Thread: 396 question.....HELP!

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Hi all,


Just bought a project car, it's got a Chevy 396 (bored out to 408) with the following mods:

SCAT 4340 Forged crank,
TRW forged Pistons,
10:1 compression,
Cam Dynamics aluminum roller rockers,
Ported,honed heads 219 intake & 188 exhaust Manley valves,
Isky springs.


Here is my question (bear in mind that i'm new to this hobby, so please don't flame me!)

It had a broken gear drive on it, so after pulling it off, I installed an edelbrock double-roller timing chain set on it. After tightening everything up, the chain wasn't that tight, I could wiggle the chain from side to side about a quarter inch! At first I thought that they included the wrong size chain in the kit, so I went out and bought another one, this time a "normal" style cloyes set-up. when I put it on, it had the same amount of slack. Is this normal? Aren't all timing chains supposed to be really tight?

Please help me out with this so that I can stop worrying.

Thanks!

Thanks a lot you guys! I've managed so far to find that Cloyes makes reduced-distance timing sets for line-honed engines (they come in -.005, -.010, -.015) Looks like i'm going to have to open her up again and take some measurements to see how off I am! Is there anybody who knows if line-honing (assuming that's what was done to this engine) tends to remove a specific amount of material? How much would be considered normal? ...what would be considered too much?

Thanks again!

I also have a 396. i want to build a stong engine to with stand twin garrett t-04 turbos. what compression ratio would be best suited for that application? also i think i should go to fuel injection but i am not sure. i plan on driving it less than 5000 miles a year so i am open to anything. also it will be coupled to a th400 with a reverse shift pattern full manual valve body. what type of stall converter will handle that much horsepower and how big of a stall is ideal