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How Do Timing Belts Work?
You may have heard of timing belts, but how do they work?
According to Medium:
“Timing belts are essentially reinforced rubber bands that co-ordinate the rotation of the crankshaft and camshaft in your car’s internal combustion engine. They control engine operation, and some power the water pump too. Timing belts are usually manufactured from high-quality rubber and nylon-reinforced cords.
But how exactly do timing belts work?
How Timing Belts Work
“The timing belt’s job is cyclic. Its primary function is to rotate the camshaft pulley, synchronising this pulley with the crankshaft pulley. Some models have two camshaft pulleys. The timing belt synchronises the valves and pistons so that they push cams on the camshaft at the right times. This process is comparable to pedalling a bicycle. The cams must reach the top of the cycle before the valves and pistons push them down again.
“The inner part of the belt contains teeth that correspond to the gears. The teeth create friction as the timing belt comes into contact with the crankshaft and camshaft sprockets. If the teeth are damaged, the timing belt can pull the crankshaft and camshaft out of synchronisation. This throws the valve and piston timing, which can destroy the valves and pistons. The damage is often even worse if you have a timing chain.
“Each timing belt also needs a tensioner to maintain pressure on the timing belt. The tensioner may be spring-loaded, oil-pressure-activated or set manually. Tensioners ensure that the timing belt delivers enough tension to move all of the pulleys that drive engine components.
Replacing Your Timing Belt
“When your timing belt fails, your car will grind to a halt, and you’ll need a new timing belt. Filter your search to only the timing belts suitable for your vehicle by searching your number plate in our car lookup tool.”
