BitchinRS

WEll I hit a few snags, but after 9 an 1/2 hours The cahin was in... and I was laying rubber down a country road!!!!

This had to have been the best repair I have done to this car!!! i sugest it to every one!!!!!!!!

The only problems I had were with getting the timing marks to line back up with each other and a minor water leak at the timing cover. I ended up repair in the leak with a little extra RTV smeared in that spot.

I had 1 and 1/2 inch worth of play in the timing chain!!!!!! I couldn't belive it!

Now my car pulls hard even in fifth gear. Shifting is much smother. especialy first gear. here i was blaming my self for being lame at shifting into first gear, but now it's smoth as glass. The enigne even runs smother.

I know TomP said not to use the center screw type balncer installer, but that was all I could find. It work fine, no damage to balncer at all.

The 2 bolts the service maual says that you have to remove from the oil pan is a bunch of BS. there are no bolts going through the oil pan to the timing cover on a 3.1L.

My tip to any one who is going to do this project is... RTV is your friend use it well!!!

Results from the road test:

1st. gear held all the way to 20 MPH and pull verry strong.
2nd. gear held to 35MP and pul;l very strong.
3rd gear all the way to 60MPH and still pulled strong.
4th gear I chose to shift to 5th gear 95.
5th gear pulled strong until the speed limiter kicked in.

This was definetly a worthy project. Now to disabled the speed limiter!!!!

Ryan_Alswede

How many miles??

Wasn't your tensioner working??

Where you off any teeth?

BitchinRS

208,285 miles. Tensioner working? It's just a pice meatal and plastic thing just sits there. A small junk of plastic was broken off, but was no big deal. i would say the chunk was only like 1/4 on an inch.

All the teath were there, but they worn badly. You could see the impresion of the timing chain on them. had a bunch of cracks in the gears too!

Ryan_Alswede

I new it had to be high miles

V6camaroman

what brand of timing chain did you put in? was it a double roller. i have a cloyes double roller in my bird. is that the only mod you did.

BitchinRS

I just used a stock OEM replacment Dyna Gear timing chain and gears.

Mod's:
Dual snorkle intake with K&N's
Custom bent cat back with a Catco high flow cat and Flowmaster 80 sieres muf.( soon to have a custom bent "y" pipe).
rebuilt distrib. with Holly hipo ignition mod. and Accel super coil.
Ported and polished throtle body, also trimed the gasket so it would match the bore.

BitchinRS

How do you like the double roller?

V6camaroman

i think it works fine. i heard a double roller will give more hp so i bought one for the car. it was put in when it was rebuilt. i think it gives like 10 more hp.

KED85

I have the same Dyna Gear ($30) installed in my 3.4 Firebird & it's in my Blazer 3.4, too.
I AM SO HAPPY TO HEAR YOU SAY THE PRAISE!
Feels like ya rebuilt the engine, almost.
10HP.
IF YA LUCKY a Double roller MAY gain ya about 1-2 HP.
I use link belts chains.
WHY Don't I loose HP?
NO
I gain chain longevity. These link belt chains last about 25-40,000 extra miles than a double roller chain in ame conditions.
So told me by a TRW engineer that helped me parts select for my 1970 "LT-1" I've built

Brian K

I agree.. When I had my cahain done it was likea totally different car.. I would recommend that as part of the basic tune up to all third gen's.... V6 or 8!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dale

iTrader: (12)

How much would it cost to put a oem one back in??

Also, for my s10 "show truck" how much/ and where can i get that cloyes double rolloer??

Also, about after how many miles is this suggested??

Truck has 140k on it, camaro has 165k on it

KED85

Any vehicle with over 75K miles, DO IT.
ESPECIALLY if you plan on keeping the ride.
Go to ANY parts store and obtain their timing chain option.
It makes NO DIFFERENCE if it's double roller or whatever.
As long as it's new.
I paid $30 for both chains. Add water pump, gaskets, & you're looking at $50-ish.
It's a good time for fresh fluids & check hoses, too.

BitchinRS

I bought a bunch of tools and a high flow water pump for my project so my total cost was around $290, but it was worth it. the reason for the high price was the high flow water pump and the tools I bought. I chose to go with the high flow becuase ware I live it hits 110* - 115* regularly in te summer. I also bought a really nice harmonic balancer puller and installer kit for $70. I figured I would pick up a 4 inch spred gear puller ($30) becuase I had a good feeling that my crank gear would be stuck on there and I didn't want to take a chisle wack at it. I don't like the idea of hiting any thing that is attached to the crank or cam shaft. The three pice timing set cost me $30. The high flow pump ran me another $85, but it was cheap insurance that come next summer I will run a bit cooler. add in the extra little items like a tube RTV, the emergency run to get the 1 and 5/16 rench need to turn the harmonic balancer installer nut, and other sealents. I knew this project would cost me a few bucks and take the majority of the day to complete so I plan for it. bought all the parts and tools I would need for the job (except for the 1 and 5/16 wrench I forgot about ). then set aside A weekend I wouldn't mind spending working on the car. I all ways give my self 2 days when I do a major project. Just in case I screw some thing up.

