Does a 2001 cavalier have a timing belt or chain i been reading here some say belt some say chain

its a chain?

The 2001 Cavalier does not have a timing belt....it has a chain. That being said, the tensioner for the timing chain is a common failure item. If the tensioner fails while the car is at speed, the timing chain will jump across the crankshaft teeth, putting the crankshaft and camshaft out of synchronization. This will cause the car to immediately shutdown, the pistons in the engine will come up and hit and bend the valves, resulting in internal damage to the engine.

Sounds like bad luck...changing the fuel pump will have not have an adverse effect on the timing chain. Although timing chains are are way more reliable than timing belts, they still do break. Scott

no thats not common at all, unless your driving 75k miles a year or more, what ever dealer or mechanic did the work before ,,, take it back to them and ask why this keeps happening, its defiantly not normal

It has a timing chain. The timing chain which is not a timing belt usually does not get changed because it is much stronger to with stand the engines torgue not like the belt which has to replaced every 50 to 60 thousand miles so timing chains do not have to be replaced unless there is something internally that is giving the chain some problems but usually not in most cases.

The 2.2 liter does not have a timing belt. It has a timing chain.

The timing chain cover is located behind the crank pulley. It can be removed to inspect/replace the timing chain.

I can give you more details on how to do this if you would like?

Typically a chain will last hundreds of thousands of miles and generally does not need to be replaced as a routine service.

I’m happy to assist further over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/jeremy_d728a59f986299fa

Yes, it has a timing "belt" under the timing cover behind the accessory belt!
Good luck

in the front of the engine behind the crank pulley
you have to take all the belts and the main pulley off to get to it

I had a timing chain problem, It made a noise for about 3 years and it decided to break last May, the engine just totally stopped. My 99 cavalier had 164,000 miles on it. My friend and I found out the the cavalier 2.2 eng. has a non interfer timing chain. so when my timing chain broke it didn't cause any damage.

You have a timing chain, don't have to change it like you do a belt.