What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

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What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

The diesel has a belt, the petrol has a chain.
I dont see the beneft of the chain as belts work just as well.
 
I don't see the benefit of a modern chain...

In general they need to be so lightly built to not suffer parasitic loss that they barely last the length of time a belt would.

Also changing them is anything up to an engine out job.

Saw a 2016 1.5 petrol Mini recently having that job done and they had the whole engine out..it should be pointed out that even a belt in oil lasts that long (if you're insane) and has significantly lower parasitic losses and operational noise.

That and can be changed for 499 quid in half a day.

Not that I'd recommend a belt in oil...but those who think chains will solve the issue are unaware of modern timing chains.
 
I don't see the benefit of a modern chain...

In general they need to be so lightly built to not suffer parasitic loss that they barely last the length of time a belt would.

Also changing them is anything up to an engine out job.

Saw a 2016 1.5 petrol Mini recently having that job done and they had the whole engine out..it should be pointed out that even a belt in oil lasts that long (if you're insane) and has significantly lower parasitic losses and operational noise.

That and can be changed for 499 quid in half a day.

Not that I'd recommend a belt in oil...but those who think chains will solve the issue are unaware of modern timing chains.
Bring back the old days when you could change a Ford pinto engine cambelt in half an hour, parts were £17 including tensioner and if they turned the engine with broken belt there was no contact. Then they brought out the CVH engine which smashed all the rockers etc. so it has gone downhill ever since, progress??? This was at the time when Mazda 818 chains were failing at 17k miles from new, even though they tried, single row chain ,double row, five tooth tensioner, seven tooth tensioner, seven tooth and hydraulic.;)
 
Mazda figured it out eventually, one I had was both a none interference engine and the chain lasted longer than the floor did..

But modern cars don't tend to have chains like that as they come with other costs CO2 wise and every gramme counts and in the case of my old Mazda it was heroically ineffective at converting fuel into movement as old designs tend to be.
 
Mazda figured it out eventually, one I had was both a none interference engine and the chain lasted longer than the floor did..

But modern cars don't tend to have chains like that as they come with other costs CO2 wise and every gramme counts and in the case of my old Mazda it was heroically ineffective at converting fuel into movement as old designs tend to be.
It was around the time they brought out the first Mazda 323 which was RWD so basically the same running gear as the 818, which didn't go too badly for it's day, even without the RX3 Rotary engine which some had, although that was another set of issues again, all still on points and carburetors.;) Working at the dealers we never saw them long enough to get old and rusty.
 
The one I had was a Z engine which was a development of the B series (which had been around since the 80s)...I say development it had a timing chain, 16v and VVT on the inlet cams only but was otherwise very basic indeed.

It was however massively overbuilt for the feeble power output so lasted forever with basic maintenance.
 
The one I had was a Z engine which was a development of the B series (which had been around since the 80s)...I say development it had a timing chain, 16v and VVT on the inlet cams only but was otherwise very basic indeed.

It was however massively overbuilt for the feeble power output so lasted forever with basic maintenance.
Never had anything to do with those models, all too new for me, I left to run my own business in 1982:)
 
I had an engine many years ago with a chain, the nissan SSS engine, the chain was very heavy duty, duplex and similar sized to you see on larger motobikes.
 
Have you not had one of those tiny jam or marmalade jars in hotels or guest houses? More jar than jam.
Yes of course.... Woudnt take a great big jar like that to accomodate my brain. I mean SMALL jar!
 
I had an engine many years ago with a chain, the nissan SSS engine, the chain was very heavy duty, duplex and similar sized to you see on larger motobikes.
Our Micra had a very pretty twin duplex chain and it was so badly stretched at 49K it wouldnt run. I did have it done and it cost half the value of the car. AT the dealers they wanter £1500 to change it back in 2012. It seems pretty daft they cant make a double chain to turn a cam shaft on a 999cc engine that can last 5 oil changes, Bad design, bad quality or just plain C***?? Nissan..... Not my first thought for a reliable car now.
I don't see the benefit of a modern chain...

In general they need to be so lightly built to not suffer parasitic loss that they barely last the length of time a belt would.

Also changing them is anything up to an engine out job.

Saw a 2016 1.5 petrol Mini recently having that job done and they had the whole engine out..it should be pointed out that even a belt in oil lasts that long (if you're insane) and has significantly lower parasitic losses and operational noise.

That and can be changed for 499 quid in half a day.

