Thread: Anyone have experience buying new aftermarket timing chain covers?

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Anyone have experience buying new aftermarket timing chain covers?
I'm looking at Summit and have three choices. The prices vary quite a bit. Dorman brand is the least expensive, next Pioneer brand and lastly the most expensive is Summit's house brand by twice as much. I'm leary of the Ebay stuff because the quality of this kind of stuff goes downhill on Ebay. Anyone use Dorman or Pioneer? How was the fit? It will be going on a 1972 460 block.

They used one from an ebay purchase on a hot rod tv show I watched last weekend, no brand name given. But they did say it was a good piece and it was for a 302 ford not a 460.

Steve
I don't have any problems with Dorman - they are OEM's for a lot of parts on cars in the US. Pioneer - I've never knowingly used

do not worry to much all coming from china even dorman and pioneer less the say they do not alot of dorman plugs are made in china

I bought a Pioneer for my 429. No problems in a couple years.

Originally Posted by stovens

Anyone have experience buying new aftermarket timing chain covers?
I'm looking at Summit and have three choices. The prices vary quite a bit. Dorman brand is the least expensive, next Pioneer brand and lastly the most expensive is Summit's house brand by twice as much. I'm leary of the Ebay stuff because the quality of this kind of stuff goes downhill on Ebay. Anyone use Dorman or Pioneer? How was the fit? It will be going on a 1972 460 block.

I've experienced this quite a bit with Lima rebuilds. Here in Phoenix, you don't have to run anti-freeze except maybe a little for February, so most of the 429/460's I've encountered have the cover eaten away from using just water, which turns the metal into oatmeal. I have repaired them in the past with JB Weld and had them work ok.

I usually go with a Dorman, no problems yet and my parts guy at Car Quest can get them for me, no shipping rip-offs as seems to be the norm on eBay lately....

Just picked up a Dorman(thanks everyone) on Amazon for 54.00 and free shipping, which lets me spend more on the Harmonic balancer and other little goodies like a distributor hold down, new alternator brackets that relocate it up to the passenger side head(need for frame clearance), and finally the water neck for the thermostat housing, which evidently go for rediculous amounts of money if you want a billet one that swivels!

Originally Posted by techinspector1

I've experienced this quite a bit with Lima rebuilds. Here in Phoenix, you don't have to run anti-freeze except maybe a little for February, so most of the 429/460's I've encountered have the cover eaten away from using just water, which turns the metal into oatmeal. I have repaired them in the past with JB Weld and had them work ok.

I have distilled water and anti freeze in mine. I don't know if it
helps, but it can't hurt.