Crankshaft, timing and valvetrain

Timing chain kits

Timing chain kits that drive the camshafts from the crankshaft and keep the valves in time with the pistons: the chain, the sprockets, the tensioner and the guide rails, supplied complete so the whole drive is renewed together, for European and Japanese passenger cars, identified by OE reference.

MONTTRON timing chain kit: a timing chain with its crankshaft and camshaft sprockets, the hydraulic tensioner and the plastic-faced guide rails laid out together

The timing chain drives the camshafts from the crankshaft and keeps the valves synchronised with the pistons: the camshaft sprockets have twice the teeth of the crankshaft sprocket, so the camshafts turn once for every two turns of the crankshaft. The chain runs over guide rails faced with plastic, and a tensioner, hydraulic on most engines, takes up its slack as it wears. Unlike a timing belt, a chain runs inside the engine in oil and is meant to last for a long time, but it is not a part for the life of every engine.

Chains wear at their pins and bushes and grow longer. The tensioner takes up the slack until it reaches the end of its travel; the chain then rattles at idle, the camshafts fall behind the crankshaft, the engine control unit logs a correlation fault, and in the worst case the chain jumps a tooth or breaks and the pistons strike the open valves. The plastic faces of the guide rails wear and break, and pieces can block the oil pick-up. Old or low oil shortens the life of every part of the drive.

MONTTRON timing chain kits are made to OEM-compliant quality and as aftermarket spare parts and supplied complete: the chain, the sprockets, the tensioner and the guide rails of the original, so the whole drive is renewed together and the new chain runs on new sprockets and new rails. The materials are tested for durability and temperature resistance.

The range covers European and Japanese passenger cars. Each reference is identified by the OE number of the original part; send that number and the vehicle identification number (VIN) and we confirm the matching MONTTRON reference.

For availability and OE cross-references, contact us by email.

Frequently asked questions

What are the signs of a worn timing chain?
A rattle from the front or the side of the engine at idle and at start-up, a camshaft or crankshaft correlation fault code, a rough idle and a loss of power. A workshop measures the chain stretch through the tensioner position or with the camshaft locking tools; a chain that has stretched beyond the manufacturer's limit is replaced before it jumps.
Why replace the whole kit and not only the chain?
Because the chain, the sprockets, the guide rails and the tensioner wear together. A new chain on worn sprockets wears quickly; worn plastic rails let it whip; a tired tensioner lets it slacken. The kit renews the whole drive in one operation, which is most of the cost of the job.

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