Hi guys, Looking for a good quality timing chain for my 1971 CBB 402 engine. It will have a Howards HRS-CL122312-10 Mech flat tappet cam, Howards HRS-98636-K32 Valve spring and retainer kit and Howards HRS-90075 full roller rockers. So it will have some stress to the valve train. I need to retain the OEM timing chain cover, so the new timing chain must fit without modifications. I would greatly appreciate some help with choosing a timing chain for my engine. Thanks.
when we change the fasteners from the factory ones to arp bolts or studs we ussually tell the customer that they should have it align honed/bored to make sure the caps fit right and tight , nothing wrong with factory bolts unless you see signs of stretching in the thread area . if its not a race vehicle or seldom see's the high side of 5 K rpm stock bolts work fine . the stronger bolts won't do you any better other than making your wallet lighter , if you want the motor to do better make sure you get the rotating ***y Balanced . it will make it easier on the the bolts both main and rods . if its a motor that sees 5K plus quite often then get the lower end studded not bolted ( you get a better even torque with studs as they are pulled tight by the threads on the cap end not the threads in the block ) and align bored .
Any name brand timing chain will do. Your cam really doesn't care whose timing chain is being used. I prefer Cloyes double rollers. I have an engine in the shop now and I picked up ARP main cap bolts. I plan to twist it up a bit now and then. And the block is being align honed.
I only replace the rod bolts. I don't see any need to replace the main cap bolts, they are not a problem especially on a big block chevy, which has the strongest bottom end there ever was in a gasoline engine. But look at the head bolts, if they're rusty at the threads, replace them. You can get stock replacement bolts, or spend extra money for ARP, either will work fine.
I'm having a case of while-I'm-at-it with my build. So I'm going overboard on almost everything. Agree that the bottom end of a BBC is pretty stout even in stock form.
I like to only replace the parts that need replacing, and spend the rest of my money on gas and tires
I got about 150K on a Cloyes in a hotted up small block and have used Cloyes on a mul***ude of big blocks with no problems. Someone mentioned Howards and that may be the direction I would take if my entire valve train was already Howards. I don't know that the chain is any better or worse than the Cloyes but if I was comfortable with the Howards valve train parts and already running them why not.
been running 7 years on a 2 bolt lower in a 454 that sees 7500 at the strip every p*** , no problems to date stock bolts that were checked ( measured and PT'd ) . buddy has a SBC 355 that does 8200 with a 2 bolt but studded and girdled .
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