I have been working on my plenum project for about a week now due to lack of daylight in the evenings. I am finally about ready to button everything back up. However I am going to do my water pump today after work and was wondering is there any way for me to check the timing chain without opening up the cover?

I have never done a timing chain before and I am just afraid I will mess something up if I try to tackle it(like jump time etc.). Would the $50 autozone kit be sufficent enough as a replacement and actually give me a noticable difference in power if the chain is loose?

The truck has 154k on it and the plenum was not blown when I went to replace it, so I am just wondering if there is a way to inspect it or should I just tackle it and be done with it.

Thanks Again

 

I would just do it and be done with it. I bought a comp cams double roller for $45. I don't know what brand timing set autozone has but I bought a sa gear timing set from advance for my trans am and it was garbage. Had to take everything back off to replace it again. Not something I really wanted to do twice.

 

I got the SA gear timing set for my truck, and it seemed like a quality piece? Installed with no problems.

If you want to check it..... roll the engine over until the timing mark is on the zero on the scale. Take off the distributor cap, now, turn the engine backwards until the rotor starts to move. Anything more than ten degrees (some say seven...) is too much. Time to replace it.

 

Dang, I was hoping I could pick up something local of decent quality. I was trying to get this finished up tonight.

 

To check without tearing into the guts: Pop off the distributor cap, turn the engine clockwise via the crank pulley nut to bring the rotor around to point generally toward the front of the truck. Then, keeping an eye on the rotor (probably requires a helper), turn the engine counterclockwise until the rotor just begins to move, indicating that the chain slack has been taken up. If you've got to go more than about ten degrees of arc to make the rotor move (take the slack out of the chain) the chain is out of spec. The spec is just 1/8" of slack, and at 154k miles you'll certainly see more than that.

Caveat: You're not supposed to turn the crankshaft backwards. It will cause your refrigerator to catch fire and make your cat's *** itch fiercely.

Update: Ninja'd by HeyYou again! That's what I get for taking time out to talk to the wife between loading the page and answering the question.

 

Are any of the big box store timing chains of any quality at all? Or do I just need to order one?

 

Maybe it's OK for the Dodge's then. The Lt1 in my trans am sounded like I put a gear drive in it when I fired it up. I'm pretty sure the problem was the cam gear. The water pump is driven off a gear on the back of the cam gear. Maybe it was cut wrong. I don't know for sure but I'll never get another one to find out lol.

 

Do you live near Atlanta?

 

I live about 2hrs away just outside of Chattanooga

 

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...6_R%7CGRP60010

Is this what you got HeyYou?