Will probably be replacing my water pump and mechanical fan clutch soon. I've heard if your doing a water pump its easy to go ahead and swap out the timing chains then. I've heard these year models have the 4* retarded gearing. I've heard I need a double roller timing set. Can I buy one from say oriellys? Or which one do you all suggest. Ill be buying the fan clutch and such at oriellys so if I can get it there cool, if not, where at and links if possible. Thanks guys. Then after all that Ill start needing help on vacuum hose locations and diagrams and such. I have a few disconnected lol.

 

You have to take out the water pump to get to the timing cover, inside of which your timing chain and sprockets live, so yeah it's definitely easier to do it now if you're gonna need to do it anytime soon.

I bought a Cloyes brand timing set (chain and sprockets) from O'Reilly's for my 351. don't be concerned with where you get it, just make sure to get a good brand and not a generic parts-store brand.

 

Yeah just get a chain for a pre71 big block.

 

hNo, no no.
Just get an efi timing set ('88 & up)
The efi set fits just fine, is double roller from the factory, and is not 4* retarded like carbureted timing sets were.

If you want to spend extra $ for no reason go ahead and get the Cloyes 9-1122, but I have run both and there's really no difference except cost (if you're setting it straight up)

Buy a pre '71 timing set and you're likely to get the same crap nylon tooth hy-vo set that wore out in the first place, just with the keyway advanced by 4*.

 

Just put one in less than 6 months ago and they were solid steel no nylon, but if the FI chains are straight up timing that's good to know too