Big_Bird_WS6

iTrader: (7)

ok. i have done a few cam swaps in my day and i have replaced the dampener ever time i have done them. well i ordered a new LS9 cam for a build so i got the ls9 dampner with it.

well all the OLD style ones are a black looking piece.

and the New LS9 style is a metal brake with to peices of plastic on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltJg1OcIjoE
^^^ you can see new style in this video at 1:44 min adn then it shows more of it later in the movie

Question is

what is the benifet of the new style?

should i start using it on all the cam swaps. or is the black on better?

thanks
D

cam

iTrader: (9)

curious about this myself. Subscribing

Big_Bird_WS6

iTrader: (7)

the new style looks better. but it is more money too. lol

JFM-jr

iTrader: (23)

I was faced with this decision when I built my LS2. The newer design is a spring loaded tensioner with plastic shoes. The design allows the shoes to keep slack off the chain as it wears/stretches over time. I had read some threads on a G8 forum (the LS3 uses the same tensioner) about the tensioners coming apart. I am not sure how common it is (maybe somebody will add in here) but the LS2 block style have no moving parts to fail. I reinstalled the LS2 tensioner.

formula17

iTrader: (4)

Slightly off topic, But anyone here running a tensioner with a double roller chain?

bigwillys58

mine was all intact but i swapped it for the ls2 tensioner because of this known problem...

Big_Bird_WS6

iTrader: (7)

^^^ coming apart. and you say its known problem.

what comes apart?
details or where can i find details

1.8t

I have heard rumors about them coming apart as well. However, this same tensioner is used on the ZR-1's. I am not so sure that GM would have put this piece on their $120k vette if it wasn't durable.

JFM-jr

iTrader: (23)

And to think there are tons of LS1/6 motors still running with no tensioner at all

cam

iTrader: (9)

For the sake of safety Im going to install a new spring type as my engine is VVT and I dont want to mess with something unproven even if the LS2 tensioner is a better piece it might not jive with the phaser.

Big_Bird_WS6

iTrader: (7)

cam i dont have vvt. but i am going to use it in my LS3 ERL motor. it seems to be a great piece

i just wish some big names would come in and give there two cents on wht they use

cam

iTrader: (9)

Well I've searched this out quite a bit and it seems to me that there were a few isolated failures on the spring itself mainly coming out of Australia and a couple C6's here. I also noticed that these builds had some pretty huge cams installed and who can say what the QC was like on the installs. There are a couple of shops who talked about why they swapped out the LS3 spring tensioner for the LS2 fixed mounted piece and they simply said that the LS2 piece was proven and had no moving parts and this was the only reason they swapped them out.

As far as Im concerned the General believes in them enough to run them in the trucks and this is the life blood of the company so if there were real tensioner issues Im sure we would all have heard about it and there would be recalls etc. This isnt the case at all and considering the failures i read about had pretty damn big cams I'm thinking that the spring tensioner is good to go.


This is very true and very valid.