VerdeZ28

I want to know how many of you are running the stock timing chain, specifically also how many miles youve got on it and if you swapped a cam in or not
The reason I want to know is because im going to do a cam swap but am not sure if ill be able to remove the oil pan(like it says in LS1howto.com in order to replace oil pump/timing chain) without causing a leak because the only way to truely be able to replace oil pan gasket is to remove the motor and i dont want to do this.
Also if any of you did remove the oil pan without changing the gasket, does your car Leak oil through there? how many miles did your car have when you did this?
My car currently has 133,117 miles on it, so any help is appreciated.

chrisfrost

iTrader: (8)

Hello , how goes it ? I've got a used 5.3L that had probably in the neighborhood of 80,000 on it . I bought a cloyes timing set and compared the stock chain and I could'nt tell a difference in length or really size , but it was the cheap cloyes must be a stock replacement so I'm gonna return it . I was kinda thinking I probably should get a better chain at some point . I understand the LS2 chain is considerably thicker and alot cheaper than a good after-market chain/gears .

BennyB

iTrader: (12)

with a 133k i would probably get a new timing chain... but then again ive heard of brand new timing chains breaking also... so its a toss up. I know when i did my cam swap my car had 75k on it and so far so good. Good luck to ya man

BennyB

iTrader: (12)

also i would check the chain when its on and check for slack in it. a little is ok too much then i would change it for sure

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

You need a new one. Dont be lazy, do it right.

SuperSport01

LS2 chain. Very cheap upgrade from LS1 chain.

AmericanMuscleLS1

145k miles, MS3 cam, PRC doubles. Stock chain, still OE. Chain was in such good condition I left it, however will be upgrading to a LS2 chain when I pull the heads.

Ethan[ws6]

iTrader: (13)

I would recommend a new timing chain no matter what. It's not super expensive and it's a good insurance policy in my opinion. You wouldn't want the stock one to break. I'm currently running a stock one on my setup (torquer v2 cam/ls6 heads) with 64k. I regret not changing it but at the time I was really on a budget haha.

slt200mph

iTrader: (42)

Get an LS2 chain it is inexpensive and will give you good service...you do not have to pull the oil pan to replace the chain/oil pump...you just loosen up the bolts in the front and the two bolts in the rear that go into the bell housing.... that will let the pan drop down and that will give you room to work....the pan gasket will not leak...I have replaced the oil pump and chain twice with no leaks...the last LS2 chain has been in for 100,000 miles.

disc0monkey

iTrader: (10)

throw on a ls2 chain its what $35 or something. unless you have a tool to measure chain stretch you have no idea what the condition of your chain. judging by looks is hilarious. BTW lowering the oil pan is no biggie. LS1 oil pans arent like the old cars where they use cork gaskets and the pans are bending and leaking. drop it and you'll be fine. my car doesnt drip a drop of fluid.

Z28/2002

iTrader: (27)

The part number for the LS2 chain has replaced the one for the LS1

BriancWS6

iTrader: (18)

The pan gasket consist of a metal/rubber combo, and are most always reusable. I dropped the pan on my car back in the day enough to install an LS2 chain and never had an issue.

With the miles you have, I would suggest an entire timing set. I mean sure, a lot of people have gotten away with a stock chain, or replacing only the chain, but it's no trouble at all to go with a new set and oil pump, and have piece of mind. That's the route I would advise in your situation.

VerdeZ28

I was going to change the entire set, I already bought a double roller chain and everything. Im not sure if ill change the pump since my pump gives me 40+ psi and I have always changed the oil every 3k miles with full synthetic. But if you guys say that i wont leak through the oil pan then I think i will do that.

LS1Aggie09

iTrader: (25)

i was wondering the same thing and have thought about leaving the OEM timing chain. im doing an ASA cam and have a lot of miles but it seems like you could do several things with just a cam swap...where do you draw the line? (new oil pump, new timing chain/sprockets, new water pump, underdrive pulley, new intake, heads, etc.) im ok with leaving 5 hp on the table due to a old chain if thats the only down side.

how weak is the OEM chain really? whats the downside to leaving it in there?

disc0monkey

iTrader: (10)

the fact is the LS1 was discontinued and pretty quickly replaced by a stronger unit. if it pops you have ruined your valves. if your on a budget you can buy the just the LS2 chain and not the gears. its cheap enough its stupid not to upgrade.

BennyB

iTrader: (12)

This is true, but I also havent heard of too many people breaking stock chains either

OldCobraGuy

iTrader: (2)

Can anyone tell me if you can run LS2 gears as well? I've called Comp twice on their 3158KT set. One guy said yes...the other no. Go figure. I'm thinking you can as the only difference I can see is the cam timing provision on the cam gear...but I'm not sure either...and it sounds like Comp Cams isn't either! LOL Thanks in advance for the help.

1badWS6

iTrader: (32)

Go with the LS2 set. Cheap insurance policy as someone already stated. That's what I've always done. You'll be fine with dropping the pan and having no leaks after its back up.

camaroboy2000ss

iTrader: (1)

I have a 2000 ss and it had 176.664 when i changed the chan cuz i was going to chang the oil pump cuz of low oil PSI and my timing set didint look bad but i think that if your going to be in there just get a new one its going to be some extra cash but i think its worth the peace of mind

BlueBeastSS

iTrader: (2)

Stock chain with an ms4 cam. But I only have 32,xxx miles