Not that I'd recommend a belt in oil...but those who think chains will solve the issue are unaware of modern timing chains.
I agree. What is the point of a rubber chain??? My old A series engine on my first car was almost certaily on its original chain and tensioner after 250.000 miles. Thats what a chain should do. Thats why ships use chains for anchors and not rubber belts!
 
Our Micra had a very pretty twin duplex chain and it was so badly stretched at 49K it wouldnt run. I did have it done and it cost half the value of the car. AT the dealers they wanter £1500 to change it back in 2012. It seems pretty daft they cant make a double chain to turn a cam shaft on a 999cc engine that can last 5 oil changes, Bad design, bad quality or just plain C***?? Nissan..... Not my first thought for a reliable car now.
The 1.2tce engines seem to have a poor record for chains wearing. Don't know if your's would have used a modern generation Renault based engine?
I agree. What is the point of a rubber chain??? My old A series engine on my first car was almost certaily on its original chain and tensioner after 250.000 miles. Thats what a chain should do. Thats why ships use chains for anchors and not rubber belts!
The timing chain on the old A series was a short little thing without any guides if I remember, and I should, I've done enough of them. They could be so worn they were flapping about all over the place but still running. These pushrod engines were so basic with even more basic ignition systems that they would continue to run tolerably well. The Cooper S used a duplex which could be adapted to fit the standard engine if you replaced the backplate bolts with recessed screws and many did when modifying the standard engine for more power. Modern stuff with very the much longer chains required for Over Head Cams, flail around like whips when worn to much less of a degree than the old pushrod engines and throw the timing out making the very precise modern electronic management systems very unhappy indeed.

A belt really doesn't stretch so timing doesn't alter with wear. Oh so much simpler to renew when the time comes than a chain too, the kits are considerably cheaper for a belt than a chain and there's nothing like the time involved. Give me a belt any day. Although some, like the 5 cylinder engine where the engine needs to come out for access, will disagree.
 
Funeral of an uncle today. Intriguingly, hearse was a Tesla Model S. With the risk that lithium battery packs can spontaneously combust, they could offer cremation on the move.
MY Dad would have loved that idea. He always said he wanted a big sign on the back of the hearse "Frying Tonight"
Im sorry for the loss of your uncle though.
 
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Panda prices are plummeting. Well maybe not plummeting but certainly waning somewhat, A 2019 waze similar to mine but without all its kit, is now more in line with what one would expect. Still within a thousand of what I paid but no longer the 6K above that of the last 12 months. Im tempted to invest one last time and buy another to take the place of Ruby and move her down the line. Probably just not worth it if the prices descend significantly maybe, not a good time. The only quetion is which colour. Secondhand you can take your pick.
 
Panda prices are plummeting. Well maybe not plummeting but certainly waning somewhat, A 2019 waze similar to mine but without all its kit, is now more in line with what one would expect. Still within a thousand of what I paid but no longer the 6K above that of the last 12 months. Im tempted to invest one last time and buy another to take the place of Ruby and move her down the line. Probably just not worth it if the prices descend significantly maybe, not a good time. The only quetion is which colour. Secondhand you can take your pick.

Everything is on its way down from the superheated highs of post COVID.

We are in a recession and new cars are a luxury people can do without which is driving new prices down, which drives used down. Although dealers are doggedly trying not to loose money on stock bought at the height of crazy prices.

Ours might have actually dropped below what it cost to clear the finance in 2020 for the first time. Not that I'd complain about 3.5 years of use for the price of maintenance and a small amount of depreciation after.
 
Panda prices are plummeting. Well maybe not plummeting but certainly waning somewhat, A 2019 waze similar to mine but without all its kit, is now more in line with what one would expect. Still within a thousand of what I paid but no longer the 6K above that of the last 12 months. Im tempted to invest one last time and buy another to take the place of Ruby and move her down the line. Probably just not worth it if the prices descend significantly maybe, not a good time. The only quetion is which colour. Secondhand you can take your pick.
Prices are down at auction too. I'm awaiting a new old Grande Punto or EVO coming up at the auction that is in my price range. Which means probably a 2010 model.

No doubt I'll be on here crying when i see the problems it has, but oh well, why not? :D
 
Wife is annoyed, we had an old juke before, it was yellow with all the yellow trim inside. Nissan dropped it in 2017 as it wasn't popular enough! My wife loved it, and had to make do with the orange option on the newer one.
She's just had an email from Nissan welcoming back the yellow juke qith yellow interior trim!

The current one isn't even a year old, so probably not worth it financially for changing.
First world problems for some....
 
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