Beware stock timing chain tensioner! - Page 4 - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

ADM PERFORMANCE · 04-03-2012, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MTI Racing Kevin

The engine in your Camaro is an interference engine, so if the timing chain goes you can do considerable damage.

Yep .

ALSO NEVER INSTALL AN UNDERDRIVE ON ANY LS3 OR L99.
YOU WILL FAIL A TIMING CHAIN ,YOU WILL FAIL THE TENSIONER.

Otto8 · 04-30-2012, 03:40 PM

Anyone considered machining a tensioner out of better material, such as Duratron PAI?

http://www.quadrantplastics.com/eu-e...ron-R-pai.html

Or machining the tensioner from steel and cutting down the stock plastic piece so it slots into a steel backed tensioner that will not brake.

I want to get a LS3 crate engine in the future for a conversion project, but I would not run it untill a better engineered tensioner is available, or untill I make my own. Apart from that tensioner the LS3 is my favourite engine, who needs overhead cams and variable valve timing rubbish, I hate over-complicated European engines.

PQ · 04-30-2012, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Otto8

Anyone considered machining a tensioner out of better material, such as Duratron PAI?

http://www.quadrantplastics.com/eu-e...ron-R-pai.html

Or machining the tensioner from steel and cutting down the stock plastic piece so it slots inot a steel backed tensioner that will not brake.

I want to get a LS3 crate engine in the future for a conversion project, but I would not run it untill a better engineered tensioner is available, or untill I make my own. Apart from that tensioner the LS3 is my favourite engine, who needs overhead cams and variable valve timing rubbish, I hate over-complicated European engines.

Just get the dogbone from LS2 and be done with it.

Maxspeed · 10-10-2012, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADM PERFORMANCE

Yep .

ALSO NEVER INSTALL AN UNDERDRIVE ON ANY LS3 OR L99.
YOU WILL FAIL A TIMING CHAIN ,YOU WILL FAIL THE TENSIONER.

Why do you say this? Has it happened regularly?

palmdog · 06-24-2013, 10:26 PM

Doing a JRE rough idle cam swap this week and when I took off the timing chain cover I found a broken piece of plastic with my spring about to fall into my oil pan... Bummer. Haven't been on the web site for some time now but figured I would add my name to those that have found the same problem. 2010 Camaro has 28K on it, with basically JRE's street brawler package on it.. On the bright side,, I just justified my cam upgrade with my find.... well thats what I told the wife......

K32 Camaro · 06-25-2013, 03:20 AM

It's common knowledge on here to do the ls2 damper and c5r chain with a swap. It's also selectable choices when selecting a cam on Jannetty's site. For the price you'd be crazy not to do it. Gravedigger..

palmdog · 06-25-2013, 09:06 AM

Well its funny you say that. When I ordered the cam package I asked about including the chain and tensioner and was told to hold off unless I found something wrong.. well I should have stuck with my gut. Kinda like when you replace a timing belt on a honda and don't change the water pump while your also under the timing cover. Pay me now or pay me later kinda thing...

VADER SS L99 · 06-25-2013, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by palmdog

Doing a JRE rough idle cam swap this week and when I took off the timing chain cover I found a broken piece of plastic with my spring about to fall into my oil pan... Bummer. Haven't been on the web site for some time now but figured I would add my name to those that have found the same problem. 2010 Camaro has 28K on it, with basically JRE's street brawler package on it.. On the bright side,, I just justified my cam upgrade with my find.... well thats what I told the wife......

Did you have a underdrive pulley?

1Camaro2SS · 06-25-2013, 08:16 PM

Got my C5R chain and LS2 dampener in with my cam swap. Kept the stock pulley. Not worth the $$ IMO.

Mikes2nd · 07-30-2013, 11:43 PM

wait... you should go back to the ls2 gears with the ls2 dampeners.

the ls3 gears allow the chain to sit deeper.

http://apicdn.viglink.com/api/click?...%26pc%3DMALNJS

AdamEL · 11-06-2013, 10:59 PM

Man... This thread is freaking me out. I have a 2010 SS with only a year left of the factory warranty. However, I do have an extended dealer warranty that I bought that covers me for 4 years. I made sure that the timing chain was part of that list of parts covered on the warranty.

But, is this something I can just have my dealer inspect? In other words, can I roll up there tomorrow and ask that my timing chain and tensioner be checked out to see if they're looking good? I'm headed up there tomorrow morning to get my ABS reprogrammed, so could I get them to look at that stuff, too? Sorry for the noob question, I don't know a whole heck of a lot about major mechanical stuff.

If it makes any difference, I don't race my SS at the track. I have some fun doing spirited driving here and there, but I drive it pretty normally, I'd say. It has 6,000 miles, all stock except for DMH cutouts, which don't effect anything, really...

litle88 · 11-07-2013, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamEL

Man... This thread is freaking me out. I have a 2010 SS with only a year left of the factory warranty. However, I do have an extended dealer warranty that I bought that covers me for 4 years. I made sure that the timing chain was part of that list of parts covered on the warranty.

But, is this something I can just have my dealer inspect? In other words, can I roll up there tomorrow and ask that my timing chain and tensioner be checked out to see if they're looking good? I'm headed up there tomorrow morning to get my ABS reprogrammed, so could I get them to look at that stuff, too? Sorry for the noob question, I don't know a whole heck of a lot about major mechanical stuff.

If it makes any difference, I don't race my SS at the track. I have some fun doing spirited driving here and there, but I drive it pretty normally, I'd say. It has 6,000 miles, all stock except for DMH cutouts, which don't effect anything, really...

