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Timing chain Tensioner argh

3K views 23 replies 3 participants last post by  marko16 
#1 ·
I hate this job. Follow instructions, damn pin falls out. Took an hour to get it compressed to get it out. It jumped 4 or 5 teeth, so off comes the valve cover--started hard as dummy me missed a bolt. What sucks is it all seems lined up, you snap the tensioner and find out different. Cams perfect ,but one tooth on the crank is easy to do. Is it better to have the tension tight by the tensioner, or loose when you release it?
 
#3 ·
Chain plate? Cam guide or ? First time I ended up pulling the whole cover and getting all new internals as well. I'm hoping when I let go it's on. I thought if all the tension is just right it won't pull the chain off one of the sprockets. The dreaded click. At this point I'll get a bunch of practice and pay attention so that pin stays in. Once fully extended you have a hard time manipulating the mechanism to get it to retract, and then there is no getting it out until you do.
 
#4 ·
Ok I quit. Had it all lined up and put pressure on the chain and it still pulled it off the bottom pulley a couple of teeth. I should have just moved the pulley as it skips teeth on the bottom pretty easy. I tried at the top, and then I was off again, then I really got off on the bottom and couldn't get it back. I was so many teeth off I thought it best to just go ahead and pull the cover off and do it the hard, but easy way. Got good at working the tensioner in and out and getting the pin in.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Wait wait. You put the black parts of the chain on the dots on the cam gears and crank pulley correct? Then you spin it over and the black chain parts are off? If so that is normal. The black chain parts will never go back to matching like when you put the chain on. all you have to make sure is the crank and gears go back to TDC together.
 
#6 ·
No, I get that, and it's not needed to time as you can line it up without, let the tensioner go, and it kept pulling it off a tooth on the crank pulley. I should have just secured the top and pulled the pulley until it popped back in. I tried to get tension on the cams and crank so it wouldn't skip. I pulled up all the slack I could and released. As I slowly released the chain it pulled it over the crank teeth.

Almost have the cover off and I'll use the colored links as it let's you know right away if it skipped. With the cover off I practice different tensions and see if I can figure out a better hold when I let the tensioner out.

My first time a few years ago I turned the motor a few revolutions before I realized it may take 1000 before those colored links line up again
 
#7 ·
Actually I think I'll always take off the cover. You get to line it all up better and check the chain if it's in spec. I also took the time to adjust valves. As time goes by, they beat themselves into the head and the clearance goes down.
 
#8 ·
So I tested how to do it with the cover off. If you compress the old by turning the crank counter clockwise and installing the new, turn the crank clockwise until it just feels hard. This will cause the crank and the cams to be tight--then let the pin out. I did twice and it didn't jump. So the tensioner will have really no tension on the chain, but the crank tension is enough to hold it.

All valves adjusted, timing set and now to goop up the cover and send it. Running out of above freezing weather and daylight. So much to do it will be good to get all this done. Next spring it becomes a K24 turbo.
 
#9 ·
All buttoned up, will try and start it within a day or two. This is why I'm not a paid mechanic. I'm happily negotiating the cover placement, get about 5 bolts on and realize I forgot to install the CPK sensor. It's on the inside, so off comes the cover and I had to wipe it all clean and reseal. I know what I'm doing, but I start to daydream and things get forgotten. Punishment is having to do crappy things twice.
 
#13 ·
Honestly it's very easy if you take it all apart. Time consuming but very straight foreword. The timing marks and chain marks make timing easy. If you release without the cover, you can plainly see timing. Time and remembering where all the parts go is part of this though. I agree that with the time and headaches and a special tool, it would be nice to have someone else do it.
Mine is now running.
 
#15 ·
Here's the rest of the story. New car to me--figuring out issues as to why it was sold LOL.

Had the tensioner noise is still there at start up--so not tensioner. Going into this I figured since its at 130K miles that it's time for a new tensioner anyway. The chain was within spec so I left it. I swear it sounds like the starter, but when I listened, it was coming from the cams. The VTC cam gear is about all thats left. The gear as it sits is in it's correct orientation, and I wish I knew more on how it all worked. Perhaps it works well and is ??? Since no code and it does go into Vtec, does that mean it's OK? I see you should tape holes blow air into it, but don't really want to remove the cam right now.

I see the seller of the car tried to replace everything else in an attempt to make the sound go away--lol. I'm assembling a K24 next spring, and ordered a starter, and will give that a go. This motor will come out so new parts here and there will be used in the build anyway. This violates all my principles of poking and hoping. I should be videoing my adventures as I do a few things just to do them to see if there is a better way. Starter, top or bottom? We'll find out.

Next weekend the garage will be cold as hell and I need to get the winter car prepared, this car needs to be raised a bit, which will mess with toe. The winter needs stock suspension and that will mess with it's toe. My alignment sticks don't fit under the car, so you need to jack it up, and let it down just to do that. Two other cars need their winter tires on. Oil changes and dark evenings oh my.

Oh I now I found out why the battery was in bad shape. As it sat last week, a battery draw is happening. Shit, probably the aftermarket alarm--maybe. Dissable that and the car won't start--maybe, and keep it running and the new dead battery freezes. OhM meter ready, watch a video on how to hook it up and pull fuzes until I find it-- or park it until April.

Engine out is a great idea, but time wise I don't have any.
 
#17 ·
Well that was easy. I don't know car alarms, but behind the cluster is the brains of the outfit. Not sure what it serves, but some wires were cut and it feeds this box. If I take away it's power, the draw drops to acceptable and it still fires up. This box has an antenna and must be part of the warning, horn or whatever. I can still lock, unlock and start so I'll leave it disconnected for now. Each attempt to start reminded me that I have an annoying start up sound. That's a relief. Don't need it as I live in a quiet, pastoral, rural setting where honesty and integrity reins, and our magazines are full of 9mm and/or 7.62 X 51 if you manage to get out of pistol range.
 
#20 ·
So the long bolt began to bind. I googled and lots of folks broke it, so I kept going back and forth and squirting penetrant in there. If you know the bolts, no need to take off the intake. Take out the fans and there is enough to get it out. However, I tried to unplug the knock sensor and it broke so I pulled the intake anyway. I had to loosen a stud as it won't clear the power steering/ tensioner area. Decided to get a new intake and throttle body gasket, and of course I broke the idle air assist
Plastic piece trying to disconnect the hose. Old parts break easy and it's cold as hell in the garage.
 
#23 ·
Going the fan route I also discovered the previous owner (added cool aluminum shrouded fans and radiator), just taped the fan wires with no solder--one more thing to improve. This car has never seen a winter and with fresh salt on the roads, I'm in no hurry to get it done. Guy a work will take out the alarm and I'll put in a new stereo and take out a bit of camber and so on and on. Then in the spring, I'll begin making it a K24 Turbo. Have a pipe, need Kpro, sidewinder, turbo, update fuel, type s head on new built JBR engines bottom, and about 1,000 more pieces to finish the build.
 
#24 ·
Back flushed heater core and have heat. Found my current draw is coming from cluster. Saw a post where it's the red/white wire that is part of security. Still maybe aftermarket set up as it also is involved. I'll try and swap my other car's cluster and see if the draw goes away. Unplug the right side cluster plug in and draw drops to nothing.
 
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