Again likely beaten to death but here goes:


83 22R about 230000KM's (guess that's about 145000 miles), front crank oil leak getting worse every day, and the odd very minor oil ooze here and there otherwise pretty good, stock carb, offy manifold...original timing chain. 31" BFG Mud T/A's, 4.38 gears/lockers awaiting time and ambition!


So I got to fix the front seal, and I figure while I'm at it toss a new oil and water pump at it...and since I'll be half way there do the timing chain/guides/sprockets. All the kits I see for the single row only give you a drivers side metal backed guide and it seems to me with the direction of rotation there may be a bit of chain slap on the passenger side; are there kits with both guide metal backed? Pros/Cons of doing the double row swap? Any sense of a cam swap (mild 1500-4500 RPM one) while it's apart? I heard guys have done the chain without removing the head, is it worth the time saving or is leaving it on it just a pain? I haven't called Engnblder yet but understand that's the place to go (but I don't see a metal Passenger chain guide on his site) I'd also like it to be a one stop shopping trip and get all the parts, gaskets, O rings, seals, etc at one place. Is the stuff from LC and/or Yotashop better (I see it more $)


I have no desire to turn it into a hotrod, just want a good solid reliable runner.


Also within the next few years I'll be moving back west. The altitude will be about 4000' and Crowsnest pass is about 5000'. Currently I'm at about 1500'. I understand that the timing should be advanced about 5-10 degrees static for this altitude, (carb jets smaller too; don't know how I'll do that with the stock one) correct??? I was out there when the truck was new(er) (Jasper-Hinton area, guessing 3000') and the truck seemed to run O/K to my recollection; there is no factory HAC on Canadian supplied trucks of that era. I'm currently running 10 degrees static with no knock with 87 octane. (this is what makes me believe the timing chain is stretched and/or worn guides)


A thousand thanks for any input/answers and apologise for the ramble.

 

Metal backed guides aren't even necessary. Having just the one is a huge upgrade. I think they aren't made for both sides because they aren't necessary, at all. If you've worn through your guides, it's time for a new chain!

Really the only cons to the double row are the cost and work. It's great to think you'll probably never need to do another chain job, but then for most of us...we would never have to do one anyways with a single row chain. At this point in these trucks lives, most of us aren't taking huge extended road trips and daily driving them. So 100,000 miles is going to take a long time. And the single row is definitely good for that many miles. Personally when I had my 83 I was daily driving it and taking it on long trips, but I think most people probably aren't.

Nothing wrong with upgrading the cam.

I went with engnbldr when it was time to rebuild my engine. There are other good places for parts, but they're my recommendation.

I personally (others have different philosophies) would only do the timing chain without removing the head if I had just done a head gasket job within the last few thousand miles then later realized the chain needed to be replaced. Otherwise, if it's time to do the timing chain, it's time to do the head gasket. And it's not really the "right" way to do the chain job without removing the head. I worry more about the head gasket then I do the chain, anyways. Feels good knowing you've got a fresh one in there.

I just tune my truck based on how it runs. So when you get out west, set the timing and tune the carb to whatever works. Stock carb, if it's in good shape (unlikely), will more or less auto-adjust to altitude. If you get a Weber carb you can re-jet and re-tune. Not a whole lot of modifications you want to do to a stock carb.

 

So what I don't understand is that most if not all the suppliers seem to indicate in their catalogues that an 83 vintage 22R has a double row chain, which it doesn't; I've seen it and touched it, single row. (I believe the manufacturing cut-off/change date was July-Aug 82)This discrepancy makes me suspect that, well frankly they don't know squat and makes me leary of buying the timing sets sight unseen.

 

Yeah I probably wouldn't buy from a place that didn't know whether 83 should be single or double row.

 

Talk to Engnbldr about your situation those guys are awesome. They can steer you in right direction on best cam and carb set up for altitude and intended use. Might want to check out timing chain cover before you order just in case timing chain slop has eaten it and you need to replaced. But replacing timing chain cover may require machining to match block. Just my thoughts.

 

Thanks for confirming my gut feelings on this. Heads coming off after all to replace leaky valve stem seals and I'm just going double row chain conversion. Engnbldr guy says it'll work with the existing chain cover with a early oil pump drive. I'm doing a mild cam and giving it new valve springs, keepers, rockers look brand new.


Stock carb is in good shape (been rebuilt) and I really like the low end punch with its "pee hole in a snow bank" size primary on the Offy manifold.