got a link for it? I dont see one on there site. I see the lnf one and thats it.

 

Jesel are 144 a pop....for the mathematically challenged that is 2304 for a set. Yikes!! Lol

 

Thats the rollers not the lash adjusters.

 

Its under sky/solstice...click it and then go to the very bottom. Sorry haven't figured out how to copy links on my phone yet.

 

The chain is not designed to fail...but...when the tensioner fails all bets are off...it becomes very easy to stretch one. Just from my experience. My s256et went through 3 of them....I wonder if it happens when u bounce off the limiter...in 2nd its very easy to do lmao...third for some of you ***** on corn sauce...

 

Ok, found it. I only looked a the cobalt one. dont know if its worth 150 tho. New ones are only 39.99, I wonder what alls done. Dont see how it could be much more than a spring upgrade.

 

Yeap, a friend of mine's lsj junked her timing chain. The tire shop she had change her oil used a cheap STP oil filter which crushed the oil filter thus spiking the oil pressure at the tensioner, blowing the tensioner apart. Her chain was stretched so bad that when I threw a new tensioner in for her she still had a ton of play in the chain. Over 1/4" of movement. We ended up changing her entire timing set that night. Unfortunately I was the only cobalt guy and had to leave to get some. I had most of the crucial parts installed though and explained to them how it worked. Also her bottom end is junk now due to the oil starvation. The car uses about a quart of oil a week and isn't leaking it out as well as the lash adjusters are all shot. We're finding her a used low mileage lsj to put in it.

 

Agreed, **** well looks like I'll be looking to get some 75lbs then.


To tell you the truth, before ordering, 2 months ago when I spoke with Cubaniche this was something we were both curious about, what this "Beefier" tensioner was all about. The next day I called Dave at PWerks and he explained kinda how it was different but he told me he didn't want to devulge to much info as it was a in-house product. He did tell me that they have used this tensioner extensively with their Road Race Solstice GXP at Nassa events, track day after track day with no issues. Road Racing puts an engines components through A LOT of stress( sessions lasting as log as 25min of back in forth on the throttle) and since that is how they test most of their products I decided to give it a try. I wasn't to thrilled about the price either, but I thought I would try once to see. The tensioner look identical to the stock tensioner, nothing visibly different. Now, for internals, I'm not sure if its as simple as a better oring and stronger spring or what.


Also, regarding the Jesel and Bates Rockers and Lash Adjusters. At the begining of 2012(March or so) I had my Cams installed but stuck to stock springs as Term2 and I wanted to see exactly what the cams gave in gains. This resulted in the thread I created about a month or so after where I then had the Supertech's put in and discovered a broken lash adjuster and rocker chilling(loose) in the head. As a result of this I then called first Bates Engineering and then emailed Jesel. I forgot the guys name at Bates but man did he have a wealth of knowledge and he offered for me to come to his shop and get me all setup. Jesel wasn't as nice of an email exchange and even though their's were much beefier he was lacking on giving me a lot of info and would only say "They are race proven" but never told me what car,ecotec(Engine) they did their testing on or had an event where such components were used etc. As mentioned Jesel wanted 3k or so for what they offered. Bates I remembered being less expensive(1k or something) and the guy was awesome with giving me info/specs on them, wanted to help me out and had a history with ecotecs where they used extensively these valvetrain components at big events. I know that Antonio with the 800hp Sky build is using Bates valve train components.



Anyone want a set of 78lbs Supertech's that have 9k on them?

 

Ya and that's exactly why I think this chain thing is more dangerous than we think it is...if the chains are 1/4 inch off who knows...are the cams closing the valves before they should or are the valves staying open longer...either way I can see that throwing off your p.e. levels and could be a risk for causing some detonation...who knows....you guys with some good wisecos might be okay but with a stock motor like myself u need to be very careful.

