What are the characteristics of timing gear noise?
2 Answers
The characteristics of timing gear noise include excessive clearance, poor gear engagement, or gear surface peeling and roughness. Below is relevant information about timing gear noise: 1. Excessive clearance: Excessive clearance in timing gear engagement will produce a non-rhythmic grinding sound. 2. Poor gear engagement: Timing gear noise is a "clicking" sound caused by poor gear engagement or gear surface peeling and roughness; when the timing gear engagement clearance is too large, a slight "clicking" sound will be emitted during engine idle operation. 3. Loose screws: Loose timing gear fixing screws or failure of the camshaft axial limit device will cause axial movement noise of the timing camshaft.
When I drove my old Ford, the noise from the timing gears was really annoying. Normally, at idle, I could hear a sharp squeaking sound, like metal rubbing, especially noticeable after a cold start. When accelerating above 2000 RPM, the sound turned into a rhythmic clicking and clacking, with the frequency increasing as the RPM rose, accompanied by slight vibrations in the front of the car, and the throttle response felt a bit sluggish. Last time I took it for repairs, the mechanic said it might be due to a loose chain or worn gears, and ignoring it could lead to the chain skipping teeth and potentially damaging the engine pistons. In the end, I replaced the entire kit to fix the issue. Now I’ve learned my lesson—I check the timing system every six months, change the oil for better lubrication, and prevent these problems from happening again.
