Z06FRC

I'm doing a head and cam swap on my 99 Corvette FRC. I'm purchasing PRC 5.3L Stage 2.5 ported heads and Texas Speed 220/220 Camshaft. Should I change my timing chain and oil pump. I only have 85,000km (53,000 miles) on my car. Both the pump and chain are in perfect working order. I don't want to replace something that's not broken unless I have to.

Super Speed

iTrader: (8)

The oil pump will help your cam get the oil it needs in the higher RPM's and the stock timing chain is weak which can snap due to higher rpms and stress... It's cheap insurance

brownz

iTrader: (6)

for short YES

Damian

iTrader: (89)

The "if it aint broke don't fix it" does NOT apply when building an engine. PERIOD.

Think of it this way..

-Your pump/chain are now 10 yrs old (since that car probably hit the lot in late 98)
-99's have a weaker pump/chain than the 01+ cars
-Neglect to change those items could cost you a motor
-They are fairly cheap
-Better to do it now, than tear down the entire engine later because you didn't

I REQUIRE my customers to replace their pump/chain on anything older than an 01 if I'm building a motor. Even on 01+ cars, if the mileage is over 50K I do as well.

NemeSS

iTrader: (127)

yes

180ls1

iTrader: (4)

yes i would also go with a bigger cam as well. Why the smaller cam?

Michael02hawk

iTrader: (26)

+10,000 on YES.

Your already in there, go the extra step to do it right. Like said, its cheap and a little extra time.

Z06FRC

I drive my car daily in the summer, mainly on the street. I do take it to a 1/4 mile track once in a while. The reason why I picked this cam is because I would like to pass emission test, have very smooth idle and it's street friendly. I could put a 224/224 camshaft and pass emission, but that'll be overboard in my opinion. If I was using the car for 50% street use and 50% track use then I can see myself picking this cam. The 220/220 camshaft is a safe choice and I feel pretty comfortable with it.

Damian

iTrader: (89)

You need to do a little more research on camshaft technology in present day.

A 224/224 camshaft on a 114 LSA with today's lobe designs and a decent tune will idle like a completely stock car and make about 10-15 more rwhp than the 220 cam. The idle differences between those two are very little, to nothing with today's lobe technology and tuning capabilities.

blackbird9933

you dont need to replace your oil pump, the stock one will do fine, especially with that cam, i have a 228/228 cam with stock oil pump n its fine, i did however get a ls6 timing chain

BriancWS6

iTrader: (18)

With yours being a pre-01 model, I would get the new pump and an LS2 timing chain. I kept the stock pump with my car (02 model), but I installed the LS2 chain. I had low miles and my oil pressure had always been great, and still is, so I kept the stocker on this setup.

orangeapeel

iTrader: (18)

Lot of good info in here, but it is moving to the internal section.

Kingc8r

iTrader: (21)

Couldn't have said it better. Good information

MrElectric03

iTrader: (71)

Oil pump is just something that sucks to replace and when it goes it could likely take out that cam you just put in or worse the bearings on the rods and crank. And the chain? Come on...SDPC sells the LS2 chain for like $40 which uses your stock gears but the chain is better. Spend the extra $150-$180 and do it right.

Think building a motor is expensive?...try repairing one AFTER you biuld it because you went cheap on it.

StevieZ

iTrader: (3)

Yep you may as well shim the pump and replace the chain. ....you'll have piece of mind!

sreve

iTrader: (3)

what he said i tore my oil pump down and it looked fine put one #8 machine washer in the cap and called it good.
put a chain gear set it it