Best Timing Chain Set

What Brand Chain?

  • Melling

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Cloyes

    Votes: 8 61.5%
  • Sealed Power

    Votes: 1 7.7%
  • ACDelco

    Votes: 3 23.1%
  • Other (please specify in comments)

    Votes: 2 15.4%

  • Total voters
    13

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Schurkey

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IIRC - some 94s and 95s either don't have bosses for the spiders or, they're not drilled and tapped (think in late 94 was when GM changed it). 88 - 93 were.
As long as the bosses are there, drill three holes, tap three holes, done. Cannot take half-an-hour.

I have heard of--but never seen--pickup-truck blocks that have a step machined into the tops of the lifter bores, so that OEM roller lifters, dogbones, and spiders appear to fit but the lifters leak oil out the bores. If your lifter bores aren't stepped...you're good.

I priced a roller vs a flat tappet @ Summit Racing, after everything was said and done ~$500 more for the roller cam...
Hard to believe, unless you intend to buy all new parts. You'd need the cam, the lifters, dogbones, a spider, three bolts, and new pushrods. You'd want a timing set either way, but you need a different timing set. There's one available from GM that includes both sprockets, the chain, both the early design and the late design thrust plate, and the two bolts that hold the thrust plate. Not horribly expensive, either.
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/nal-12371043/overview/

When it was me, I paid ~$200 for a used Vortec short-block, got everything I needed except pushrods. (I re-used the cam and lifters after cleaning them, and I had to buy hardened pushrods to go with the guideplates on my aftermarket heads.) If you want an aftermarket cam, you'd add the cost of the camshaft, and maybe the cost of lifters.

Buying the spider, dogbones, lifters, cam, thrust plate and pushrods at a Pick-A-Part would be--what? $50? I don't know, we don't have pull-your-own Treasure Yards around here.

Small price to pay to get rid of flat tappets in an era of compromised oil. (The only thing you have in your favor is that the valve springs are not tremendously stiff.)
 
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Supercharged111

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Get GM lifters, they're like $120. I really don't know how you came out $500 higher either, makes no sense.
 

PlayingWithTBI

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I deleted that spreadsheet but FWIR with all new cam, lifters, spiders, push rods, roller rockers, timing chain & gears, tall valve covers, etc it was ~$500. I've put used stuff in engines before and almost always regretted it. Besides we don't have any bone yards nearby, everybody parks their junk in the back 40 around here,LOL

https://www.summitracing.com/search?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&keyword=20120643LK

https://www.summitracing.com/search?SortBy=BestKeywordMatch&SortOrder=Ascending&keyword=10120701LK
 

PlayingWithTBI

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I'm not saying roller cams are too expensive, they are much better than flat tappet, it's a budgetary consideration. There are oils still out there that are high in Zinc and Phophorus like Mobil1 0-40, 10-40, 15-50, etc. If you have a cat(s) watch out for racing/diesel oils
 

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L31MaxExpress

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Roller cams are more expensive. Also you need to buy the lifter hold-down, dogbones, and new pushrods.

Another alternative for older blocks is the GM plastic trays (GM 88958652) and tap the bolts for them into the block. You can use GM factory roller lifters and factory roller pushrods that way. Only have to use a cam button.
 

alpinecrick

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When it came time to replace the leaking timing cover on my 96, at the last moment decided to replace the timing chain and sprockets with a roller chain. Advance had a coupon so I bought their Sealed Power roller timing set. On cold start up it makes a noise similar to the "piston slap" of the early LS motors, but not as loud by any means. When I first started the truck after the install it scared the peewaddle outta' me. After a minute or two it goes away. I've got about 35k on the timing set with no problems.

A guy would think that a roller timing chain would be quieter than the stock non-roller.......sheesh.
 
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