Im doing my first head gasket on my 1985 Toyota SR5 Efi 22-re engine. I have no time limit, I am just going to go slow. Here is the problem. I live in an apartment and non for my friends have a house i can work on this at.

So I cant tie up the timing chain to the hood to keep tension on it. (I need to be stealthy while i'm having the head milled flat if it needs it. I can't leave the hood up. ) I have seen people make wedges out of wood and tap it down into the tensioner. Is it that simple to do?
I will get busted if the apartment complex find me working on my truck.
I plan to put a big harbor freight tarp under it to make sure noting get on the parking lots asphalt.

Will the wedge work or is there a better plan? I had the timing chain done about 70k miles ago.

Here is a pic from user Philbert his tear down. But the red link is what i need to know.

 

zip-tie the chain to the cam gear to take up as much slack as you can, then rubber-band the rest of the slack, but really, you want to follow the manual to at least check the timing when done, so almost the same as setting it. when working on it, basically "hooch" it so nobody can see what you are doing and keep it registered and not looking like a scrap project while it sits there. i think i've heard of people making a wedge to compress the tensioner, but simply taking it off and putting it back on once the cam is bolted back on works with just as much or less effort.

 

I zip tie my timing chain at the 12 oclock postion on top of the bright link an then at the bottom to tighten the chain around the bottom of the sprocket to take the slack so that it does not fall off of the bottom sprocket. I have a picture some where in one of my threads how I do it but cant find it at the moment. If I stumble into it later I will post it.

 

I tryed to post some attachments but the post never showed up and the link to this subject shows attachments. I think i screwed something up.

 

Ok i have it all zip tied, I'm still thinking about the wedge as well. When i get the head off i will know if i have to replace the timing chain ( It looks like it )

But if i don't use w edge will the tensioner pop out?
I'm not sure how long to make the wedge and how wide at the top and bottom. And one have the measurements i need?

This is what I fear:

 

there is a spot to put a paperclip or finish nail in, so you compress the tensioner and it will lock it compressed. they come shipped that way, but you have to have the timing cover off.

 

OMG... In 25 years+ of building 22R engines & replacing timing chains I have *never* seen this happen (tensioner pop out). Ever.
That is crazy!

When they are brand new they don't come with any kind of restraint.
You just bolt them on.

If that were to happen, you need a new tensioner.

They just come free in a box (with the kit) like this...

 

hum..... wonder what motor that was.....

 

It was not a 22r or 22re. I want to say datsun.

Edit: Goggle image search leads me to believe its a Nissan L20B engine.

 

Is this the kit linked below ok? I have not taken it off yet, but i think for the price and same labor at 70k miles It would be dumb to not replace it all.
Should I replace the oil pump and water pump as well? I have always had the proper fluids in it and ran synthetic all of its life. Or should i wait till its apart and see.


CNS TK10120 HD Timing Chain Kit (2 Heavy Duty Metal Guide Rails & Bolts) / 85-95 Toyota 2.4L 4Runner Pickup Celica 4-Cylinder SOHC 8-Valve Engine 22R 22RE 22REC 22RTEC

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOYOTA-22R-RE-FEK-YIKES-Whats-this-EPN-/381399186230?hash=item58cd29bb36

 

oh yes... probably the nissans. haven't done the timing chain on either for like 9 years.

 

I made the wedge 2 inches at the top same as the top sprocket center piece and 1 1/2 ant the bottom by 1/2 inch thick.

 

I think you guys are WAAAAYYY over-thinking this and making it a LOT more difficult than it is.
When I pull a 22R head off (and I've done many), the chain sprocket just rests on the top of the guides...turn it counter-clockwise to pull the chain slack from your right and put the slack to your left (into the tensioner side).

It's just fine that way.
Zip-tie it if you want to make sure it doesn't come off the sprocket if it gets bumped, but even that's overkill because you should have set the engine to zero when you started tearing it apart.
And even then...you can still set it all at zero again when you're done, so it really doesn't matter.
You'll have to set it all back up to zero anyway to get the distributor set correctly when you're done and ready to start the motor.
Just my 2 cents.