went right back on

apparently a flash light is key to actually hitting the tensioner lol

 

You top dead center?

 

Where doe's the screwdriver go exactly to compress the tensioner, I can't get a visual on this. Please be specific Thanks

 

Be sure to have the head, cam and rockers all bolted down. That will give you the minor space you need to get the sprocket on.

 

Interesting thread full of interesting posts haha.

To the "OP" glad you got it figured out.

As everyone else has stated verify proper alignment of camshaft/crankshaft/distributor.

 

My head and rockers are all torqued down. I'm just not sure if the screwdriver is to be inserted into the cover centered with the crank sprocket and cam sprocket and then pressed against the chain and into the tensioner while pulling up on the sprocket or inserted behind the chain and slide down the guide to pry the tensioner back from there some how. I don't want to pry in the wrong spot and have the slack end up under the tensioner allowing the chain to skip a tooth

 

Please someone that's done this before get back to me as I'm at a stand still here and just not sure how to proceed. I don't want to screw anything up at this point. Thanks carpetrugger

 

I finely got it on. Just kept prying up on it and rocking the crank back and forth for about the right on 100th time and the tensioner finely compressed itself.

 

I've done it a number of times. I fear sticking anything that far down in there. I've always just stuck a large screwdriver through one of the holes at the top of the gear and pried upward against the head. With little effort the tensioner pulls right in. I put a punch of the right size in the hole in the cam and rotate it until everything lines up and the cam gear jumps on to the cam. Then I hold my breath and don't make any sudden moves that might frighten it until I have the bolt in far enough it can't jump back off.

 

ok so I don't know if any of you builders have tried to find all of the correct bolts (brand new ones) for the front cover, but finding all of the correct bolts and sizes is not easy. here is something I found, if you use a bolt that is too long in the top bolt hol for the oil pump, it will keep the chain tensioner from being able to compress and therefore virtually impossible to get the cam sprocket on...