LilJayV10

iTrader: (5)

I thought about running one, the noise is cool, but i dont know about all the time. I heard that there was a lot of prep work to put on it, maching the front of the block to accept the idler gears and such. any opinions good or bad? thanks

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Wide Open Till You See God...Then Brake

Guest

Depends on the engine as to how much work. The one I installed I checked the clearances (important step) and it was fine so it was pretty easy for me. Some blocks/covers do require adjustment to get the clearance correct so its kinda up in the air how much you may have to do. The noise isnt bad if you like it IMO, its really only noticeable at idle, once you are cruising you cant really hear it at all over the wind noise and exhaust.

And before anyone posts a myth, it doesnt set off my knock sensor or anyone else's I know of who runs a gear drive.

coach

madmax, I had also been wanting to put in a gear drive. I had read about the "myth" somewhere, so I wasn't too sure if I should install one. I know that there are both noisy and quiet gear drives. Would the noisy ones cause problems, or does the "myth" include both types? Which brand do you run? I think that the sound would be cool. Does it sound like a blower whine?

RARE-ROC-Z

i also hear a rumor, not proven.

does it rob horsepower? i know that the chains stretch on stock timing chains, and i want a gear drive because of two reasons, *sound* and they wont stretch.
i found a set for my car in jegs/summit, it was for the TPI, it was $149 and NOISY kind, question is though, does it rob horsepower? and how hard to install? can i do it with engine in car? thanks!!

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Jarrad
1990 IROC-Z L98 350 TPI
TH-700R4
G92- 9 Bolt Borg-Warner 3.27gears
Bright Red Hardtop/ Grey Custom Interior

mods: AFPR, B&M megashifter-HD4ft cable, Underdrive Pulleys, Ported plenum, K&N's, Magnaflow muffler, Aluminum Driveshaft, Gutted Air Boxes w/ Ram Air, and more!!
soon to have new PAINT, and suspension work

DAILY DRIVER: 1991 S10 2.5L/5SPD -

Guest

I have a Pete Jackson 'quiet' drive, its the only type available for a factory roller cam setup.
It does steal some HP from you, and since its gears the amount isnt consistent, it increases with RPM. I still think its worth it. Ideally you would want a belt drive, but when I bought the gear drive (around 93 or 94) belt drives were upwards of $800. They are a little cheaper now.

A friend of mine was running a PJ 'noisy' drive on his 85 TA, and wasnt having false knock problems either. I think there was one person I heard of that was getting false knock off a noisy drive, but never off a quiet drive.

72Formula400

For those who have thick skulls, what are the pros of gear drive if the cons are less HP and more $? Does it just operate smoohter?

JoelOl75

IMO, there's no reason to run a gear drive on a street car. They were designed for top fuelers which require dead accurate valve timing (or boom) and a chain isn't strong enough for them.

PROS: Accurate valve timing. Bulletproof.

CONS: Draws more HP
Transfers crankshaft harmonics to the valvetrain reducing the life of springs, lifters, valve seats, cam bearings
Causes inaccurate spark timing (scatter) on cars not equipped with crank triggers.
Noisy (Maybe a PRO)


Chains:

PROS: Long service life, Chains usually stretch with age whereas belts may break causing piston to valve damage, true roller designs eat less horsepower, but myths go they stretch faster. Cheaper than any other setup.

CONS: Chain stretch causes inaccurate timing, especially at throttle trasients. Stock type chains with nylon gears earn a bad rap with extreme performance cars.

BELTS:

PROS: everything good! easy cam timing changes, lowest hp wasted, setups for wet or dry mounting.

CONS: expensive, breakage can destroy the motor from piston to valve interference.