300Tdi timing chain?

Greetings and good day eh?

Does anyone know if or why not a timing chain upgrade has ever/never been fitted to a 300Tdi?

Rgds
Arr
Victoria BC

Probably because it would be a downgrade not an upgrade

The 300 uses a belt, what sort of upgrade would you want?

Well on other vehicles that I've owned with timing chains V.S. belts one NEVER has to change them .. chains that is. So from our Canadian point of view changing a timing belt every 60K miles is weird. And very expensive on a 300Tdi. So there being a ton of room in that front cover, why not a chain?

Cheers
Arr

There is an upgrade using gears. Not cheap...circa £1000 I think. Can't remember who does it though.

Zeus I think. Expensive and no track record out here that I can find. Thus the chain question.

Arr

Landrover used to use chains, then they used belts as these are quieter and smoother at the time it was the engine evolving...

The TD5 uses a chain as they had problems with the belts on the first 10 prototype engines.

Dont see how changing fom a belt to a chain can give an improvement to power and emissions etc?

Oooh. Gorpin. Lovely terminology.
I dunno, something to do with the hundreds of dollars and the six hours of work required on a regular basis to fix a design fault?

Timing chain upgrade.. anyone?

That Zeus gear set LOOKS nice but does it work for 300K miles?

Arr

If the engine lasts that long. You read about people fitting them for expeditions etc. to improve reliablity.

Ouch! We usually expect our diesels to do 600K (assuming good oil changes and other maintenance). Getting the feeling I've picked the wrong engine.

There's a little plastic bit holding the clutch lever arm and throw-out bearing together inside the bell housing. Not only is this plastic, but it is installed upside down allowing gravity to pull it out in an iffy situation. Anyone do a work around for this one?

Arr

I would expect the 300tdi to do 500K with proper maintenance - oil etc, and being driven carefully before needing overhauled...

I dont see the problem. The engine is designed to run with a belt. Keep up with the servicing and change it every 36000 miles (service with cambelt £250) and it will last. If I was going on an expedition or paris dakar and was worried about a belt snapping in the desert then I might reconsider.

If I was going on an expedition and was worried about the belt snapping I would simply put a new one in before going If you change the cambelt at the recomended intervals the cost is tiny compared to the overall cost of running the thing over the same period. Has anyone ever had one break?

Dont panic,you just have to remember that Canadians are Mexicans wearing sweaters,Zeus timing gear conversions are noisey and not very reliable.And that for a decent tech to put a belt on every 60-70k is a nice bit of attention that points out other problems that may not be obvious to someone just doing an oil and filter change.BTW 600k is the kind of BS that people put around because they would like their car to get up to Cat/Detroit or Cummins distances.

Now theres a thought a CAT engine for a defender

I just had mine done at 131000 miles
cost £150 over here you just have to
bite the bullet and get it done before it
does you ie new engine when it blows

BTW mine a 300tdi

Cat, Detroit, cummings, Yanmar, Izuzu are the engines I'm used to having. Hence the 600K ... no BS there.

Now a nice slow reving Detroit engine what say 325rpm? At that rpm any guesses to road life?

As for my Mexican sweater, you can't pull the wool over my eyes!

Arr

I didn't mean to imply that the 300Tdi is only good for 200K Mines done 170K and its only just run in. My old TD managed 160K before I sold it so I think the engine is a good'n. I agree with the posts on belts, change them and rest easy.