Timing Chain Kits, Timing Belts and Tensioners
Easy Life Markets sells timing chain kits, timing belt kits, tensioners, sprockets and timing tools for cars, SUVs and motorcycles, listed by part number and engine so you can match them before you buy. This category covers the whole timing drive: the chain or belt that links the crankshaft to the camshafts, plus the guides, tensioners, gears and pulleys that keep it in place.
What should you buy? First find out whether your engine uses a chain or a belt. Your owner's manual or the engine code will tell you, and the two are not interchangeable. If you hear a rattle at cold start, or the engine shows a cam and crank correlation code, a chain kit is often the answer. If your belt is due by age or distance, choose a complete belt kit with the tensioner. Then match the engine code and part numbers to our product page.
What Is in This Category
This sub-category is part of our engine section in the wider auto parts department. It holds timing chain kits for car and motorcycle engines, belt kits, single timing parts and the tools to fit them. Our current range includes:
- The Grand Cherokee 3.6L timing chain kit for 2011 to 2015 models, a complete kit for the 3.6L V6.
- The 06F109217A timing chain tensioner and chain kit for the Audi A4, VW Jetta and Eos 2.0T.
- The 1.8T timing chain tensioner kit with chain and gasket for VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda.
- The motorcycle timing chain repair kit for Jialing 70 and curved beam 100 and 110 engines.
- The VQ35DE camshaft sprocket pair for Infiniti and Nissan V6 engines.
- The Ford Focus 1.5T timing belt kit with belt and tensioner.
- The KP15688XS timing belt kit with water pump, tensioner and idler pulley.
- Timing tools, including the EA211 timing tool kit and a 15-piece timing belt adjuster tool kit.
We add new parts regularly. The guide below covers timing drives in general, so it will help you choose whatever engine you work on.
What the Timing Drive Does
An engine has to open each valve at exactly the right moment in relation to the piston. The crankshaft moves the pistons and the camshafts move the valves. The timing drive links them so the camshafts turn at half crankshaft speed on a four-stroke engine, always in step.
If the chain or belt slips a tooth, the engine runs badly or throws a fault code. If it breaks, the engine stops. On many engines, known as interference engines, the valves and pistons share the same space at different times. A broken drive on one of these lets them collide, which can bend valves and damage pistons. That is why timing parts are worth replacing before they fail. The Wikipedia article on the timing belt covers both belts and chains and explains interference engines in more detail.
Timing Chains and Timing Belts Compared
Your engine was designed for one system or the other. Here is how they differ.
Timing chains
A chain is made of metal links and runs on sprockets inside the engine, bathed in oil. It is strong and usually lasts much longer than a belt. It is guided by plastic or nylon-faced guides and kept tight by a tensioner, often fed by engine oil pressure. Chains themselves stretch slowly, but the guides and tensioners are the parts that most often wear. That is why timing chain kits usually include the guides and tensioner as well as the chain.
Timing belts
A belt is reinforced rubber with teeth, running outside the engine behind a cover. It is quieter and lighter than a chain. It wears with age and use, so the vehicle maker sets a replacement interval, by distance or time, whichever comes first. A belt kit usually includes the belt, the tensioner and one or more idler pulleys. Some include the water pump too, because on many engines it is driven by the belt and sits behind the same covers.
| Feature | Timing chain | Timing belt |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Metal links on sprockets | Toothed reinforced rubber on pulleys |
| Location | Inside the engine, in oil | Outside the engine, behind a cover |
| Replacement | When worn, noisy or showing timing codes | At the maker's interval, by distance or age |
| Parts that wear first | Guides and tensioner, then chain stretch | Belt, tensioner and idler bearings |
| Typical kit contents | Chain, guides, tensioner, sprockets, gaskets | Belt, tensioner, idlers, sometimes water pump |
| Warning signs | Rattle at start, timing codes, rough running | Cracks, missing teeth, squeal or whine |
| Job size | Usually larger, covers and seals come off | Moderate, but timing must be set exactly |
Parts You Will Find in Timing Kits
Kits vary a lot, so it pays to know what each part does and check what is in the box.
