timing chains are designed to last the life of the vehicle, so they generally don’t need changing unless a problem develops. ---
**Author:** ![Baxter\_s\_Dad](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/baxter_s_dad/32/27_2.png) [@Baxter\_s\_Dad](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Baxter_s_Dad)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 3:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chains-vs-belts/35975/6 "2009-09-02T03:14:10Z")
If the engine is an overhead camshaft V8 I would strongly disagree. That long of a chain will stretch, causing the chain to slap against the tensioners breaking parts off. The broken tensioner part then rides the chain up and jams in the cam sprocket. This quickly ruins an engine. Chain stretch can be measured to see if it falls into specs. tensioners should be replaced as routine maintenence according to factory specs. ---
**Author:** ![budd2049](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@budd2049](https://community.cartalk.com/u/budd2049)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chains-vs-belts/35975/7 "2009-09-02T04:53:06Z")
Well, in this case I would also agree. When I think of a timing chain, I first tend to think of the sort found on the Chevy 350, or the 2.2L inline-4…very compact chains. If chain/tensioner service is specified depending on the application, then by all means it should be done. An OHC V8 isn’t the first thing to come to mind. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 7:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chains-vs-belts/35975/8 "2009-09-02T07:38:47Z")
True, but in most cases it will start getting noisy first. (Hint to OP: If you chain starts making noise, replace it. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2009, 11:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/timing-chains-vs-belts/35975/9 "2009-09-02T11:34:23Z")
> If the engine is an overhead camshaft V8 I would strongly disagree. > That long of a chain will stretch, causing the chain to slap against the tensioners breaking parts off. The broken tensioner part then rides the chain up and jams in the cam sprocket. This quickly ruins an engine. The designers don’t have to use ONE LONG CHAIN. They can use two or four shorter chains. All depends on how it’s designed. I replaced a chain on a 73 Isuzu 4 cylinder with a OHC engine. It had two short chains as opposed to one long chain.