I had a mechanic tell me that my 98.5, 2500 diesel does not have a timing belt. I have never heard of a vehicle not having a timing belt. Am I the idiot or is my mechanic dumber than I am?

 

you have timing gears.

 

Here's your timing gears...

 

I guess this wasn't a stupid question after all. The picture is awesome. Do these gears ever need any kind of adjusting to keep the timing right? I would assume they can start to wear just like any gear over time. Also, what lubricates them? Is it the engine oil?

 

Engine oil does lubricate them. They will last many thousands of miles (200k+).

 

You've never heard of a vehicle not having a timing belt? Up until the mid-1980s, almost all American car engines had timing chains. Timing gears are common with inline six cylinder engines. Timing belts are a fairly recent development, and they are usually associated with gasoline engines that have overhead cam arrangements.

 

Good Job on the pic Coal Train....

 

Certainly a valid point Joel MD. While I had never heard of timing gears before, I was aware of timing chains. By no means am I a mechanic, but I do have an understanding of engines and how they work. One thing I do know about engines is that there has to be some sort of timing between the stroke of the piston and the valves. That was what struck me as being odd when my mechanic told me there was no timing belt on a cummins engine. I had never considered timing gears because I was not aware of them. I love this forum and appreciate all the help I have received on various topics over the past year. Great feedback everybody. I learned something new!