Quote:
Originally Posted by Dynomite
How many miles on that engine?
Actually it is good news as you caught it before serious damage 
What got you to remove Cam Covers (engine installed)? That alone is not so easy but I have done that and have even removed Heads Engine in car but like Hans suggests....You cannot really do a good job timing the engine without engine removal.
Chance to do some serious reconditioning possibly replace all 4/6 chain guide facings (two on cam covers).
I have no idea what would cause a chain guide facing to break off but it happens (rarely) and I think Jerry of Jerry's Gaskets has insight as to why that might happen (Marc Haibeck I am sure has seen it before and would also have insight). There are two issues (chain guide facings breaking and chain guide facings wearing).
It is the inspection of the Chain Guide Facings that is difficult and some inspection of the chain guides is possible through the passenger side oil cap. Marc has also addressed the Chain Guide Facing Inspection issue on his web site.
I have been trying to figure out the longevity of chain guide facings but seems to have considerable variation possibly depending on type of engine oil used, environmental temperatures, and other variables (maybe firing up the enigine in sub zero temperatures would contribute to chain guide facings breaking). A figure of 150,000 miles has been mentioned but then I recall there are 200,000+ mile LT5s with original chain guide facings 
Marc Haibeck and Jerry are two individuals (and others that have dismantled high mileage engines) that would definitely have the experience to expand on that issue of chain guide longevity  |
That engine has only 64 000 miles, fortunately, my cam cover leaking, so I decided to fix it. As you wrote remove cam cover is not easy, I removed servo, brake pump, power steering pump, left side of the intake and left control arm. In base corvette it is so easy but not in zr1. i want to check all timing chain and their guides, but at the first look, i saw damaged this one and guide who is on the back of cam cover.
Could you send me a link to Marc website ?
All parts I ordered from Jerry`s, I think this is the best shop specializing in zr1.