HELP, timing chain has developed slack on driver side
11-07-2008, 11:31 AM
#1
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HELP, timing chain has developed slack on driver side
I replace my timing chain and tensioner this spring before I went to flight school, I have since driven from Wisconsin to Colorado to Arizona to Mexico back to Arizona and then to Florida where I live now. All in all about 6 or 7000 miles since I replaced the chain. Just recently it acquired this odd metalic sounding rattle, so I just pulled the valve cover off and the driver side length of the timing chain is really loose. I can see where it has rubbed against the inside of the case too. What happened? It is still tight on the side with the tensioner, so I'm not sure what is going on. Here is a picture from when I did the chain in the spring for a reference
Last edited by Dr.Trevorkian; 11-07-2008 at 11:33 AM.
11-07-2008, 12:11 PM
#2
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hmmm. what brand of timing chain is it?
maybe the chain went bad again? its hard to believe it would go bad with only 7k on it, no matter the brand.
can you get some pics??
maybe the chain went bad again? its hard to believe it would go bad with only 7k on it, no matter the brand.
can you get some pics??
11-07-2008, 12:12 PM
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Upon further investigation, the driver's side chain guide has been demolished, so it looks like I'll be taking it all apart again, but I still don't understand why it broke the guide?
11-07-2008, 12:25 PM
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It was a quality kit from http://www.engnbldr.com/
11-07-2008, 12:29 PM
#6
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It was a quality kit from http://www.engnbldr.com/
I JUST fixed this same problem on my brothers 85. Engnbldr kit with the steel guide (only maybe 5-6k miles aswell), it broke at the top right where the head meets the front cover. The guide looked fine if you glanced down from the top but if you looked closer we found it was completely broken off. it kinda fell behind the guide and against the head wall.. RATTLING, sounded just like a loose chain.
Did yours break or wear through?
It's a pain fix, as you know, pulling it all apart to replace a guide (which is all you really need to do). We through a stock plastic guide in place of the metal one.
11-07-2008, 12:39 PM
#7
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It was a quality kit from http://www.engnbldr.com/
dang the rock knock.. no offense to engnbldr but i would try a different brand next time.. i like o.s.k.
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11-07-2008, 12:50 PM
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I had plastic chain guides, do they really take that much stress, shouldn't all the slack be taken out by the tensioner on the other side?
11-07-2008, 01:26 PM
#9
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yes the guides take a beating, but Ive never seen or heard them fail prematurely like that. and yes the tensioner takes up the slack.
what brand/viscosity oil were you running?
what brand/viscosity oil were you running?
11-07-2008, 02:21 PM
#12
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So you pulled the timing cover without pulling the head...intresting....makes me wanna get in there and see why mine is sucking coolant..
I think I have a bad guide, and its wearing away at the cover...
But sorry for the thread jack...
I think I have a bad guide, and its wearing away at the cover...
But sorry for the thread jack...
11-07-2008, 02:22 PM
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Mine were all plastic, looking around engbldr's site, there is an option for metal driver side guide on the 85 and newer, but I have an 84
11-07-2008, 02:25 PM
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BUT I still don't understand why it broke in the first place? It should have gone another 100,000 without touching it, why only 6000? If I replace them again will it just happen AGAIN in another 6k?
11-07-2008, 02:31 PM
#15
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A lot of people do the timing chain without pulling the head. There's just a chance of messing up the head gasket, and of course by the time the timing chain needs replacing, it's a good idea to do the head gasket, too. It does seem to be done quite a bit, though. I was considering it when I did mine, but turned out there really wasn't anything on my engine that didn't need to be replaced.
11-07-2008, 02:43 PM
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11-07-2008, 02:49 PM
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11-07-2008, 10:41 PM
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