timing chain Dampener New VS Old
timing chain Dampener New VS Old 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
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
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.
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 55
Likes: 0
From: Springfield, TN
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.
Trending Topics
TECH Regular
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 440
Likes: 0
From: Alpharetta, Ga
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.
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Verdad Gallardo
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Verdad Gallardo
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin
Verdad Gallardo
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo 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.
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.
And to think there are tons of LS1/6 motors still running with no tensioner at all
