At what HP/Torque range do i need to consider spending the money for the 95-up timing chain, opti..... set up?
I'd rather save and stay with what fits my 94. Has anyone a opinion on which gear set to use for a 94?
Has anyone anything good or bad to say considering the cheap set found on ebay?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...RK%3AMEWA%3AIT

Brian

 

You will find alot of people running the stock timing set with heads/cam and pushing about 400 hp or so.

If you looking to stay with a stock 94 type set, go with a plain old stock replacement. You can get a full stock set for around the same price as the one in the ebay link above.

Good palce to get a set? This guy.. http://www.9c1.com/parts/dal.htm

 

I wouldn't run a stock chain and most of the wiser people of the board wouldn't either.

 

I am going with the upgraded cloyes unit for the 94 lt1. The links are alot beefier than the stock unit.

 

I just did not have the funds to go to a vented opti since I have a brand new NON-vented one with 2,000 miles on it. but with Bret's cam I decided to get the Lunati timing chain. its GM gears but a new and better chain. I have seen people here with a 383 with n20 running quite well. I do have a friend who had a Procharged, stock headed LT1 pushing 11 psi he broke the crank, but the timing chain was fine and it was lunati.

 

That's odd. I kinda thought Joe Overton was one of the "wiser one's". I mean he DOES have the quickest N/A LT1 on the planet, correct? Joe is still using an early timing cover with a stock chain...Atleast he still was 2 years ago when he was ONLY running 9.70's.

Frank

 

I bought a Lunati chain and gears for mine. The strange thing about it is, the top sprocket is a GM sprocket (with a GM part number stamped on it). The chain looks like a factory chain, and I had to buy a Cloyes O/S bottom sprocket to take up the new chain slop.

 

How often does he change his chain? After every race? Its still not a good idea, just because someone does it and gets away with it doesn't make it a good idea. Ask many of the motor builders on here and see what they would use on their personal stuff. Call me crazy but i don't see risking 5k in a motor because i skimped on the timing chain.

 

Oh and do a search on busted chains i've posted many links to threads about busting them. Hell one kid busted one on his LE headed 383 after the 2nd or 3rd WOT run. Good idea in my book.

 

When I changed the cam a few summers ago all I did was change the old timing chain for a new stock one. Like the other person in here I had a relatively new optispark and did not want to swap it out in order to upgrade to a LT4 set for example. I have had the stock replacement in for a couple of summers now with no problems, but it's only a temporary cheap solution until I upgrade to something stronger.

To try and answer your question, I think that if you're making around 350 HP or below, the stock replacement chain is enough, anything above that I wouldn't feel comfortable running it, like z95m6 mentioned why risk a top-dollar 400 HP N/A setup on the chain?

quickmedic1, do you have any part numbers or websites for the cloyes chain you're referring to?

 

How much chain slop is too much? Swapping to a cloyes sprocket gear is a good idea but how much slop is to much?
One says the Lunati chain is beefyer the other that its the same as stock. Anyone else experienced here with the Lunati? I haven't heard anything on the CC chain set which is like $500! Whats a Cloyes set go for? I'd like to go with stock or the Lunati(if its worth it) over the big boy toys$$$.

Brian

 

It depends on your valve spring pressure as to what chain to run. With 350PSI open I would run a Cloyes with the standard GM LT1 crank gear if ya are running the gear drive WP. If ya are running electric pump ya can go to the oversize crank gear for a LT1 which is the gear for a SBC.
The factory made it like that to take some load off of the front cam brg when using the factory WP and the chain is looser than normal. If ya run the oversized sprocket with the factory WP say by by to your front cam brg,short lived.


If your engine has been built make sure the .027 holes are in the lifter galley plugs on each side to lube the chain and WP gear. If not say by by to them also.

 

Did ya put that chain on personally and the timing cover and help install the engine.
I wouldn't tell ya what chain or even bolts I am running(not the real ones) if I hadn't known ya for a long time.
When ya are on top ya want to keep it that way.
At Baton Rouge 9.70 was about what he ran.
He ran a 9.3? on alchol but that ain't legal. Where did I get that info???? I'll never tell and if I told ya they would shoot ME.

 

cloyes 9-9100 for 92-94 and 9-3151 for 95-97

 

So, I'm going to run cc918 springs that have 320PSI open. Also i will use the wp gear drive. I understand to use the stock(new) crank gear so i have the correct chain slop. The cloyes chain i sould use will give better strength then the stock.
Can the Cloyes chain be the Extreme duty chain for the 95-97 as long as i use original stock gears?
Cloyes list this non extreme chain, should i use it?
LT1 V-8 350 (5.7P) - with 1/2” pitch single roller chain- 1994-97.