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Chains can stretch, weigh more and make noise. This is why belts are used, in addition to being a space saver. The ultimate in reliability are gear drives. Thos

Chains can stretch, weigh more and make noise. This is why belts are used, in addition to being a space saver. The ultimate in reliability are gear drives. Those truly never wear out or need replaced (found in nearly any diesel engine). Chains were very common in American cars and trucks for decades and they did need replaced after 150k-200k miles. I replaced the one in my 1993 Ford 5.0 at about 150k hard miles and it made a dramatic difference in performance (solved knocking/preignition on hills).

ek750 2y ago
These days, there are some engines with (oil immersed) belts, but that's for fuel efficiency, not longevity. Chains last longer, typically, although I used to have a 97 Honda VFR that had neither. They started with chains in earlier models but had reliability issues so switched to straight cut gears. Man I miss the way those things sounded -- like a supercharger whine. Amazing