Who makes the best timing chain? - Page 2

Ed Wright · 08-10-2013, 11:11 AM

I got the one I have from Scoggin Dicky in Lubbock, TX.

Mike Taylor 3601 · 08-10-2013, 12:00 PM

Alot of cams are more aggressive,but the problem is the valve springs,it is'nt high spring pressures causing problems,it is too weak of springs that stretches your chain.
When pressure is high enough,once cam is rotating it turns easily,because you have one lobe pushing and one lobe pulling,so to speak,when spring pressure is too weak,lifters won't stay on lobes and you loose the smooth rotation and puts alot more strain on the chain.
If you don't believe me adjust one rocker on high spring pressure engine and try to rotate engine,every rocker you adjust it gets easier,when all are set does'nt take very much to rotate engine,the faster it turns the easier it gets.
As example we use at least 275lbs on sbc and at least 325 on bbc rollers this is on just common bracket engines not that aggressive of lobes.

Mike Taylor 3601

Alan Roehrich · 08-10-2013, 01:04 PM

We've had great life out of our Cloyes sets on the stocker engines. Never a problem at all. We typically get several hundred passes out of them, and only replace them out of guilt. We use the set that has the 6 bolts on the cam gear to allow easy adjustment.

Nothing wrong with Rollmaster sets, either, good quality pieces.

If you're killing a Cloyes race set with heat treated steel gears, you have something really bad going on.

By the way, Kevin Cradduck, my partner, and the guy who runs NitroPlate, is a patent holding timing chain engineer. He'll tell you in a heart beat that chains do not stretch, the gears wear. If you ever saw what they use to pre-stretch a timing chain, you'd be pretty convinced that your engine simply won't stretch a chain.

Usually when you have a timing set go away in a very short period of time, if it is a real race set with a good roller chain and heat treated steel gears, you have some serious harmonics that are doing it. At that point, the timing set is merely the fuse in the circuit, it gives up before something else breaks.

Glenn Briglio · 08-11-2013, 09:57 PM

Alan is correct the chain doesnt stretch. Did you check the alignment of cam and crank gear? That can wear gears quickly.

Jody Lang · 08-12-2013, 12:54 AM

If the chain doesn't stretch why does installing a new chain on the old gears make the slack disappear?

If the gears wear out wouldn't the new chain be sloppy as well?

Sorry guys the chain might not stretch, but it definitely wears. Maybe it's the pin area on the chain that wears???

older racer · 08-12-2013, 02:14 AM

hi, a question ? I assume you soak the chain in can of oil for some time before installing? I had chains stretch, before, since I soaked them in can of oil, they live a lot longer.

richie 2 · 08-12-2013, 06:40 AM

31 hundred series from compcams for us here. trouble free and the price is right. not sure who manufactures them and we pre-lube a ton at install...

Jim Kaekel · 08-12-2013, 08:51 AM

I'm not disputing anyone but I've used Cloyes sets with success. I've replaced chains as well to take the excessive slack out as well and after I replaced them the slack was gone. A timing chain has what seems like a couple hundred links and pins, and if they all wear just a tiny bit, it surely will create some slack.

Reed Granrt · 08-12-2013, 01:50 PM

Ok, I got it--chains dont stretch, they just get longer with use.
reed

1320racer · 08-12-2013, 02:17 PM

As others have stated, Rollmaster which I have been using on my BBC since 2000.

That said, I have never broken a timing chain and typically go 2 full seasons, 500+ passes. Further, my current BBC makes nearly 950HP.

08-10-2013, 11:11 AM	#11
Ed Wright Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Sand Springs, OK Posts: 8,132 Likes: 896 Liked 390 Times in 170 Posts	Re: Who makes the best timing chain? I got the one I have from Scoggin Dicky in Lubbock, TX. __________________ Ed Wright 4156 SS/JA

