Not sure if this fits in here better or in the General Tech section...


Trying to figure out which route to go. I would like experienced opinions on which one would be best to run for my mild street/strip project(possible strip usage).

mild/budget SB

350 .040 over
stock 3.48 crank
stock 5.7 rods
Speed Pro forged 9.3:1 slugs
HV oil pump
Sportsman II heads
weiand intake
comp cam 216*/223* (part no. is 12-365-4)
comp lifters & pushrods
edelbrock performer 750 cfm


I'm always thinking about how much (if at all really) a timing chain will strech, thats probably why I never "get on it" in any of my cars. I feel if I had a gear to gear set up i'd be able to enjoy the car alot more.

do people really just prefer chains because they are quieter? A good friend of mine is runnin a gear to gear set up in his forged 355 ('92 RS) and I can honestly say I can't hear any difference between a gear to gear vs. chain.

 

timing chains wear over time, but ropming on the gas in a small block isnt going to hurt your chain. if you want the gear set, i would go with the quit version. the noisey ones can cause problems to go un noticed.

 

Tech/General Engine.

 

not sure but i heard the gear sets make the knock sensor go nuts, & retard timing.

 

Thats just a myth propogated by those who never tried it.

Only reason to run a gear drive is if you want the noise, other than that... just go with a good double roller and forget its there.

 

The noise isn't worth it. Chain is the way to go. Even better is a timing belt system but that's around $700.

I ran noisy gears in my race car for one day then yanked them out and put a chain back in.

All moving parts will wear out eventually. Chains do stretch but most chains are designed to last the life of the vehicle. Factory chains last the longest but the cam gear usually fails first.

Buy a good Cloyes chain, put it in and forget about it. Check your timing every few years to see if the chain is stretching.

 

Thanks for all the input!

 

That's a new one on me, "I won't have fun with my car because the timing chain might stretch" A good double roller chain will last 100,000+ miles easy, don't worry about it.