jeetS

I think my new chain tensioner is faulty....

I just did a headgasket and timing kit and ever since its had this weird rattle...
I've done numerous valve adjustments and replaced the adjusting screws to no avail.

The noise is only there when the engine has warmed up. NO RATTLE at startup or for the next few minutes. Its loudest when driven for a while and ONLY makes it at idle.

The noise was very inconsistent at the beginning...It would be quiet for days then suddenly appear for a day then gone again. Its got more and more consistent and now its always there at idle when warm.

Stethoscope puts the noise at the timing cover....I think....

With the valve cover off the chain looks tight. Guides look new and fine...

Oil pressure at idle is high...almost 30 psi...


The oil pump bolt is NOT interfering with the tensioner...I checked that already



The only thing I can think of is a faulty tensioner??

any ideas??? Anyone had a bad tensioner do this?

jeetS

nobody??

85gijunk4x4

put the stethiscope on the top of the valve covor, maybe the vavles are colliding with the vavle covor.

the chain tensioner is oil pressure operated i beleive, did you drop your oil pan and clean it out? (though 30psi should rule that out)

before you put the tensioner on did it seem like the spring was working? (ive always squeezed mine beforehand to make sure it works)

wilshire

How many foot pounds of torque did you use on the tensioner bolts?

peckinpah

Great question. That could be the problem right there.

If I was going to take the timing cover off, I would probably go ahead and replace the chain and sprockets and tensioner. It took me an entire day to get all that stuff apart, so it's not something I'd want to do again anytime soon.

I would definitely rule everything else out first though, because you don't wanna do a job like that unless you're pretty damn sure it's the tensioner and not something else.

85gijunk4x4

i beleive somewhere around like 14ft.lbs. it was a pretty low amount i remember. i'll have to double check for you

jeetS

FSM is 14ft/lbs

If the VALVES are hitting the valve cover I have waay bigger problems.

As stated I have done numerous valve adjustments, there is nothing contacting the valve cover, and I have not overtightened it.

About six week ago I replaced the whole timing assembly(chain, sprocket, tensioner)
and yes the tensioner appeared to be working.

Oil pan is clean.

extrakevin

hey there, i have the exact same problem. i used a cheap set of parts, Federal-Mogul, and get the exact same symptoms. i may try factory replacement parts, and hope this will solve the problem

jeetS

So I got to work this morning...something catastrophic has happend in there...it sounds like the chain is flailing around all over the place.

spc mike

What timing chain kit did you use? Engine Builder?

jeetS

Nope...it was one from my local machine shop with the metal backed guides..can't remember the name at the moment...

thralldad

Your adjuster may be binding. Retorque with a little lock-tite blue. I had a catastrophic failure on mine. It was UGLY!

jeetS

I tore it all down last night... The tensioner appears fine just looking at it, but I'm putting a toyota one in, it was obviously not doing its job.

wilshire

thralldad - What happened with yours?

That Loctite might be a good idea. I was thinking about doing that with mine (after I got it all back together, hah). Hopefully the tensioner bolts will stay put with 15 ft lbs and no loctite. If I do it again I think I'll use the Loctite for peace of mind.