Chain or belt
The part that links crank and cams. Chains come as single or double row, and some V engines use several chains. Belts are sized by length and tooth count.
Tensioner
Keeps the chain or belt at the right tightness. Chain tensioners are usually hydraulic, fed by engine oil. Belt tensioners are often spring-loaded with a pointer to set them. A worn tensioner is one of the most common causes of chain rattle.
Guides and rails
On chain engines, guides hold the chain in its path. Their plastic faces wear and can break, and pieces can end up in the oil pan.
Sprockets and gears
Sprockets on the crank and cams carry the chain. On engines with variable valve timing, the cam sprockets are often adjustable gears, like the VQ35DE pair. Worn teeth cause noise and timing drift.
Idler pulleys
On belt engines, idlers route the belt around the engine. Their bearings wear and can seize, which can take the belt with them.
Gaskets and seals
Timing covers need new gaskets or sealant when they come off. Some timing chain kits include them. Our gaskets section has more seals.
Water pump
On many belt engines the water pump is driven by the timing belt. Replacing it with the belt saves taking everything apart again later.
Signs Your Timing Drive Needs Attention
- Rattle at cold start that fades after a few seconds. This is a classic sign of a worn chain tensioner or guides.
- Cam and crank correlation codes on a scan tool, which can mean the chain has stretched or jumped. Our diagnostic equipment section has tools to read codes.
- Rough idle or loss of power with no other obvious cause.
- Squeal, whine or grinding from the front of the engine on a belt engine, which can point to a worn tensioner or idler.
- Visible cracks or missing teeth on a belt you can inspect.
- Coolant leak near the timing cover on engines where the belt drives the water pump.
- The service interval is due on a belt engine, even with no symptoms at all.
How to Choose the Right Timing Chain Kits
Timing parts must match your engine exactly. Use these checks before you order.
- Confirm chain or belt. Check the owner's manual or the engine code.
- Match the engine code. One model often has several engines in the same year, each with different timing parts.
- Match part numbers. Compare the numbers on your old tensioner, chain or belt with the reference numbers on our product page, such as 5184357AE or 06F109217A.
- Check the year range. Timing designs are often updated mid-model, with revised tensioners or guides.
- Check the kit contents. Does it include the chain, all guides, the tensioner, sprockets and gaskets? A partial kit may leave you short halfway through.
- Decide on extras. For belt engines, consider a kit with the water pump. For chain engines, consider new cover gaskets and seals.
- Get the right tools. Many engines need locking tools to hold the cams and crank. Check before you start.
If you are not sure, send us your engine code and part numbers through our contact page. We would rather check fitment with you before you order.
Fitting Advice and Safety
Timing work is one of the more demanding engine jobs. Getting it wrong can damage the engine on the first turn. Here is what we tell customers.
- Use the service manual for your engine. Timing marks, tool positions and bolt torque come from the manual. Do not guess them.
- Use locking tools. Cam and crank locking tools hold everything in place while the old drive is off. Kits like the EA211 set are made for this.
- Turn the engine by hand after fitting. Rotate the crank two full turns with a wrench and recheck all the marks before you start the engine. If anything binds, stop.
- Replace one-time bolts. Some sprocket and crank bolts are stretch bolts. Check the manual.
- Prime hydraulic tensioners as the instructions say, so the chain is not slack on first start.
- Work on a cold engine with the battery disconnected.
- Keep everything clean. Dirt inside a timing cover goes straight into the oil.
If you have not done timing work before, we recommend a qualified mechanic. You can buy the kit from us and have it fitted at a garage you trust.
Variable Valve Timing and the Timing Drive
Many modern engines can change cam timing while they run. A solenoid sends oil to an adjuster built into the cam sprocket, which turns the camshaft slightly ahead of or behind the crank. This gives better power, economy and emissions across the rev range.
