dieseldog69 · Mar 5, 2018

Was reading some old threads and bits and bobs and happened across an old article for Zeus timing gears for the 200Tdi engine.

Now, me being me, I am wondering if there was a reason why they went with the gear option and not with a morse chain or some such?

Anyone know?

neilly · Mar 5, 2018

dieseldog69 said:
Zeus timing gears for the 200Tdi engine.

Is that pic not a 300tdi?

Cheers

jamesmartin · Mar 5, 2018

dieseldog69 said:
Was reading some old threads and bits and bobs and happened across an old article for Zeus timing gears for the 200Tdi engine.

Now, me being me, I am wondering if there was a reason why they went with the gear option and not with a morse chain or some such?

Anyone know?

View attachment 143893

gears were quite common on diesels before belt and seen as bullet proof in that they didnt need changing like belt or chains on high milers

dieseldog69 · Mar 5, 2018

neilly said:
Is that pic not a 300tdi?

Cheers

Yes, they did both and I couldn't be arsed to hunt for the proper 200Tdi image as it was for illustration only purposes.

neilly · Mar 5, 2018

I would have thought the reason they did not offer a chain option was because it is a dry chamber.

Belt and chain is OK there, but a chain would require a lube.

Cheers

dieseldog69 · Mar 5, 2018

jamesmartin said:
gears were quite common on diesels before belt and seen as bullet proof in that they didnt need changing like belt or chains on high milers

Makes perfect sense

But why was the Zeus timing gear kit not more widely received by owners who were always skeptical of timing belts?

dieseldog69 · Mar 5, 2018

neilly said:
I would have thought the reason they did not offer a chain option was because it is a dry chamber.

Belt and chain is OK there, but a chain would require a lube.

Cheers

Gears would also require lubrication and I believe the Zeus kit used the wading plug as the sump plug on the timing case.

brian47 · Mar 5, 2018

Not forgetting that age old problem, cost. Belts are way cheaper than chains or extra gears.

jamesmartin · Mar 5, 2018

neilly said:
I would have thought the reason they did not offer a chain option was because it is a dry chamber.

Belt and chain is OK there, but a chain would require a lube.

Cheers

so did the gears

jamesmartin · Mar 5, 2018

dieseldog69 said:
Makes perfect sense

But why was the Zeus timing gear kit not more widely received by owners who were always skeptical of timing belts?

expensive and noisy and some failed

dieseldog69 · Mar 5, 2018

brian47 said:
Not forgetting that age old problem, cost. Belts are way cheaper than chains or extra gears.

I remember being told Land Rover had taken a step backwards with the Td5 as they moved back to chain driven overhead cam.

dieseldog69 · Mar 5, 2018

jamesmartin said:
expensive and noisy and some failed

Noisier than a direct injection 200?

jamesmartin · Mar 5, 2018

dieseldog69 said:
I remember being told Land Rover had taken a step backwards with the Td5 as they moved back to chain driven overhead cam.

View attachment 143895

chains took over from belts and are better imo,td5 is first overhead cam in a defender,over head cams been a step up from pushrods

TheQ · Mar 5, 2018

One of the reasons for belts was to reduce noise.

jamesmartin · Mar 5, 2018

dieseldog69 said:
Noisier than a direct injection 200?

yes you knew when gears were fitted compared to belt

Turboman · Mar 5, 2018

jamesmartin said:
gears were quite common on diesels before belt and seen as bullet proof in that they didnt need changing like belt or chains on high milers

Almost all old tractor engines were gear driven, and you never got a problem.

Gears, chain, belt, would be order of preference for me.

jamesmartin · Mar 5, 2018

Turboman said:
Almost all old tractor engines were gear driven, and you never got a problem.

Gears, chain, belt, would be order of preference for me.

i think thats what the gear kit sellers were thinking, but noise and poor quality gears werent factor with those engines
the odd number of teeth fitted to the idler gears so it takes many turns to realign timing marks confused a few i met

dieseldog69 · Mar 5, 2018

Turboman said:
Almost all old tractor engines were gear driven, and you never got a problem.

Gears, chain, belt, would be order of preference for me.

Very much so, I can't help but wonder why Zeus didn't offer both chain and gear sets as options, the chains would have sold quite well I think.

flat · Mar 5, 2018

dieseldog69 said:
Makes perfect sense

But why was the Zeus timing gear kit not more widely received by owners who were always skeptical of timing belts?

It’s a lot louder than a belt iirc

saxavordian · Mar 5, 2018

Might be to do with material weight for the moving parts. The gears could be made lighter and would require only the belt to maintain movement. While adding the kit for chain might create strain on the same gears causing wear faster.

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