Suggestions on upgraded timing components this time around

[PM-Performance]

What is the concensus on timing components while the engine it out for rebuild.
I do not want to both L&M until I am ready to drop everything off, but I want to collect parts as I get little chunks of money.

I still need to rip off the oil pump to check the gear, but if it is already a Billet gear, should I replace it anyway for good measure being my snout snapped?

I will be doing cams while in there, so I was thinking billet tensioners, billet crank gear and OPG if not already done.
Anything I am overlooking that is realistic and not complete overkill that will cause a rediculous budget change?

I hear some mixed stuff on MMR, so what does everyone recommend for all the components brand wise as well?

 

[2011 gtcs]

I've always felt like it worth switching to the 10mm timing chain setup, all you really need is the 03/04 cobra valve covers, billet timing chain guides, (i know Shelby Mike has a badass set) obviously Billet OPG and Billet crank sprockets, not 100% sure on what are the best tensioners to use, and definitely a better secondary chain set.

Are you doing a billet crank this time? Or just a crank support?

 

[PM-Performance]

I've always felt like it worth switching to the 10mm timing chain setup, all you really need is the 03/04 cobra valve covers, billet timing chain guides, (i know Shelby Mike has a badass set) obviously Billet OPG and Billet crank sprockets, not 100% sure on what are the best tensioners to use, and definitely a better secondary chain set.

Are you doing a billet crank this time? Or just a crank support?

I don’t want to go crazy with a 10mm upgrade .
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think majority of guys have the 8mm and holding up fine?
I don’t need complete overkill, but I want it to take anything I will ever put through it.
Honestly the old one should have took it.

no billet crank nor support. Stock crank and Kinetik stud

 

[biminiLX]

I also did not do the 10mm primary. Neither my tuner nor JDM felt the 8mm primary failure was a major issue for my goals. Secondary chain upgrades and the pin upgrade were more important.
You mentioned L&M so I’d highly recommend contact them, as discussing this with your engine builder is very good idea. They can sometimes save you money too.
I feel the major tipping point is 1200hp. If you have goals that high you basically need all the upgrades from sleeved block to billet crank to 10mm primary chains.
Good luck.
-J

 

[PM-Performance]

I also did not do the 10mm primary. Neither my tuner nor JDM felt the 8mm primary failure was a major issue for my goals. Secondary chain upgrades and the pin upgrade were more important.
You mentioned L&M so I’d highly recommend contact them, as discussing this with your engine builder is very good idea. They can sometimes save you money too.
I feel the major tipping point is 1200hp. If you have goals that high you basically need all the upgrades from sleeved block to billet crank to 10mm primary chains.
Good luck.
-J

Problem is I did not want to bother them as I know they are busy.
I figured lightening the load financially with parts here and there would make it easier to swallow.
I figured if I bought parts from them, it would all be at retail, where as I can shop around and get stuff much cheaper.
I guess I can run things by them though next week before I buy things.

So my needs really were not that high, however I just bought a triple pump setup for a killer price and now that kind of changes my outlook on things as now I will be able to run e85.

That being said, I still have a modest budget and do not foresee a billet crank in my future or anything too wild.
If my trinity sells, I may move to a whipple 2.9 or 3.0 maybe, but again nothing too crazy.
Realistically I probably won’t ever make much over 800whp, but as you get hungry things can change.
I do want something that will hold up to some abuse though.
I have an iron block. Not sure if the sleeve thing is still a thing for those, or if just an alum block thing?

 

[biminiLX]

So you’ll at MAX make 1000rwhp on E85.
That’s all my build was spec’d for and I didn’t do anything exotic.
As far as the builder goes, they sometimes pass along great savings on parts.
For example, I shopped 3 builders for my turbo Coyote build. The biggest name engine builder was $1400 more but when I told him I wanted to make it a longblock and needed to buy heads, he gave me his cost on the heads and saved me at least $1000.
Just an example, plus you’d do better having L&M spec and supply the parts as they probably would have their ‘recipe’ for your goals and prefer to do it their way with parts they trust rather than you dropping off a pile of parts.
I’ve built 5 engines now and trust me, listen to your builder!
-J

 

[PM-Performance]

Thanks for the advice. I let my impatience get ahead of me. Lol.
I feel that keeps my momentum allowing me to atleast buy core parts

 

[Catmonkey]

L&M sells the billet secondary sprockets that look identical to the ones the Cloyes used to make and sell at 20% of what L&M is currently asking. They would be on top of my list of timing upgrades, but is not exactly a budget item at $400. I think the billet secondary tensioners would be second, which isn't exactly budget friendly either. I'd at least do passenger side, if you can't put both with your budget constraints. I did these upgrades a while back, so I don't know what's available for secondary chains, but get the best one out there.

After what your engine has been through, whatever you don't replace, go with new parts for the primary chains and sprockets. The only aftermarket upgrade on the primary side for the GT500 is the billet crank gear, or at least used to be when I did mine. Since that gear drives both chains, and in effect all 4 cams, I think it's a good place for a billet component. OPG would be a definite, if your pump doesn't already have them. With the engine trauma, I'd probably replace them regardless. That component is too critical for the whole engine, which will still be a big investment given your budget constraints.

Jay mentioned the pin upgrades, but you're not running an aluminum block and I don't think it's as critical on an iron block. The problem with the pins used in the aluminum block is they screw in and the threaded portion of the OEM pin is undersized in relation to the rest of the pin. Your pins are pressed into the block and are the same o.d. as the rest of the pin.

 

[PM-Performance]

Thanks for the info @Catmonkey .
I planned on the billet crank sprocket. I didn’t really think about secondary stuff.
I would have assumed the secondary’s get less stress driving just the cams? So those take a good brunt of the stress then?

I mean, I will make the budget work and put the money where it needs to be, I just know things go overkill during builds and trying to stay realistic. Honestly, I should have been able to abuse the motor I have for many many many years to come, but now it’s apart I don’t want to have to ever worry about using a wotbox if I want to, or shifting high or fuel.
I will be going e85 this time around even though I swore this was going to remain a 700ish whp pump gas car

 

[Catmonkey]

Since those are the only billet sprockets available in the whole chain drive system, I don't have a lot of confidence in the stock powdered metal pieces. They are also a much smaller diameter than the primary, so it will have fewer teeth contacting the chain than the primary, which has pretty good wrap with the chain tensioners. If someone made a billet primary, I'd recommend that too. To my knowledge these never materialized for the GT500. I had my primary sprockets, REM polished, cryo treated and coated by Micro Blue's low friction process. Actually I had that process done to all the chains, the secondary sprockets, and the crank gear.

The beauty of going return style is you can run either gas or e85 with a tune and pulley swap, as long as the injectors are up to the task. We just don't have it down here, so you'd go through the same amount of trouble for race gas.

 

[RBB]

In addition to billet OPGs and a crank sprocket, I’d go with the billet secondary sprockets, upgraded tensioners, and HD chains if you’re doing cams. Pick up a fresh set of OEM primaries and chains and you’re set. I sent all components mentioned off to Micro Blue for the full treatment, but that’s not entirely necessary.