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Often times when people think of the load put on their timing chain, they think of the load exceeding the tensile strength of the chain. In reality, what’s actually occurring is a series of abrupt starting and stopping, accelerating and decelerating of the crank and camshaft at different frequencies. In other words, if you were able to measure the load placed on the timing chain, you wouldn’t see a constant tension load, rather a series of shock loads. Shock loads are what destroys things. Many things determine the shock loads placed on your timing chain. These things include the ramp rates of the camshaft, the spring tension, engine RPM and the stability of the valve train overall and lastly, any kind of rev limiting electronics. The timing chain has no real ability to absorb shock and trying to design one that does is a bad idea because it will affect the accuracy of your valve timing. The stock timing chain was designed for the stock camshaft and springs. Part of the recipe for increased performance includes a larger camshaft with more aggressive ramps as well as increased spring pressures. While you may get away with using the stock timing chain, it doesn’t make it a good idea. Double row timing chains use smaller links with smaller pins, offering no real advantage. For many years, the C5R chain has been the gold standard in timing chains.
Now at the conclusion of much research and development, I bring you the Elite Chain Drive, bigger, better and stronger than anything offered before. The heavy duty pins are much larger than their counterparts. Not only that, but they’re cold formed and loaded with chromium to keep their strength at the highest point. The links are equally robust.
The drive gears are billet. They are machined, vibratory polished, heat treated, vibratory polished again, manganese phosphate treated and then stamp marked.
Instead of black oxide coating the gears, which serves no purpose, we chose to coat them in manganese phosphate. If you take the time to read about this process, you’ll soon discover that it goes above and beyond providing excellent corrosion resistance (which is all that black oxide coating provides). It, in fact, provides friction resistance and offers anti-galling advantages.
The first picture below shows a C5R chain, a C7R chain and then the Elite Drive Chain on the bottom. The second picture shows you the oiling hole in the rollers, designed to help keep the pins cool and lubricated.
I’ve met so many people focus on every other part on their build and then neglect a part that can bring the entire house down, the chain. Don’t be that guy.
Pricing for the LS1/2/6 chains has gone down to 169.00 shipped.
LS3 wet sump 189.00
LS7, LS3 dry sump (excluding LS9) 209.00
I'm working on a LS9 kit but don't have an ETA.
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Credit cards, cash and PayPal accepted.
For credit card payments, I use Paypal and will require your email address to send an invoice. I ship to the PayPal confirmed address.
PayPal to: BlownBlueZ06@gmail.com
when ordering, please specify which kit you need.
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Last edited by BLOWNBLUEZ06@RKT Performance; Sep 14, 2016 at 02:54 PM.
Installed mine today. Fits great with a Trick Flow chain dampener. I didn't take any pictures of the double roller I removed, but this chain has less slack. I like the oiling holes in the rollers of the chain (and its weight reduction!!). Also, the drive gear fit tighter on the crank than the drive on the set I removed. Thanks for a great product Bret!
(I just used those bolts to hold the cam gear in place. ARP bolts were permanently installed after the initial fitment.)
I've had a few engineers ask about the chain and gear material. I've updated the original thread with the gear metallurgy. Here's the specs on the chain for those that care and understand it. For those that don't, I will tell you that Rolon, a very reputable chain manufacturer, was asked to build a chain that is tough as nails and would live long considering what we Corvette owners tend to put them through.
The chain specs:
Component Material Heat treatment/Surface treatment Hardness
Inner Plate SAE 4140 Through hardened&Tempered 42-49 HRC
Outer Plate SAE 4140 Through Hardened & Tempered 42-49 HRC
Sorry for the question but any clue if this will fit behind the eldebrock 2 piece cover? Bout to do a cam and head swap really like the looks of this.
Thanks
Jon
Hey Jon, I apologize for not catching this question sooner. My timing set will fit anywhere the OEM timing set will fit. No oil pump spacing required.
I do need to say that the LS9 timing gear is different than the LS3/7 timing gear and my dry sump LS3/7 lower timing gear will not replace the LS9, however, you can reuse the LS9 timing gear and replace only the top gear or now buy only the chain for 99.00 shipped.
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Lessons in timing chains and one with no equal
