Guys, this was a hard lesson to run. I have a CTSV with cnc trickflows and boy did I mess this up bad. I was running a 236/240 605/610 cam and did not change the timing chain. I know, you can save the remarks about how stupid that might have been. Don't crash me to bad, having to get the engine torn apart and replace the bent parts is enough ridicule. I sort of got lucky though, I only have to replace 6 valves. The pistons, push rods, and the rest of the valve train along with the rotating assembly is OK. I got lucky and the timing chain broke at only 3000 rpms. As stupid as I look, I thought I would share this to help somebody not make the same mistake that I did. Of course it will be replaced with a damn good double roller when it is put back together. Just thought I would share this to help anyone who wants to read it.

 

damn man that really sucks sorry to hear that.. Atleast you seem like you got really lucky, that could have cost a lot more money. i always worried about that so i decided to swap mine out when i put a cam in for the cheap insurance.

 

Do you have an underdrive pulley?

 

I know, hind site is 20/20. But, with these new lobes that we are using, I would include a high quality timing change with almost any cam swap. I found out the hard way that these fancy cams we run will obviously put more stress on a stock one than it can stand.

 

Yes, I do have an uderdrive pulley. I bought every bolton that I could, trying to reach 500RWHP. I only made it to 491. It is a great running car, I just messed up and left one important peice of the puzzle out.

 

Why not go with a C5R/C6R racing chain? They have numberous 24 hour events pushing it to high rpm's and loads and according to Katech have never broken a chain.

 

If it winds up being a single roller, that is the only one I would use. Or, it will be a high quality double roller. I can promise you, that this is not a mistake that I will make twice.

 

I used one of the "new" Progear chains. #PG4210. Checkem out, nice piece.

 

i would agree even though the price is probably not cheap.

 

If you want THE BEST single roller chain it’s the Cloyes 9-194 IRL chain. Second best and much cheaper chain is the Katech/JWIS HME-G68V-2.

I'm curios what under drive pulley you were running? Here's a thread that's an excellent read concerning broken timing chains, crank dampers, and timing chain dampers. If your running an ASP under drive, that's most likely the root cause of the broken timing chain.

https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...n-failure.html

 

Might just have been the original chain breaking. I've read some recent threads about chain failures.

Here's a thread w/broken chain, post #57 talks about problems with a specific UDP/balancer:
https://ls1tech.com/forums/generatio...l#post10691411

There are also threads that talk about chain failure at low rpms and how a chain damper can prevent the problem. Newer LSx blocks have dampers, the LS1 does not. I don't know what block is in your CTSV, maybe you already have one.


edit: sorry to post right on top of yours 405hp_z06, at least I was quoting you

 

I am 98% sure it is the ASP underdrive pulley. Vengeance racing put the heads on, I think that is what they were selling at the time, May of 2008. Tell me more about it. Do I need to go in a different direction with the pulley? Thanks

 

Read the thread linked above, lots of discussion about this subject. It's long but very good.

The bottom line is the following:
Timing chain: Cloyes 9-194 or Katech/JWIS
Timing chain damper: Run which ever fits your block, there are 3 different ones
Crank damper: ATI 10% under drive or stock damper in good condition

I'll almost guarantee this: if you continue to run the ASP 'pulley' this won't be the last broken timing chain you will deal with.

 

I have read the thread, thanks. I am going back to a new stock one. With the money I have spent on this engine with the intake, heads, CAI and full exhaust, less than 10 horsepower is not worth another timing chain failure to me. I am going to run a stock one and a double roller. I don't want to repeat this again.

 

Joe,
I don't see this set on their website, is it a single or double roller?

 

Kind word of warning....just because a timing set is a double roller, that alone doesn't make it stronger than the two single roller chains mentioned earlier.

 

why dont you suggest ATIs new 25% pulley??? i believe they consider it to be BETTER then the factory pulley.

 

Because it's too small to effectively dampen the harmonics in the engine. Call ATI and talk to them about it, you'll understand why.

 

^ Sounds like solid info. I was torn between the two... now i think i know what one to get. I assume aluminum is better than steel because of the weight-less rotational mass.

 

Would the same apply to all 25% UD pulleys or is there more involved including the mass? I know my 25% from Summit is heavier than the stocker.