Really? I like serpentine belts. Some of my v-belt-equipped cars have included bosses or other mechanisms for adjusting tension, but usually not. I’ve thrown a few v-belts in my time. Never thrown a serpentine belt.
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Toyota wins this with the timing chain.
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I got over 225,000 miles on the original timing chain on my '94 pickup (Hilux). I replaced it when I gave it to my niece. I really should have done it sooner, since the 22R-E is an interference engine, but since it never did break, I win.
Our 2007 RAV-4 has a chain, though our 2004 Sienna has a belt. Just replaced the Sienna’s timing belt yesterday, at 129,000 miles.
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Dr. Porsche is rolling over in his grave.
Thankfully, he was buried in a Porsche with a roll bar.
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Do you mean on motorcycles? I’m talking just about cars, as I have no knowledge of motorcycles. And I’ve never had any v-belt-driven accessories that had belt enclosures.
At any rate, I don’t see why you have such a poor opinion of serpentine belts on cars. I’ve always gotten more maintenance-free miles out of cars with serpentine belts than those with v-belts. I also like how I can keep an old serpentine belt in the trunk along with a breaker bar, so if I ever did throw a belt, I can be back on the road in two minutes without loosening a single bolt.
My most recent problems have been ones of the mechanics not wanting to trust the OBD computer telling them whats wrong. They are resisting their new robot overlords.
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I didn’t realize that “Porsche” is pronounced “Pooch”, as in the sentence, “Engineer screws the Pooch”
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single use screw that fits many places but is only appropriate for one? Sounds like bad engineering and design to me. Why overcomplicate the screw?
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My “favorite” timing chain story involves Audi and the 4.2l V8 motor they make. They put a timing chain on it (as opposed to their standard timing belt arrangement), but, because “it’d never have to be serviced,” they put the chain at the back of the motor- against the firewall.
Guess what part had a flaw?
The timing chain guides.
Guess how you access the chain in a motor like that?
Remove the entire motor.
AWESOME!
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funny, a friend of mine and myself were just talking about ‘mistake porsches’. sure, this is a mod, but i think it still counts as WTF was everyone involved thinking?
(I swear I saw this car in Mad Max :D)
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It’s likely a self tapping screw designed to go into the frame to hold the seatbelt. Not that complicated.
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And why not use the same screw in both locations?
Yes, so true.
I had to wait for two weeks for a fix under warranty due to a small fault in a Mercedes gearbox. The gearbox management system was reporting that a hydraulic actuator was taking too long to move. It took a veiled threat of legal action before the gearbox got replaced after two gearbox management computers said the same thing - because, said the mechanic - they had been given the message back “Mercedes gearboxes do not fail.” It was apparently an over thickness shim. Mercedes were billed by the garage for around £3000 for the time spent messing around as well as the actual replacement.
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If you’re going to stick a ridiculous blower on a Porsche, might as well be one of those ugly beasts.
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Hence the old joke about the handyman knocking on doors looking for work. At one house the owner says “OK, the porch needs painting, you can do that.”
Several hours later the handyman returns and announces that the job has been done. “Only it isn’t a porch, it’s a BMW”.
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Yup they wanted to replace all the sensors telling it what the problem was, rather than the problem piece of kit. Sensors cost more than the throttle body did!
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I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen a 928 and found it interesting.
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Didn’t Chrysler have a problem with this years ago when they came up with an engine where the spark plugs could not be removed when installed?
According to the guy from Champion who told me about this, it was a good thing - because spark plug makers got funded to develop much longer lasting spark plugs. Smaller sales volumes, but of more expensive plugs that cheap knockoff competition couldn’t duplicate.
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I can’t complain about the spark plugs in that Sienna of mine… even after 129,000 miles they were still firing remarkably clean and true. But when I replaced them yesterday (along with all the lower control arms and timing belt and stuff), the spark-plug-replacement part of the bill came to $450, since replacing the three in the rear involves removing the intake manifold.
Made me wish the Sienna had a doghouse over the rear of the engine, like older vans did. Having the dealership work on this car saves me a hell of a lot of time and effort, but man, is it expensive.
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