 

I actually have two bent exhaust valves on cyl. three. One is bent more then the other also. Dont know how they got bent or what not All other valves were perfect still taking the head down yesterday. I put the tensioner in and then release it then back the tensioner out a bit till the next level clicks and then put it back in, gives a bit more pressure. But even with the tensioner fully extended and just putting it in the head there was still some slack on the chain.

 

Is this on your old block with the cracked sleeve? Is the sleeve also cracked on cylinder 3?

 

The sleeve blew on four. But yes the old block. There were no issues with the pistons either. The only thing I can really think and it could have happened, I took the head off the car while it was in the car with turbo and all connected still. While I had help we could have hit them on something while in the process.

 

It'd be cool to get a pic of a few broken tensioners and we can figure out where they failed.

 

I have my first tensioner still that I replaced. The second tensioner is at the shop. For the first one I gave it to a friend of mine and he open that thing up till it was in pieces and showed me the o-ring was blown. On the second tensioner it was the same thing. Now, I can't conclude that O-rings are weak cause stock power they are fine. Its when we start modding and making more power that we get more stress put on the spring or more pressure on the O-ring. Or, if any debri from metal shaving to plastic from the chain guides being broken or shaved get in the oil this also can cause the o-ring to fail.

We need to devise a receipe with the right component that will work together in Harmony as one. One component is off and you just get a cascading effect.

Miller, I personally just replaced both my chains on my engine. I would do that just to be safe. Also, do the ZZP cams play a roll in multiplying duration when using stronger springs. I understand that they are barely longer over the stock cams but do they not contribute since they are not stock? I also had a bent valve in Cyl.3(exhaust). It was not visibly noticable but when they were being cleaned it was noticed that it was bent ever so slightly.


One more thing, not sure if any of you noticed but when I was installing the Supertech's I saw that being a Dual spring combo (smaller in a larger spring) the smaller springs were not sliding into the larger one's smoothly. This was not all, but I had about 3 that were like that. Could this cause binding? Do you think that breaking them in fixed that?

 

I never had a tensioner fail. Well one time it did fail because of me, and I bet it happens more then people think. I think I simply sqeezed the c clip to much and it didn't have enough pressure to hold in the groove. Broke as soon as I started the car.

 

I am getting rid of the balance shafts and what not so will only have the timing chain, I did replace the chain once, I will prolly do so again.

 

Rid of the balance shafts? Like getting zzp's, or ridding of them entirely?

 

I know they don't last

spring rate etc is more dependant on the cam lift and and rpm and I was out of spring on the zzp 78lb springs and I don't trust a 82lb single and super tech isent going to be enough for the new cams and its not old school its about running the correct components to do the job I need and want done

[QUOTE=FasterIsBetter;6875050. Jesel wouldn't be a bad upgrade if they weren't so expensive. Now you would have a noisy valvetrain...[/QUOTE]

jesel is way over priced but still great stuff bates is a better more affordable option and the injectors would be louder then the valve train

 

lash adj 50 or more each

 

I think jessel followers were used in the later eco drag engines

 

Weird you guys are having bent valves. Even after blowing my headgasket I never bent a valve. Had the head checked though by a guy who owns a machine shop and runs it who also very commonly builds 800+hp engines, 4 cylinders and V-8s. But as previously stated I have had the lash adjuster issue and also during my build one of my cam position sensors somehow managed to no longer function.

 

Yeah, its like $800 total for the lash adjusters. The rockers can handle the pressure.

 

I experienced the same thing with my 78lb supertechs. I also wondered if they were binging cause it looked almost like the inner spring was rubbing the outter one.

I havent had any issues with the new stock head and valvetrain but I am most definitely going to check it come spring time.

 

if enough slack gets in the chain the cam timing will change enough to cause piston to valve contact ive seen it happen on the lsj and the lnf I think would be easier do to the cam phasers

 

Electric water pump, getting rid of them completely. Putting in a balance shaft delete so I dont lose oil pressure.