3800 Series I timing gear/chain failure...

[gnhbodyguy]

[FONT=&quot]Back in 1997 my timing gear failed on the Olds 3800 Series I (picture). The gear teeth wore down to the point the chain slipped on the gear. I thought it was a myth that timing components needed to be serviced.

The engine had about 120,000 miles at the time. I had heard a metallic sound in the months prior, I didn’t think much of it. It turned out to be the timing chain rubbing against the metal portion of the timing gear. The failure ended up bending a couple of valves.I got it fixed and drove it a couple more years before buying the 1998.

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[journeyforce]

I take it you mean the 1986 Delta? That had the ancestor of the 3800 V6 called the 3.8 LG3.

It was used in the Delta until 1988.

These engines had nylon timing gears(to dampen noise of the timing components) and were known for failing.

Most cars with engines with timing chains go to the scrap yard with the original timing components in good shape except for a few examples(such as the 3.8l in your old Delta and the 2.5l Iron Duke(these had gears put together instead of a chain around the gears and was good for sheering off a tooth or two after 80,000 miles(the good news for the Duke was it was an non-interference engine so no valve damage) )

My old Buick Century went to the grave due to a rear end collision with over 300,000 miles on the engine and trans and the original timing components

 

[Dickwells]

I worked for the company that made the timing gears foir the Duke. The failure came about when GM decided to put roller tappets on the engine and greatly increased the strength of the valve springs.