Will this setup WORK?!

[1QWIK6]

I keep snaping/breaking my timing chains... I don't know why. Stock TC's too!

MY thoughs are...

Heat and low oil splash could be killing them. So... I was thinking of T-ing off the Oil pressure block and drilling a hole in my timing chain cover and run a oil line to the top of my timing chain cover. That way oil will always be oiling the timing chain...

Anyone see any problems with doing this?

 

[Nick Micale]

doubt it will help?

Originally posted by 1QWIK6
I keep snaping/breaking my timing chains... I don't know why. Stock TC's too!..................................
.................Anyone see any problems with doing this?

My opinion it is a waste of time. In the MANY turbo Buick motors we have done, not ONE has ever broken a timing chain.

You have a unique, serious problem somewhere in the motor that needs to be corrected.

 

[1QWIK6]

NICK,

I cannot find out why I am snapping timing chains.. The stock timing chain is only fed by splash and a oil slinger.. This is TWICE that I have broken a chain (and smashed my valves!). Any suggestions on why I am breaking timing chains?

 

[Nick Micale]

Checkand double check!

Could only guess that something is mis-aligned, distorted or gets into a bind?

This would involve the block, crank and cam. All these items need to be closely checked with the proper gauges and tools [bore gauge, mikes, etc.] to determine what is happening.

I would probably throw that block away with all the issues it has demonstrated in the past.

 

[1QWIK6]

Throw the block away?! Sounds expensive

What could possible be wrong with the block/crank/cam? How would I go about checking to see if their right or not?

 

[bruce]

Originally posted by 1QWIK6
I keep snaping/breaking my timing chains... I don't know why. Stock TC's too!
MY thoughs are...
Heat and low oil splash could be killing them. So... I was thinking of T-ing off the Oil pressure block and drilling a hole in my timing chain cover and run a oil line to the top of my timing chain cover. That way oil will always be oiling the timing chain...
Anyone see any problems with doing this?

Are the chains showing signs of improper lubrication?.
ie bluing, or localized overheating (in the narrow areas)?.

If not your wasting your time and energy.

What springs and ratio rockers are you running?. Are you absolutely sure the springs have the right seat pressure?.
What's the oil pump gears look like?. Signs of debris running thru them?.

 

[325DR]

Has the block been line bored multiple times? If so the crank may be sitting higher in the block (closer to the cam) causing slack in the chain. Does the chain have slack?

 

[1QWIK6]

Has the block been line bored multiple times? If so the crank may be sitting higher in the block (closer to the cam) causing slack in the chain. Does the chain have slack?[/qupte]

It has been aligned bored once that I know of. If there is slack in the chain, souldn't the T/C tensioner take care of that?

Are the chains showing signs of improper lubrication?.
ie bluing, or localized overheating (in the narrow areas)?.

If not your wasting your time and energy.

What springs and ratio rockers are you running?. Are you absolutely sure the springs have the right seat pressure?.
What's the oil pump gears look like?. Signs of debris running thru them?.

The timing chain was pretty messed up once it snapped. It's hard to tell the cause. I do not see any blueing of the metal. The springs are the LT1 style. I'm not posivitive on the spring pressure. The car has 100PSI at cold start and 10 at idle. I didn't disassemble the oil pump since oil pressure was fine up to this point.



I dunno


My oil (spraying) over the top of the T/C should help lubrication and reduce heat... I don't see any problems doing this. I'm not 100% it will help either. Something's gotta change.

 

[JDEstill]

I'm with the others, if you are breaking timing chains there is something wrong somewhere! Odds are pretty high that you are kidding yourself if you think that additional oil on the timing chain is going to fix things.

If you've got the plugs out, can you turn the engine over pretty easily by hand? Feel any binding or anything anywhere along the way? I'd be looking for some kind of valvetrain interference problem as a first step myself. Have you done cam/lifters/rockers/pushrods/etc? Valvesprings? Those would good places to look for interference if you've changed from stock.

If you really want to supply some pressurized oil to the chain, drilling a tiny hole through one of the cam gallery plugs would do the trick I think. Then you could replace the plug later if you wanted to undo the change. Make it a small hole so you aren't robbing oil from other, more important spots, like the rods and mains! Maybe... 0.030"? That sticks in my head for some reason.

John

 

[Nick Micale]

Originally posted by 1QWIK6
............... The car has 100PSI at cold start and 10 at idle. I didn't disassemble the oil pump since oil pressure was fine up to this point............

WOW, 100 psi on start up?

Maybe a pump gear is binding.

Even with the Dut-type pump set up we do not see that on start up. Then only 10 psi at idle tells me something is wrong with this set up.

We see 70-80 psi on start up with the Dut-pump and hold 35-45 psi hot at idle. On a modded stock pump, about 15 psi less on both numbers.

Maybe keep the block and throw away the cover/pump?

 

[gofstbuick]

1QWIK6,
I looked at your old threads, did the timing chains start braking after the rebuild in 2002? If so, it's quite possible that an engine assembly problem has been causing your TC breakage issues. I don't see that adding a hose to lube the chain will do any better that what the Buick engineers have designed. I'm going through my engine, because of an oiling issue. The latest problem is that the machinist hung the odd # connecting rods wrong. Funny thing, all the rod bearings hit the copper tri-metal on one side of the bearing. This engine had 45000 miles on it. If I did not dis-assemble the engine, I would have never noticed the problems. It may be time to pull that engine, and go back to examining the basic engine assembly.