Need more information for which timing set is right.

i have been told 2 seperate things from 2 different mechanics. i am needing a timing set for a chevy 350 motor that will be fuel injected and will work with a non-factory roller cam.
One mechanic says i need a 350 gear drive noisy and the other says no that messes up the sensors and never be able to time it right that i need a double roller timing set since the motor will be fuel injected and not carburated. This motor will be going into a 95 s-10.  

theres real no NEED for a geardrive.    a noisy geardrive can play havoc on a knock sensor, if your running one.    id just go with a good quality double roller timing set.
   see what a few others suggest.   welcome to super chevy!  

there are several different cam nose shapes for small block chevy's for some roller cams..

you might want to ask the cam supplier if it uses a conventional timing set..

or if it needs a thrust plate installed and a special cam sprocket..

with a roller cam.. you might want to think about either the thrust plate or a cam button to limit the forward movement out of the front of the block.

the tapered angles on the cam lobes prevent the forward movement of the cam with conventional lifters...  roller cams have lobes that are ground flat..  

FWIW I agree with both the above posts.

Gear drives mess with knock sensors, not to mention they will get on your nerves after a while. Good, quality double roller would be the way to go.

You should contact your cam supplier to see what they suggest. Ask all the things Wayne suggested.  

Cam is 510 520 lift factory roller block in a 94 corvette motor been boared 60 stroked to a 4.0 stroke 12:1 compression - i had to make a new signon my original one wouldnt let me sign in. no knock sensor, we put a chain in it before and the first time we wound it up it stretched the chain.  

if you go with a geardrive, id get the quiet version.   the noisy ones will get on your nerves after a while, as mentioned.

  what brand/kind of chain did you use?   some cheaper chains are coming from over-seas and having the same problem you mentioned with stretching real quickly.   zoom is one of them.  

we have used two comp cam chains in 6 months  

there is NOT a timing set that does NOT get slightly loose.... in fact.. you really DON"T want them pulled really tight...

you will be pulling the CRANK nose upward  against the top main bearing.. the rest of the crank is going to be hammered against the bottom bearings... its going to be HARD on the crank..


you will be pulling DOWN on the front cam bearing..   all you have to do is start the engine and break it in a while and the chain is going to come slightly loose and for a good reason..

if you want it perfectly TIGHT...  look at jessel belt drives..

when you set the crank damper to TDC in normal direction of rotation.. HOW far back can you move the crank before the slack comes out and the cam just starts to move...

more than a few degrees...  i don't even think about changing the timing set on street motors until i get over 1/2" to 9/16 of an inch of rotation at the timing pointer when i reverse the crank direction..   how much slack do you have??? when you start getting worried about it..

are you having issues with tight valve piston clearances changing and coming close when the chain flips back and forth..

what kind of OILING is the timing chain getting...

are the timing sprockets you are using... made of machined steel or powdered metal cast as a finished piece ..

what is the timing set number you are using..

there are MANY brands... some with the same components in the box.. some with other brands of components in the box...

last i looked.. there were over 30 small block chevy timing sets... but thats NOT a complete listing...

if this is really an issue.. starting around 2000.. the 4.3 chevy motors had a timing chain tensioner.. it requires a smooth back link chain.. so it does not vibrate your teeth out as it goes across the tensioner pads...  i don't know if you want to do the machine work to install this in your V8...  

if you are seeing spark scatter issues when you have the timing light aimed at the damper.. could you have TOO MUCH timing and it detonating...


question....

are you running the corvette  LT1 water pump driven by a shaft through the back of the timing cover... are you running the OPTI Spark distributer driven directly off the cam snout?