08-10-2013, 12:00 PM	#12
Mike Taylor 3601 VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Somerset,Ky Posts: 1,362 Likes: 336 Liked 279 Times in 96 Posts	Re: Who makes the best timing chain? Alot of cams are more aggressive,but the problem is the valve springs,it is'nt high spring pressures causing problems,it is too weak of springs that stretches your chain. When pressure is high enough,once cam is rotating it turns easily,because you have one lobe pushing and one lobe pulling,so to speak,when spring pressure is too weak,lifters won't stay on lobes and you loose the smooth rotation and puts alot more strain on the chain. If you don't believe me adjust one rocker on high spring pressure engine and try to rotate engine,every rocker you adjust it gets easier,when all are set does'nt take very much to rotate engine,the faster it turns the easier it gets. As example we use at least 275lbs on sbc and at least 325 on bbc rollers this is on just common bracket engines not that aggressive of lobes. Mike Taylor 3601

08-10-2013, 01:04 PM	#13
Alan Roehrich Veteran Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Murfreesboro TN Posts: 5,093 Likes: 1,537 Liked 1,766 Times in 401 Posts	Re: Who makes the best timing chain? We've had great life out of our Cloyes sets on the stocker engines. Never a problem at all. We typically get several hundred passes out of them, and only replace them out of guilt. We use the set that has the 6 bolts on the cam gear to allow easy adjustment. Nothing wrong with Rollmaster sets, either, good quality pieces. If you're killing a Cloyes race set with heat treated steel gears, you have something really bad going on. By the way, Kevin Cradduck, my partner, and the guy who runs NitroPlate, is a patent holding timing chain engineer. He'll tell you in a heart beat that chains do not stretch, the gears wear. If you ever saw what they use to pre-stretch a timing chain, you'd be pretty convinced that your engine simply won't stretch a chain. Usually when you have a timing set go away in a very short period of time, if it is a real race set with a good roller chain and heat treated steel gears, you have some serious harmonics that are doing it. At that point, the timing set is merely the fuse in the circuit, it gives up before something else breaks. __________________ Alan Roehrich 212A G/S

08-11-2013, 09:57 PM	#14
Glenn Briglio VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Massapequa Park,NY Posts: 1,280 Likes: 1,888 Liked 965 Times in 306 Posts	Re: Who makes the best timing chain? Alan is correct the chain doesnt stretch. Did you check the alignment of cam and crank gear? That can wear gears quickly. __________________ 1989 Camaro Iroc-Z I/SA B&B Auto Machine Shop.

08-12-2013, 12:54 AM	#15
Jody Lang Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 306 Likes: 28 Liked 89 Times in 28 Posts	Re: Who makes the best timing chain? If the chain doesn't stretch why does installing a new chain on the old gears make the slack disappear? If the gears wear out wouldn't the new chain be sloppy as well? Sorry guys the chain might not stretch, but it definitely wears. Maybe it's the pin area on the chain that wears???

08-12-2013, 02:14 AM	#16
older racer Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 211 Likes: 13 Liked 64 Times in 25 Posts	Re: Who makes the best timing chain? hi, a question ? I assume you soak the chain in can of oil for some time before installing? I had chains stretch, before, since I soaked them in can of oil, they live a lot longer.

08-12-2013, 06:40 AM	#17
richie 2 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 967 Likes: 416 Liked 200 Times in 91 Posts	Re: Who makes the best timing chain? 31 hundred series from compcams for us here. trouble free and the price is right. not sure who manufactures them and we pre-lube a ton at install...

08-12-2013, 08:51 AM	#18
Jim Kaekel VIP Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,226 Likes: 133 Liked 529 Times in 107 Posts	Re: Who makes the best timing chain? I'm not disputing anyone but I've used Cloyes sets with success. I've replaced chains as well to take the excessive slack out as well and after I replaced them the slack was gone. A timing chain has what seems like a couple hundred links and pins, and if they all wear just a tiny bit, it surely will create some slack. __________________ Jim Kaekel 3836 STK

08-12-2013, 01:50 PM	#19
Reed Granrt Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Murfreesboro, Tn Posts: 149 Likes: 0 Liked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Who makes the best timing chain? Ok, I got it--chains dont stretch, they just get longer with use. reed

08-12-2013, 02:17 PM	#20
1320racer VIP Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,628 Likes: 160 Liked 759 Times in 379 Posts	Re: Who makes the best timing chain? As others have stated, Rollmaster which I have been using on my BBC since 2000. That said, I have never broken a timing chain and typically go 2 full seasons, 500+ passes. Further, my current BBC makes nearly 950HP.