Timing chain and FE

[csrmel]

Originally Posted by 2000mc

there isnt one, pushrod engine, so it has a short chain.

sorry, just assumed we were talking about ohc.

[Gary Palmer]

Unless you are getting significantly less mileage and you know that is the cause, I would not bother changing it. If it is worn enough to replace, your engine is likely going to need to also be replaced, in which case you'd probably be better off doing the whole thing.

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Unless your chain has s t r e t c h e d to the point of changing your valve timing (stretching would retard it, which is bad for FE because it would lower effective compression... I believe), you won't notice any difference in fuel consumption.

That said, does the free-beer-in-Fla-in-the-depths-of-winter offer only apply to clencher??

first come, first served!

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by Gary Palmer

Under the terms your proposing, I don't think you should be counting on the work acutally getting done. The primary incentive you are offering would seem to lean the participant towards the chugging side of things, not the working side.

guess we'll add this stipulation: 2 days, one night stay in sunny orlando. first day work, second day drinking.

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by csrmel

depending on where the tensioner is located, a worn timing chain may advance or retard the cam timing.

only had the car for a year, but the placement of the tensioner is very strange. i've done a few tensioner replacements myself on other GM cars where it is bolted on. on this car, it seems to be part of the timing cover assembly(no bolts).

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by 2000mc

i've asked the top guy in our shop about this very thing, not for mpg, just for wear. i had a 94 olds, but it goes for the series2 3.8s also. he says they're lifetime chains/gears, had never seen any in need of replacement from wear. or heard of any ever replaced for reason other than customer requesting it or complete engine overhaul/rebuild. i was asking because mine was over 200,000miles at the time, he said hes seen +300,000mile chains that were just fine.

long story short, wear doesn't seem to be an issue on these engines timing chains.

that's good to know. however, had a 91 chev cavalier(3.1), and a mechanic showed me the chain that was ready to fall off when i had the service done on it(115k miles).

[rh77]

IIRC, OHV/Pushrod engines (mostly from GM) aren't interference-based. If the chain breaks, the engine just quits. It's one of those things that you replace when it breaks.

On my old '77 Olds 350, the timing chain broke one evening (luckily a mile from home). It just quit. When I tried to start it and it had an erratic beat to the starter. I didn't know what happened at the time (first car and all). No harm done, easy fix.

Now on the Hondas, I don't take a chance on the belt -- every 80K miles with the water pump and tensioner.

RH77

[csrmel]

tempting offer, and now that i know you live in orlando thats not too far from palm beach, about 80 miles on the pike. what parts of orlando, and what kind of car make model year and engine is this? so far all i know is that its an under head cam olds which i have no expierence with. however it cant be much more complicated than an ohc import, which i have loads of expierence.

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by csrmel

tempting offer, and now that i know you live in orlando thats not too far from palm beach, about 80 miles on the pike. what parts of orlando, and what kind of car make model year and engine is this? so far all i know is that its an under head cam olds which i have no expierence with. however it cant be much more complicated than an ohc import, which i have loads of expierence.

actually you're less than 80 miles away, 'cause i'm about 20 miles south of orlando. 1995 olds 88 w/ 3800 v6.

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by rh77

IIRC, OHV/Pushrod engines (mostly from GM) aren't interference-based. If the chain breaks, the engine just quits. It's one of those things that you replace when it breaks.

On my old '77 Olds 350, the timing chain broke one evening (luckily a mile from home). It just quit. When I tried to start it and it had an erratic beat to the starter. I didn't know what happened at the time (first car and all). No harm done, easy fix.

Now on the Hondas, I don't take a chance on the belt -- every 80K miles with the water pump and tensioner.

RH77

thanks, i thought you might "ring in." the same goes for the v6 right? thinking that the chain might be more likely to fall out(off) of gear rather than break tho.