I'm building my first engine and I'm trying to do my homework before rushing into things. I'm at the "timing chain or timing gears" stage. The engine is going to be a 388 sbc stroker. Street only. Mild power. Nothing huge and definitely not a racer. This is because I'm on a budget and I have to work with what I have, and what I have is a solid small block chev that has already been bored 030 over. So I have to go 060 over if I'm going to use this block. I've never owned an engine with timing gears. I'm told they have the advantage of not "pulling" on the camshaft like a chain does. However, they rob the engine of more horsepower. Someone has given me a set of gears from a small block they once tore down so they have seen some use. How much use, I'm not sure. So the reason for my post is twofold: Would you trust used timing gears? What's better, timing gears or timing chain? ( I know this is potentially one of those "choose-your-religion" type questions but I'm looking for some solid advice for someone who is building a budget street engine and has little to no experience.
Used? No,no,no. Cloyes steel gear and chain set will last about 90 thousand miles. Do you think that will be enough?LOL.
Timing gears in a SBC will cause hearing lose and friends but since your in Vancouver I probably won't hear them...
If by timing gears you mean gear drive, no don't waste your money. Regardless of HP level I'd recommend a Cloyes brand timing chain set. I have heard some are made offshore now, inquire as to country of origin. Here's some discussion from old HAMB thread. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...a-brand-new-cloyes-timing-set-for-sbc.736749/
Yes, I meant gear drive. And I appreciate the link to the other thread. Any info is useful on this topic for me at the moment.
On a street driven, mild build SBC a stock timing chain will work just fine. Save your money and use it for a little hotter cam or some home port & polish work. A gear drive is used mainly to help with cam walk & durability in racing. If you want a little more low rpm torque then advance the timing chain. For hp retard it. Joe Sherman said the stock bottom end on a SBC was good to 8,000 rpm.
a chain pulls the cam, and a gear pushes the cam. Either way, it has side load. Which is still not very much load on the bearings, compared to the load of the valve springs (transmitted through the lifters). Run a chain, they work fine...one less thing to worry about.
I would also advise not to use a gear drive. Seems that most of us that have, end up taking them back out. If the one you have is the noisy version the sound will soon drive you nuts. Years ago I ran a Pete Jackson gear drive in a hot 383 SBC. Took it out after 3 months. Sold it!
Just use a quality chain set either aftermarket or GMPP, my last motor I went with a GMPP because my aftermarket options were a bit limited for the factory roller block at the time, it has been fine so far after a few years. Gears are a bad choice.
I ran a Pete Jackson gear drive on a built to the hilt 350 SBC with flowmaster 40 series mufflers with turn downs. The mufflers were so loud I could barely hear the gear drive. I have read that at high rpm the gear drives are know to cause spark chatter.
The Jackson has 4 gears and the 2 center gears just float that is why they make a lot of noise, if you run a 3 gear set up you can set the clearance and cut down the noise and keep the cam right in time DND
Back in the days of building engines I always used Summers Bros , that had a floating idler so you could set the play you wanted between the 3 gears Bob & Bill made great products DND
Back in the Day that I was Racing we all Used STOCK Timing Chain & Gears for a Very Good Reason With Gears if anything happen in the Motor YOU would wipe out a Engine.! but with a Stock set up you would only Wipe out the Nylon on the Gears or the Aluminum Gears, NOT the Engine.! just my 3.5 cents or when the Cows come Home.!
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