Oh I should add this was my first time doing a timing chain! So most of the 9 and 1/2 hours were spent taking my time and being **** about how things went back together. Doing it this way paid off big time!! When I was done I only had 1 minor problem and that was the small water leak. The car ran like a champ other wise!!.

KED85

becuase I had a good feeling that my crank gear would be stuck on there and I didn't want to take a chisle wack at it. I don't like the idea of hiting any thing that is attached to the crank or cam shaft.
Camshaft, I'd nver hit.
The crank snout.
I used a new metal chissel.
One wack, nope.
Second a bit harder, cut/cracked like a hot knife thru butter.
Was way fun!
I'll never pull on a crank gear again.
So pleased to hear your efforts worth it.

CaliCamaroRS

Hmmm, I'd recommend that EVERYONE replace their chain after around 100,000-125,000 miles. My tensioner(true name is an idler) actually broke into pieces after the streched chain kept hitting it. THIS WAS AT 140,000 MILES!!!

EDIT: BitchinRS---Are you saying you DIDN'T replace the tensioner/idler?!?!?! I hate to say it....but if you didn't replace it, it would be in your best interests to pull that cover again. I've been there......it sucks but it's gotta be done.

Brian K

My explorer recommends a chain at 60K and after seeing what it did for my camaro as soon as I hit 60K it is going in....

Dale

iTrader: (12)

Ok, so 30 for timing chain set, I have few half used tubes of rtv, and then I need that tensioner, how much is that.

For tools I am sure I have that 1 5/16 socket and I think pops has a crank pully, but I like having excuses to buy new tools . Guess I need to do this before we sell the mrs old car.

I think my s10 hight have it done already, I looked it had has rtv around cover, So I ma guessing its been done before.

I guess in one month, its time to get a timing chain

KED85

DON'T BE BUMMED
You'll enjoy the results!

Dale

iTrader: (12)

Its just more money then im wanting to spend on it right now. I have already dumped 2k+ into it in past 3 months. But if it runs better, gets better mpg, more efficent, bla bla bla, I guess its worth it. So what all I need? gears, chain, rtv, ballencer puller, what else, does it need oil changed at this time also??

BitchinRS

CaliCamaroRS,

No I didn't replace it. I just had a small nibet taken out of it on one side. Other then that it was in good shape. When I get my second car up and running I will be able to go back and do it when I have more then 1 day to lay the Camaro up. I want to change the timing cover any ways. I didn't know it had cracks in it until I had it off. Not major cracks just hair line cracks, but still I don't like the idea of it being cracked.

Dale,

You'll want the ballencer installer too. Unless you want to wack it on with a pice of wood and a hammer. No you don't to change the oil at that time.



Oh I left out one of the small snags I hit... I knew for a while that my serpitine belt tensioner had some damage and need to be replaced. It did get replace, but only after I tried to take the belt off the puley came of the main body and went flying through the air!! It was kinda funny. Just imagine the look on my face as it went shooting passed my face!! Fortunetly it cost about 4$40 to replace with a new one.

Dale

iTrader: (12)

Balancer installer?? Ok, another tool to add to my collection Great, I looked up parts online and it does look like about 35-40 a ride. First I gotta get brakes on my dodge before I smack someone with it.

Dale

iTrader: (12)

I brought my camaro repair book with me to work today. It says in here that if you havent replaced your timing CHAIN within the past 25,000 miles, you should. I was like thats a yearly process. geeshh.
Has anyone needed to replace the "front cover oil seal" at this time. I am thinking of doing that while I have it taken apart. Looks fairly easy, but we all know how that can be.

KED85

Worry more about the corrosion on the water passages.
I swapped mine as my water passage was about to break thru again.
I have to pull mine off the Firebird again.
I'll take Dan's advice about the tensioner.
I'll take my advice about the balancer grove repair piece from Fel Pro or Pioneer.
I did these tips to my 85 Blazer 3.4 swap. I CERTAINLY hope no oil leaks.
My Firebird does leak & I must repair.
Drat.

TomP

Glad to hear it worked out! And actually, I said not to use the center screw to install the balancer... meaning, the actual bolt that's from the center of the crank pulley. You wouldn't get damage to the balancer, you'd get what I did, a snapped bolt in the snout of the crankshaft. Using the tool was the right idea!!

Where'd you find a high-flow water pump for our cars?

Doing the front cover seal is part of doing the timing chain... in fact, a new front seal came with my felpro "2.8 timing chain kit". Glad to hear the two front bolts aren't under the lip of the front of the oil pan... supposedly, that's only for the 2-piece oil pan gaskets (82-86), so thanks for confirming it!

I bought my Cloyes true dual roller chain from Summit, a few years ago, I paid $90 for it.

BitchinRS

I got lucky!!!

I found a guy in the mini ads selling off a bunch of third gen parts. he had 1 high flow pump made by brassworks. It wasn't in the box but it was never used. So of course I snag it!! I checked with Brassworks and it has gone the way of so many cool aftermakret parts for third gen V6's (like headers) and they no longer manufacture them for the 3.1L or 2.8L.

My mistake. I miss read what your post about the center screw.