Go get your warranty money back, warranties are for honduhs and subaloosers. Go in there and check it out for yourself and then replace it with a dampner.
If not then no I'm afraid you can't just go have them do that.

AdamEL · 11-07-2013, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by litle88

Go get your warranty money back, warranties are for honduhs and subaloosers. Go in there and check it out for yourself and then replace it with a dampner.
If not then no I'm afraid you can't just go have them do that.

I've already used that warranty and I've only had my SS since September. I don't have a lot of spare money for repairs, so the warranty is a must for me.

litle88 · 11-07-2013, 10:09 PM

Well you can try, see what they say.

04-30-2012, 03:40 PM	#44
Otto8 Drives: Sotto Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: UK Posts: 1	Anyone considered machining a tensioner out of better material, such as Duratron PAI? http://www.quadrantplastics.com/eu-e...ron-R-pai.html Or machining the tensioner from steel and cutting down the stock plastic piece so it slots into a steel backed tensioner that will not brake. I want to get a LS3 crate engine in the future for a conversion project, but I would not run it untill a better engineered tensioner is available, or untill I make my own. Apart from that tensioner the LS3 is my favourite engine, who needs overhead cams and variable valve timing rubbish, I hate over-complicated European engines. Last edited by Otto8; 04-30-2012 at 03:54 PM.

06-24-2013, 10:26 PM	#47
palmdog Drives: 2010 camaro SS Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: chesapeake Va. Posts: 49 View My Garage	Another timing chain tensioner found broken Doing a JRE rough idle cam swap this week and when I took off the timing chain cover I found a broken piece of plastic with my spring about to fall into my oil pan... Bummer. Haven't been on the web site for some time now but figured I would add my name to those that have found the same problem. 2010 Camaro has 28K on it, with basically JRE's street brawler package on it.. On the bright side,, I just justified my cam upgrade with my find.... well thats what I told the wife......

06-25-2013, 08:16 PM	#51
1Camaro2SS Drives: 2010 2SS/RS L99 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 1,430 View My Garage	Got my C5R chain and LS2 dampener in with my cam swap. Kept the stock pulley. Not worth the $$ IMO. __________________ 432 RWHP 391 RWTQ 12.37 1/4 mile on stock tires

11-07-2013, 10:09 PM	#56
litle88 V8 Lounge member #2 Drives: 2001 Ws6 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Burbank,IL Posts: 6,373	Well you can try, see what they say. __________________ 2001 ws6, 40k miles, Ls3 416 stroker, short block built by PER the rest by me. LPE Ls3 heads milled to 12-1 comp, FAST 102, NW 102, kooks 2", dual DMH cutouts, Magnaflow C/B, BTR cam + springs. Full UMI suspension.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
DIY: LS3 Camshaft Install (a lot of pictures, may take a moment to load)	robertway	Camaro DIY & HOW-TO instructions & discussions	313	12-16-2023 06:53 PM
First Ever DOUBLE DIN (monitor / screen) NO LONGER AVAILABLE****	Hess RS	Audio, Video, Bluetooth, Navigation, Radar, Electronics Forum	992	06-12-2013 11:13 PM
New timing chain tensioner necessary?	yotaman96	Camaro V8 LS3 / L99 Engine, Exhaust, and Bolt-Ons	3	05-03-2011 04:40 AM
timing chain tensioner	sspaul	Camaro V8 LS3 / L99 Engine, Exhaust, and Bolt-Ons	25	12-30-2010 09:18 PM
Over 230 Satisfied 2010 Camaro Customers! Paddock Chevrolet has 40 in stock NOW	camarojoe	Dealer Camaros for Sale	2	05-24-2010 05:58 PM

06-25-2013, 03:20 AM	#48
K32 Camaro V8 lounge member #5 Drives: 12 2SS Synergy Camaro, 05 PontiacG6 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,301	It's common knowledge on here to do the ls2 damper and c5r chain with a swap. It's also selectable choices when selecting a cam on Jannetty's site. For the price you'd be crazy not to do it. Gravedigger..

06-25-2013, 09:06 AM	#49
palmdog Drives: 2010 camaro SS Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: chesapeake Va. Posts: 49 View My Garage	Well its funny you say that. When I ordered the cam package I asked about including the chain and tensioner and was told to hold off unless I found something wrong.. well I should have stuck with my gut. Kinda like when you replace a timing belt on a honda and don't change the water pump while your also under the timing cover. Pay me now or pay me later kinda thing...

07-30-2013, 11:43 PM	#52
Mikes2nd Drives: 1970 Pontiac GTO Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 73	wait... you should go back to the ls2 gears with the ls2 dampeners. the ls3 gears allow the chain to sit deeper. http://apicdn.viglink.com/api/click?...%26pc%3DMALNJS

11-06-2013, 10:59 PM	#53
AdamEL Adam E. Lucchesi Drives: 2010 1SS/RS LS3 VR Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Memphis, TN Posts: 1,381 View My Garage	Man... This thread is freaking me out. I have a 2010 SS with only a year left of the factory warranty. However, I do have an extended dealer warranty that I bought that covers me for 4 years. I made sure that the timing chain was part of that list of parts covered on the warranty. But, is this something I can just have my dealer inspect? In other words, can I roll up there tomorrow and ask that my timing chain and tensioner be checked out to see if they're looking good? I'm headed up there tomorrow morning to get my ABS reprogrammed, so could I get them to look at that stuff, too? Sorry for the noob question, I don't know a whole heck of a lot about major mechanical stuff. If it makes any difference, I don't race my SS at the track. I have some fun doing spirited driving here and there, but I drive it pretty normally, I'd say. It has 6,000 miles, all stock except for DMH cutouts, which don't effect anything, really...