Chain Drive

Chain Drive







Another special feature of the new engine is that it no longer has an intermediate shaft. This drive shaft, which was located between the crankshaft and camshafts on the previous model, was required in order to reduce the gear ratio and therefore the dynamic forces on the timing chains by distributing the total gear ratio between two transmission elements. Through the use of new, high-performance timing chains it has been possible to simplify the drive mechanism for the camshafts in spite of higher engine speeds, thereby reducing the weight of the engine significantly by eliminating the intermediate shaft. This single-stage timing concept also results in reduced chain noise excitation and thus in improved acoustic characteristics.