Pick your brains?

[splot-bob]

Hi Guys,
I recently came into the possession of a 2008 VE SV6, one of the Crunch Green ones.
The car is in reasonable condition body/paint/interior wise but the engine has definitely seen better days!
It most certainly needs the timing chains done in a big way, it barely runs at the moment.
My questions are:
If I get the chains done (maybe get a gear drive set?) is there anything else I should be getting done while the chains are off?
Should I not bother getting the chains done and just get a replacement motor? In that case is there a better option than the LY7 that will basically just drop in?

Cheers,
Bob

 

[adclawrence]

If you decided to swap the motor, it'd have to be an exact match. The computer software, hardware and all associated wiring is designed around the Alloytec 195 and 5 speed auto/6 speed manual package as far as I know.

In terms of chain replacement, I know a few people who have gone ahead with it and haven't had any problems 4-5 years down the road so far. Average going rate for that seems to be around $1600-2200. Apart from the chain kit, the LY7 is a mechanically solid motor. The thermostat is a pain to replace, however.

 

[splot-bob]

Thanks for that, do you think it would be worthwhile having anything done to the heads while the chains are off? The car has about 230K on it, do they suffer from valve problems at all?