Ls2 chain slapping against dampener - normal?
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 86
Likes: 2
Notice how it is slapping or sticking against the left side of the dampener though? Is that normal? Just worried something is off here. Really doesn’t look right to me. I can’t find any videos of anybody rotating their engine with the front cover off to compare
Thats probably from the packing grease making the chain do that. The grease has a sticky factor that oil doesn’t have. This sticky factor causes the links to not want to move as easily as they would when oiled. No worries here. The grease will rinse off as the oil comes up to temp at first start up.
I figured it was where you happen to stop the rotation of the engine compared to the valve events and the springs were putting tension on the chain opposite of rotation so trying to kick back. I don't think it's an issue.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 86
Likes: 2
Probably not an issue but I ended up swapping back to the ls3 style tensioner instead of the ls2 dog bone. With the tensioner this doesn’t happen, it is smooth and consistent as I rotate the engine by hand with no slapping or sticking as shown in the videos. Fingers crossed the tensioner doesn’t break on me but I figured since the motor only needs to last 100 ish track hours before a rebuild it should be OK.
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I do like that style tensioner better also, but for something seeing lots of time and miles I don't have faith. It should be fine if inspected and replaced from time to time.
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Verdad Gallardo For sure it actively take up the slack using a metal leaf spring embedded on the back side guide. As we all know though many makes of vehicles with timing chains have issues with tensioners and guides that require expensive/time consuming repairs. I've seen LS cars last a long time with no damper block or tensioner so it's hard to say what the ideal fix is, but I have also seen timing chain failures from the leaf spring failing and jamming up the gears etc.