timing

[Andrew1941]

2001 Deathstar 128,000 km, 3.8L Sport. Any idea of how often the timing belt/chain should be changed? I suspect it is a huge job too get at it, right? Any idea of the cost?

[catvents]

Originally Posted by Andrew1941

2001 Deathstar 128,000 km, 3.8L Sport. Any idea of how often the timing belt/chain should be changed? I suspect it is a huge job too get at it, right? Any idea of the cost?

Answer is: Never.
It is not a belt but a timing chain and in normal condition you will not have to replace it. Mine has 322000 km and never shown any sign that would have to be replace. Some problems occurs sometimes with the front cover ( oil leak) but not with the chain itself. Some members here have done this job and will probably be able to indicate the time to fix. You might think to replace the water pump at the same time.

[Andrew1941]

Thanks

[12Ounce]

I rebuilt my 214 kmile engine ("just because") when replacing my tranny on my '99. (You can look up the string if interested.) I would have replaced the chain and wheels if they had shown any significant wear ... they did not show wear ... looked almost new and were reused. The van now has 240 kmiles.

EDIT: I did replace the chain tensioner, mostly because I broke a small chunk off of the plastic "skid" when removing the tensioner. But as I think of it, replacing this $20 tensioner may be a prudent practice during any engine overhaul.