These systems depend on a healthy timing drive. A stretched chain throws the base timing out, and the engine computer cannot correct far enough. The result is a timing code even when the solenoid is fine. On the other hand, a sticking solenoid can make an engine run badly with a perfectly good chain. Read the codes, check the oil level and condition, and test the solenoid before you decide the chain is the problem. Solenoids like the 06L109259A camshaft adjustment solenoid are a much smaller job than a chain.
What to Replace Together
Most of the cost of a timing job is the labour to reach the parts. Once the covers are off, it makes sense to replace anything that wears in the same area. Here is a checklist we give customers.
- Chain engines: chain, all guides, tensioner, sprockets if worn, cover gaskets and the front crank seal.
- Belt engines: belt, tensioner, all idler pulleys, water pump if belt driven, and the cam and crank seals if they show any sign of seeping.
- Both: any one-time bolts the manual lists, and fresh oil or coolant after the job.
Complete timing chain kits cover most of the chain list in one box. Check the contents before you order separate parts.
Planning the Job
Timing work takes longer than most people expect, especially on V engines where the timing drive sits at the back or behind other parts. Read through the service manual before you start so you know which covers, brackets and accessories must come off. Put out the tools, parts, gaskets and fluids you will need, and check everything is in the box. Take photos and label bolts as they come out. If the vehicle is your only transport, plan for it to be off the road until the job is finished and checked.
If a workshop is doing the work, ask them to confirm the parts list against your engine code before you order. That way the kit you buy matches what they expect to fit.
Timing Chain Kits for Motorcycles
Most small four-stroke motorcycle and scooter engines use a single cam chain with a tensioner and guide. When the chain stretches you hear a ticking or rattling from the top of the engine, and the tensioner runs out of adjustment. Motorcycle timing chain kits like our Jialing repair kit include the chain, sprockets and tensioner, so you can replace the whole drive at once. While you are in there, check the cam itself. Our camshafts section has the CG125 camshaft set and other small engine parts.
Related Parts and Categories
Timing work often goes hand in hand with other engine jobs.
- Camshafts and cam timing parts: solenoids and adjusters in our camshafts section, such as the BMW VANOS solenoid valve.
- Belt-only parts: see our timing belts and belts and hoses sections.
- Position sensors: a failing cam or crank sensor can mimic timing faults. See our sensors.
- Tools: our tools and equipment section has workshop tools for engine jobs.
Looking After Your New Timing Drive
- Change the oil on time with the grade in your owner's manual. Chains and hydraulic tensioners depend on clean oil at the right pressure.
- Keep oil topped up. Low oil starves the tensioner and speeds up wear.
- Keep oil and coolant off timing belts. Both damage rubber.
- Note the date and distance when you fit a belt, so you know when the next one is due.
- Listen at cold start. A new rattle is worth checking early.
Buying From Easy Life Markets
Each of our timing chain kits and belt kits is listed with its reference numbers, fitment notes and contents. The current price and availability are shown on each product page. If a part does not suit your engine, our return and refund policy explains the next steps. For delivery information, see our shipping policy.
These kits suit home mechanics with timing experience, independent workshops and owners who supply parts to their own mechanic. They are a sensible buy for anyone keeping a high-mileage engine in good health.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my engine has a timing chain or a belt?
Check the owner's manual or search your engine code. Belt engines usually have a plastic cover on the front of the engine. Chain engines have a metal cover sealed to the block.
How long does a timing chain last?
Chains are designed for a long life, but guides and tensioners wear. Oil quality and change intervals make a big difference. Replace them when they show symptoms.
Should I replace the water pump with the timing belt?
If the pump is driven by the belt, many owners do, because the labour is the same. A kit with the pump included makes this simple.
What is included in timing chain kits?
It varies. Most include the chain, guides and tensioner, and some add sprockets and gaskets. Each product page lists the exact contents.
Can I fit a timing kit myself?
Only if you have the service data, locking tools and experience. Mistakes can damage the engine, so a qualified mechanic is the safer choice for most people.
What does a timing chain rattle sound like?
A metallic rattle from the front or side of the engine for a few seconds after a cold start, sometimes longer as wear increases.
Where can I find more help?
Our FAQ page covers ordering and returns, and our team can help with fitment questions.