AllCammedUp

I'm currently in the process of putting on a new head/timing chain/DOA dampners, etc. on my truck, and I've run into somewhat of a stumbling block that I'm hoping someone can help me out with.

I've got the timing cover back on, the head on and tightened down and I'm at the point now where I need to 'slip' the cam gear (with the timing chain around it) up and over the end of the camshaft. The cam has a dowel pin in the end of it and the gear has a spacer cut out for the dowel, so it will only go one way.

The only trouble is that w/ the new chain and the dampner installed, the chain seems to be about 1 inch too short, and I cannot get it up and over the camshaft for anything. :pat:

For those of you that have done this job yourself, do you have any tips that might help me get the gear up and over the camshaft? If I can get this done, the rest of it appears to be down hill.

BTW, I'm following the Haynes manual, and at this point they say to 'rock' the crank pulley/shaft back and forth to help stretch the chain so the sprocket will fit over the camshaft, but, honestly, that has done me little, if any, good.

Thanks!

dmi2

I, can help but your not giong to like what your about to hear! I just rebuilt my engine and the haynes manuals are not the best( although helpful).First try this i was able to do this with mine but you will need help. Get a long skinny pry bar reach down into the timing chamber and push in the chain tensioner while someone holds the cam gear up and tight then slip it onto the cam(make sure you are at top dead center. Now for the part you dont want to hear,If for some reason you cant get it to work you will have to remove the cover and push in on the tensioner and install the gear that way. But it can be done the way i described it's just difficult( you will need help)one more thing if the tensioner will not move you may have the wrong bolt in the timing cover(which is to long and extends through the cover and blocks the tensioner from moving so double check, you can see this area with a good light).

tystoy

hey man sometimes it is easier to remove the timeing cover and the oil pan, get the chain on and reinnstall the cover and oil pan with a new gasket. most of the time the pan gasket neds to be replaced anyway.

AllCammedUp

dmi2, thanks a lot for that suggestion... it actually sounds workable. However, I went ahead and yanked the timing cover back off and I now see how the new tensioner was causing my probelms. Oh well. :pat: It's probably best that I went ahead and pulled the cover again, because I was having a problem getting the two long 14mm bolts on the left side of the cover to go in all the way. I'm going to back up, regroup, chase the threads on the block and re-insstall the cover. Thanks for your suggestion, though!

Quote:

hey man sometimes it is easier to remove the timeing cover and the oil pan, get the chain on and reinnstall the cover and oil pan with a new gasket. most of the time the pan gasket neds to be replaced anyway.

tystoy: I hear ya man... that's what I'm going to have to do now is pull the oil pan. I royally messed up the front part of my head gasket trying to get the timing cover 'sandwiched' back in. I even bent my oil pan down a little bit in the front, and I could go in ok from the bottom, but the top portion would hang on the gasket, and it crumped it up something fierce.

Now, I've got to go back, re-yank the rockers and head, put on a new head gasket and drop the oil pan and build this guy from the top down instead of the bottom up, like I was trying to do. :cry:

Oh well, live and learn... I'm gaining a lot of knowledge on this truck, but dang it is taking me a long time to get this done!

AllCammedUp

I'm going to post a new topic on this, but do either of you guys have any tips on removing and replacing the oil pan on a 1989 4wd? The Haynes manual says something (2 very short and vague paragraphs) about dropping the front diff and cross-member.

Do you guys have any pointers, tips or know where a 'how-to' is posted?

tystoy

when I did the pan on my 87 4runner I put a cherry picker on the motor and removed the motor mounts then lifted the motor untill I could get the pan out. be carefull not to lift the motor to high.

dmi2

tystoy is a 100% right lifting the engine is the easy way although if you have a chain hoist setup you dont have the cherry picker in your way underneath. One more note to add be sure and check the length of the bolt i mentioned earlier thats in the timing cover next to the tensioner if it's sticks through the cover your tensioner will not work. Good luck!

AllCammedUp

Thanks for the continued discussion on this, guys.

Yeah, I really wish I could do this. The truck is sitting in my driveway, totally incapacitated and unable to move anywhere. I don't have a cherry picker or any way to do a chain hoist, so I'm left with having to fix it where it sits and make do with what I've got.



Good suggestion on the bolts. I'll be sure I run the holes out w/ a tap and that I get them all back in correctly. I've been using my old timing cover to keep everything straight, so I should be good to go there.

Hopefully this weekend will see the truck finished up!