I have two 4.3 engines one has the thinner crankshaft gear and timing chain, and I also have an engine with the thicker crankshafter gear, timing chain, and outer sprocket for the cam.
Can I swap these between engines without issue?
I would like to use the thicker ones with the wider chain on the engine that came with the thinner more narrow setup.

Thanks for any advice

 

Does the one with the thinner chain have a balance shaft? What years are they?

 

they are both 1998s i think, but they look different, in the rocker arm area,one is brassy with a little bar that goes across the top,
To answer your question,
Yes they both have that spinning balance shaft at the top,
along with harmonic balancers.

Also Tom you seem to know alot, Im considering changing out the camshaft, whats the tool to remove the retainer around the end of the camshaft is it a star bit, do you know the size??

thanks for any help

 

Thanks, but I'm going to disappoint you. I haven't pulled the cam out of mine, so I don't know what the required tool is. I thought (but it appears that I'm wrong) the narrow roller chain was needed for clearance on the balance shaft engines. Obviously, that's not the case if you have a balance shaft engine with the other chain.

Do you have any pictures of the rocker arms?

 

ill try to get a pic tomorrow,

im going to also try and get the cam out, im getting a clunking noise when i rotate the engine, and i just got a refurbished crankshaft
so Im assuming at this point its the camshaft because what else it could be, its only when the timing chain is on.

but there is no clashing of metal sound, and i went and put on the thicker gears so i think that part is ok
i just worried about the balance issues when its in the car running

 

I'm not an expert by any means but one thing to check is if the thicker timing set will fit under the timing chain cover. You may have to swap it with the one from the other engine.

 

Good thinking.

 

ok its T30 for the star bit just got one cam out