as mine has the shitty fibre one and im not driving to Mt Gambier and stripping it
There's nothing really wrong with fibre ones in general, as long as they're kept lubricated. If the oiler to them gets clogged up (often the case in a car that has sat for a long time), they get brittle and collapse.
Note also that it's a designed weak-point, because it's a lot easier to replace than a lot of other engine internals. It can be replaced without pulling the engine out.
Having said all that, if you've souped up the engine a bit - cam, double valve springs and the like - you'll be putting more stress on the timing gear than they were really designed for, so a steel one is probably a good idea.
Hope that's some help.
cheers
RET
