I have a 1993 Camaro Z28 with 99.5k miles. I was wondering, should I be worried about my timing chain. I've read of them breaking, and know that it's very hard to distinguish from any other problem. I don't want to be cranking my engine when it breaks. The question is, how long do these last, and what are some symptoms if it does, to help distinguish it from other problems to cause the least harm to my engine? Thanks. BTW, it runs and idles just fine, runs great, just being cautious is all.

 

I have never heard of any breaking out of the norm on an internaly stock motor.

 

If your car is still running fine then there is no need to worry about it. As stated above I have yet to hear of someone breaking a stock chain on a stock application. I was using a stock chain when my car was pushing over 500 rwhp. Since then I have upgraded to a Cloyes Double Roller chain.

 

Someone posted breaking a chain on a stock cam car the other day. Normal driving too, not racing. Fifty thounsand something miles. Forgot the name of the thread put it's here somewhere.

Jeff D.

 

Yea, I have been a round these cars for not as long as many on here, only about 4 years or so, but some times people just get flawed stock component. That over time just breaks. I talked to a guy that broke a stock crank at 80K miles, normal use, na, just some bolt ons, I mean how often do you hear about some thing like that? Like that timing chain not saying its impossible, but I have never heard of an LT1 breaking that stock chain with a stock cam. People have put 306 Cams in and reused the 50K mile stocker and broke it. other wise, some people with Lt1s say theirs when they pulled them to do a cam swap developed a little slack over the course of their use, but far as them breaking on internaly stock motor, havent really heard of it. Its not like a belt or any thing, chain driven, but it is entirleypossible to have a weak link, just not to common.

 

The stock chains are pretty tough unless you got a faulty one. Not often you hear of guys busting them. Unless your going into the cover for something already, like a cam change, I would just leave it alone.