Cleveland Stroker Timing set question

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Jul 6, 2015
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Iowa
My Car
1973 Mustang Grande 351C 2v
Building a 408 Cleveland with the Stroker kit from Tim Meyer using the Molinar SVO crank. The timing set I have is Rollmaster CS3130, which is correct for this application, but there is an issue with the manufacturing. They Key ways are cut too small. Being a hardened gear filing is not really an option. Does anyone else make a timing set for this set up? The crank keys are 0.186 the Rollmaster Keyway is 0.176.
 
Call Cloyes at 470 646-1662. I have a Molnar crank in my B2 with a Cloyes timing set, it work fine. Chuck
 
Building a 408 Cleveland with the Stroker kit from Tim Meyer using the Molinar SVO crank. The timing set I have is Rollmaster CS3130, which is correct for this application, but there is an issue with the manufacturing. They Key ways are cut too small. Being a hardened gear filing is not really an option. Does anyone else make a timing set for this set up? The crank keys are 0.186 the Rollmaster Keyway is 0.176.
My two different stroker Rollmaster crank gear keyways measure .186". I purchased them new about 5 years ago.
 
So the issue is your key is too wide to fit in the grove in the timing gear?
Can you not just have a machine shop shave off a couple thousandths of a step into the key?

I've got a mill, and that seems like a 15 minute job.
 
So the issue is your key is too wide to fit in the grove in the timing gear?
Can you not just have a machine shop shave off a couple thousandths of a step into the key?

I've got a mill, and that seems like a 15 minute job.
Unfortunately I have talked to several different shops around here and no one will do it.
 
So the issue is your key is too wide to fit in the grove in the timing gear?
Can you not just have a machine shop shave off a couple thousandths of a step into the key?

I've got a mill, and that seems like a 15 minute job.
Also the problem with cutting down teh key itself is then there will be slop on the balancer.
 
Also the problem with cutting down teh key itself is then there will be slop on the balancer.
Can you not put a step in it, though? So you slide the timing set onto the crank, and the tap the key into the crank and the timing gear. And the part of the key that is exposed is still the full width and fits tightly when you install the balancer?
 
Definately get a Cloyes. The Rollmaster product is an inexpensive choice, and, you get what you pay for. My old boss would buy that s**t to save a buck, cam degreeing would very often be off a few degrees because of poor quality control. It cost more in time, to re-adjust for the off-cut keyways when degreeing, so you save nothing. Check out the small print on the chain........."china". That chain won't stay tight long. Always degree-in your cam, but especially when adding aftermarket cranks, strokers, camshafts, timing sets, and harmonic balancers. All it takes is for each component to be just slightly off, and it will all stack up on you to throw precision timing out. Before you put your heads on, slip the harmonic balancer on the snout and check that TDC markings are really at TDC, using the "positive-stop" method on #1 piston. If your crank keyway is off, or your balancer is off, so will your ignition timing be. It's not the sixties anymore....there's a LOT of crap out there.......Stay away from Speedmaster as well. Even when you spring for the best stuff....check it!
 
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Definately get a Cloyes. The Rollmaster product is an inexpensive choice, and, you get what you pay for. My old boss would buy that s**t to save a buck, cam degreeing would very often be off a few degrees because of poor quality control. It cost more in time, to re-adjust for the off-cut keyways when degreeing, so you save nothing. Check out the small print on the chain........."china". That chain won't stay tight long. Always degree-in your cam, but especially when adding aftermarket cranks, strokers, camshafts, timing sets, and harmonic balancers. All it takes is for each component to be just slightly off, and it will all stack up on you to throw precision timing out. Before you put your heads on, slip the harmonic balancer on the snout and check that TDC markings are really at TDC, using the "positive-stop" method on #1 piston. If your crank keyway is off, or your balancer is off, so will your ignition timing be. It's not the sixties anymore....there's a LOT of crap out there.......Stay away from Speedmaster as well. Even when you spring for the best stuff....check it!
Cloyes makes a very high quality product. Unfortunately they do not make a timing kit for a stroker SVO crank into a Cleveland block to my knowledge. However Rollmaster does make a very high quality Cleveland/SVO stroker timing kit. Their double roller chains are made in Germany by Iwis Company whom many consider the best timing chains available.
Per Rollmasters web site:

"Rollmaster Red Series timing sets come standard with a premium grade one-piece Iwis full roller chain, produced in Germany and built to the highest possible quality standards"
 
Definately get a Cloyes. The Rollmaster product is an inexpensive choice, and, you get what you pay for. My old boss would buy that s**t to save a buck,

You might be confusing them with another company. Rollmaster is about the highest quality timing set available for a 351C.
 
I must be thinking about another timing set if even ONE of you guys defended it because whatever set I was talking about is really crap, does come with "china' chains, and is generally bad. So, my bad if I hacked at Rollmaster and it was another brand that is the offender. Seriously, the set I'm thinking of had a chain that lasted one weekend of drag racing in an NE1 small block powered dragster. The owner was pissed! I replaced it for him with a cloyes unit and never had an issue after that. We had some Australian sets for a while, I wonder if that bad set was one of those? Hard to say now, it's been a few years.
 
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