My Camaro went home to Oshawa to die......

[Jamie Mac]

Originally Posted by f5journal

What are we looking at or supposed to be seeing with the rocker/valve spring pictures on page 2??

That they are intact. No broken springs

[Russell James]

I doubt it's the timing chain. LS motors will bend all the valves if the cam goes out of time, even a little.

I'd use Morel big wheel tie bar lifters on the next build, and leave the rev limit near stock. An over-rev can easily damage a stock lifter in the stock plastic bucket set up. Sometimes tacs aren't as fast as the actual engine spinning up, especially if the tires lose traction. I've seen many times a motor hit the rev limiter way before the tac showed it was anywhere near the limit. That's where leaving the limiter lower will save your bacon in a quick revving engine.

[PQ]

Originally Posted by camarohead

i tell ya pq...you are really becoming very mechanically inclined..have read some post about the tensioners too..with everything that you have dealt with, your getting great knowledge doing it yourself..think their might be a new sponser soon...pq motorsports...lol...really though, been on this site a long time and see that you are really learning about these cars..

I took it very seriously when I gave up my warranty. Not really because of the car it's self as is, but because I was adding power and variables. I was told on here right from the beggining, it's not a question of IF something will break, but WHEN something will. So I am trying to understand ALL of it. I was on the fence about doing a cam myself. But after this thread, I'm definitely not. hahaha A good shop finds out about these things quickly. Vengeance, from what I found out, changes the tensioner as standard proceedure. Oil pump, Lifters, timing chain etc.......... I wasn't trying to sound brash last night just talking. It's learning time here. For all of us. I'm dying to know what exactly failed here.

Originally Posted by Jamie Mac

That they are intact. No broken springs

Originally Posted by Russell James

I doubt it's the timing chain. LS motors will bend all the valves if the cam goes out of time, even a little.

Unless the first valve hit the pistonhead and caused the backjam and the timing chain jumped back or broke?

[The Flash]

Originally Posted by PQ

I have to absolutely disagree.

You talk as if you already know what caused this failure. You don't. It could be as simple as the plastic timing chain tensioner failing.

O.k: now I might be very wrong here but I believe the timing chain tensioner in the LS3 was metal (aluminium or some alloy) covered with a polymer.
Is not that right???

The tensioners on the LT1/LS1 were plastic but the LS3 is polymer covered metal right???

Please clarify this stuff to be certain

The Flash

[PQ]

Originally Posted by The Flash

O.k: now I might be very wrong here but I believe the timing chain tensioner in the LS3 was metal (aluminium or some alloy) covered with a polymer.
Is not that right???

The tensioners on the LT1/LS1 were plastic but the LS3 is polymer covered metal right???

Please clarify this stuff to be certain

The Flash

I do know there have been breaks and in at least one case, the tensioner had broken and 'disapeared'. Looks plastic to me. Certainly not alloy.

Attached Images


Attached Images

[CaniacFan]

Hi Mike:
I too learned of your mishap from Kyle shortly before it was announced at the banquet dinner in Oshawa. Not sure what can be said that hasn't already been discussed. That so sucks.

It was nice to meet another C5 member in person - and how great was that of Veteran 1 to take you back home. It goes to show that there are still some "good" people out there willing to come to the aid for those who need it.. Lori

[The Flash]

Originally Posted by PQ

I do know there have been breaks and in at least one case, the tensioner had broken and 'disapeared'. Looks plastic to me. Certainly not alloy.

@PQ:

Thanks for the quick response.

OHH Heckkkk..!!!!

This doesn`t look good at all.

These ones definitely look like some common polymer. I truly hope it to be nylon (at least it will have some durability and resistance to heat cycles and to wear).

However, from the breaks, it looks like you're right, as it broke like some type of common thermoplastic.

How come??? Now this gives a cause for concern and caution.

Thank you again.


The Flash

[PQ]

For the record:

The pics of the broken tensioner aren't Huggerorange73s pics. It's from another thread. It's from themossmans engine. He was changing his oil pump to a Melling and found that the tensioner had broken.

Here is the post in Robertways cam install thread.

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showpo...2&postcount=93

[camarohead]

yea i am really wanting to know what happen too, for i am close to a cam change and want to know what i need to do to make this as reliable as possible..subscribed...was not trying to hijack thread..was just sayin you are really learning alot pq...op..sry to hear about this and best of luck finding the problem and getting it fixed..

[Nvincent4708]

now are there any GOOD tensioner replacements? I haven't heard of any

[thePill]

That really sucks man, is it in the shop now or are you tearing it down yourself? I hope GM will make an exception in your case with being in route to Oshawa. I wonder if you talk directly to Fbod or Number 3 maybe they can work something out.

Best of luck man...

[Huggerorange73]

Okay....these pics are not for the faint of heart....this engine is a mess. I have a feeling the oil pump failed and this is the result. Had to stop for now as I have some errands to run, but I'm going to try and get the front cover off today.

[Huggerorange73]

Originally Posted by CaniacFan

Hi Mike:
I too learned of your mishap from Kyle shortly before it was announced at the banquet dinner in Oshawa. Not sure what can be said that hasn't already been discussed. That so sucks.

It was nice to meet another C5 member in person - and how great was that of Veteran 1 to take you back home. It goes to show that there are still some "good" people out there willing to come to the aid for those who need it.. Lori

Lori, it was great to meet you as well....and this mishap has shown that there are alot of good people in this community!!!!

Originally Posted by thePill

That really sucks man, is it in the shop now or are you tearing it down yourself? I hope GM will make an exception in your case with being in route to Oshawa. I wonder if you talk directly to Fbod or Number 3 maybe they can work something out.

Best of luck man...

I'm tearing it down at home and documenting all the findings here on a public forum so nobody can say I'm doing anything shady.

I did talk to Fbod & another GM rep at the tour....Scott helped, the other guy not so much.

[Hylton]

This will fix it: