Pulled off my heads / stop there?
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Pulled off my heads / stop there?
I pulled my 352 because I needed a new clutch and the exhaust was barely hanging on. Because of oil leaks, I decided to pull the manifold, heads, and replace the gaskets. This is all I really want to do at this point. My question is: Am I crazy not to go a little further and replace the timing chain? Or are these not problematic? Anything else I should do since I have gone this far? The water pump and all is still on so it would be a hassle. I really have no idea how many miles are on the engine. It seems OK and does not smoke.
Thanks
Thanks
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,214
Likes: 2
From: Minneapolis, MN
Pulled off my heads / stop there?
It would be an opportune time to at least check the timing chain. At least, pulling the front cover will give you the chance to replace the front seal. IMHO peace of mind is priceless. A few miles down the road you won't be saying "If only..."
Just my 2¢
Greg
Just my 2¢
Greg
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 173
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From: Montana
Pulled off my heads / stop there?
Every engine that I have tore down just to look at I end up terring it all the way down and rebuilding, because it is always worse than you will expect ( at least you should hope for the best and prepare for the worst).
Logistics Pro
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 3,565
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From: Sun River St. George
Pulled off my heads / stop there?
I would leave it. If the cylinder taper (ridge) is not bad it is likely the chain is OKAY. And you can always do the chain later. I would use new fasteners for both the intake and head. I prefer studs for the heads. I gotta say though this is a lot of work for just gaskets. I hope the heads and rings are in good shape.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 987
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From: East Bend, Carolina, U.S
Pulled off my heads / stop there?
If it is time to change all of the gaskets you mention because of oil leaks and such then why not change the timing chain? Since the only way to eliminate all oil leaks is to remove the front timing cover too. You didn't say if this engine is factory original with all the factory parts and such. If it has never been rebuilt then I am sure the engine could use a complete major rebuild.
If your engine has been rebuilt at some pint in the past and has had it's share of working miles then absolutely change the timing chain and gears not just for peace of mind but for the performance loss your engine IS experiencing from a worn/stretched timing set. I've never seen an engine that had more than 50K miles on it that didn't benefit from a new timing set and at least get better gas mileage. Over the period of a year with a worn timing set these days you could replace many more parts with the money you will spend on that poor gas mileage your truck IS delivering to you.
If your engine has been rebuilt at some pint in the past and has had it's share of working miles then absolutely change the timing chain and gears not just for peace of mind but for the performance loss your engine IS experiencing from a worn/stretched timing set. I've never seen an engine that had more than 50K miles on it that didn't benefit from a new timing set and at least get better gas mileage. Over the period of a year with a worn timing set these days you could replace many more parts with the money you will spend on that poor gas mileage your truck IS delivering to you.
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 216
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Pulled off my heads / stop there?
i just had my 360 out to work on the heads and ended up tearing it all the way down for a rebuild. i got all the gaskets, rings, rod and main bearings for only $180, so it's almost worth going all teh way. (unless much machining will be needed)
just my opinion
just my opinion
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 4,907
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From: suburban atlanta
Pulled off my heads / stop there?
but here goes one check you can do. Get the engine to TDC on #1, and do NOT turn backwards to get the marks to line up (making sure slack is all on one side of the gears.) Note the position of the rotor in the dist. Slowly turn the crankshaft in the opposite direction. When the rotor starts to turn, note the degree change on the damper. A good chain will turn 0 (new) to 6-8 degrees in reverse before the pointer will start to turn. Remember: this is just a 'gross measurement' that does not take into account any dist gear lash or play.
Someone may add additional information, but this is a reasonable SWAG to check chain slop.
tom
Someone may add additional information, but this is a reasonable SWAG to check chain slop.
tom
