Can someone tell me what this is. Pic inside

[bison]

Those pieces are the stock nylon timing gear. As long as the oil pickup screen wasnt completely covered and the bypass opened you should be ok. Dont drive any more till you pull the front cover and inspect the oil pump first. If pieces went through the oil pump it will be very obvious from the scoring. If not then you will be able to just replace the chain/gear. If you want to verify that its the gear remove the cam sensor and use a boroscope to look at the gear.

 

[MeanBuicks]

Dont drive any more till you pull the front cover and inspect the oil pump first.

You also don't want to risk having the chain jump timing. Happened to me many years ago 5 seconds after starting the car in a parking lot. Just shut off and wouldn't restart. Wound up with some bent valves to contend with but thank goodness it didn't happen while I was accelerating.

 

[dragrazor]

Damn, you guys are good and a lot of help! I will take your advice and just change the timing gear for now. Any preferences on the timing chain. This car will not be a race car, just a cruiser with very basic bolt ons. Again, thank you guys very much!

 

[bison]

Damn, you guys are good and a lot of help! I will take your advice and just change the timing gear for now. Any preferences on the timing chain. This car will not be a race car, just a cruiser with very basic bolt ons. Again, thank you guys very much!

You need to check the oil pump also

 

[dragrazor]

You need to check the oil pump also

ok, tx.

 

[87-WE2]

Damn, you guys are good and a lot of help! I will take your advice and just change the timing gear for now. Any preferences on the timing chain. This car will not be a race car, just a cruiser with very basic bolt ons. Again, thank you guys very much!

There's some good references about timing chains if you search "timing chain". Not being a smart a$$ here either. There's a thread where Nick mentions a link-type chain from TA Performance. I don't remember part #'s or anything, but i'm sure if you call TA they could steer you in the right direction. If you use this link-type chain set, you'll be able to use the stock tensioner. If you end up getting a double-roller the tensioner should not be used - it will get "eaten up". Having the chain tensioner seems to be preferred so there's little to no chain slop. I'll try to find this particular thread and post a link. I'm on my phone now so i cant search as easy.

 

[87-WE2]

The thread is in "engine tech" and is titled "timing chain". TA1522A and TA1522B are the part number for the TA billet gear HD link chains. I don't remember which is the correct one though. Read through the thread and Nick indicates which one is correct. One thing i've learned is that Nick is one of the guys to listen to!

 

[Bruce Urie]

Looks like timing chain plastic to me.........our original timing chains have plastic on the links in order to quiet them to keep from setting off the knock sensor........makes me wonder if a new all metal double roller chain could set off the sensor......

Bruce '87 Grand National

 

[dragrazor]

Thank you very much!

 

[Buick Mark]

Those pieces are most likely from your timing gear on your cam. The reason they have a "reddish" appearance is being in oil for 100 thousand plus miles the translucent white colored plastic takes on (absorbs) the brownish color of the oil. Pull your timing cover and replace the timing chain and gears, and call it a day, no need to rebuild the entire engine.

 

[FASTV6HENRY]

Dragrazor....there is a place called Progressive Racing Engines by opalaka airport that could do the machining for you. i used to work for them in 2002 they probabaly do the best work as far as maching goes in south florida..i dont have the number anymore but the owners name is Steve. i live in orlando now if you want to drive up you will have more choices and i can help rebuild it for you when your ready for that step. But if i would for sure remove the timing cover and replace the plastic timing chain. since the pan is already off your almost 60% done.

 

[earlbrown]

Pop the extra money for a stock GM timing set. Yes, they are plastic covered aluminum. But they last 20 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. As an added benefit as they wear they don't chew up the oil pump cavity or cover the magnetic drain plug with an afro every oil change.

 

[Guess]

Yeah, my original timing chain went at 140,000. I had only about 500 miles on the car since I bought it and thought 'surely the timing chain was replaced already'. All valves hit the top of every piston. Happened at 70mph on the freeway. I went with a double roller with no issues with knock. It is a little nosier it seems.

 

[dr_frankenstein]

Pop the extra money for a stock GM timing set. Yes, they are plastic covered aluminum. But they last 20 years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first. As an added benefit as they wear they don't chew up the oil pump cavity or cover the magnetic drain plug with an afro every oil change.

really? you would have faith on a nylon gear again?

just supprises me coming from you Earl....

 

[earlbrown]

My first nylon coated gear set lasted over 150,000 miles and almost 20 years. It got replaced with a steel set that lasted 50,000 and tore hell out of my oil pump cavity when it failed. And every time I changed the oil there was an afro on my magnetic drain plug. The day I switched back to the stock set the afro stopped.
(that timing set was the reason I wrote those how-to articles on modding timing covers)

If I wasn't running a big ass roller, I'd have a stock set with the dampner on my car right now.

 

[turbofabricator]

I have a few sets of new GM timing sets if anyone is interested. They come with the stock tensioner, too