I just removed my head and replaced my head gasket. I'm looking for some guidance in reinstalling the cam gear. I'm beginning to think I mess up somewhere because I don't have anywhere near enough slack to get the sprocket onto the cam. I've spun the crankshaft around a few times, back and forth, while pulling up on the gear but I'm still about a centimeter too low. The head has been torqued down, 60ft-lbs.


Any advice? I've been messing with this for at least an hour. Getting frustrated.

 

stick a long screw driver or 3/8s drive extension down in the front cover and press the tensioner in. that should give you the slack your looking for.

 

yup gonna be a PITA to get that sprocket on now that you have the timing cover on. but it will go if you can actually get to the tensioner. I had to take the cover back off to press in the tensioner enough to allow me to get the sprocket on, if you do that though be very careful not to pinch the head gasket where it meets the head/cover junction.

 

Thanks for the quick reply but I've never had the chain cover off so I'm not familiar with the mechanics of the tensioner. What do you mean by pressing it "in." Left, right, towards the back of the truck, etc?

I can see the chain is dropping straight down on the right. On the left, it is being held off towards the right by some dark colored object. Is this the tensioner? I stuck a screw driver down in and tried to push it around but that particular object did not seem to move.

 

yup that would be the tensioner, good luck, it is supposed to move "in theory"

 

Boy, I really hope I don't have to remove the timing cover. I never had it off. This is already a big project for me, would much rather not open up a can of worms that I don't have to.

 

So that I'm not trying to force it incorrectly, in which direction?

 

yeah if you have to take the timing cover off, you might as well do the timing chain and guides.

you push it towards the passenger side.

 

Definitely get a big screwdriver and pry up on the gear..
I stuck mine in the bolt hole for the dizzy gear, and pulled up and it went up pretty easily. (long screwdriver, like a foot long).

 

its not hard to get to. if you shine a light down there you can kinda see it.

its on the passenger side about half way down the cover. where you see the chain pushed towards the drivers side that's the tensioner. just push it towards the passenger side and it should pop right in and give you slack you need. don't give up it does work, i do it all the time!

 

Awesome guys. Worked great. The first time it moved I had to pry pretty hard. Was really uncertain I was doing it right. After it moved I had to rotate the crank a bit to get it on and the tensioner was moving much more easily. Got it back together.

I was at a party last night and telling a girl I know about my truck project. She asked me how I could do all this myself, adding she hoped one day to be able to change her own oil. I told her I didn't know anything. The Internet, it knows everything!

Thanks again.

 

lol good job man, I fought with mine for quite a while, maybe reusing the old chain helped since they are usually stretched more than a new one.

 

haha good job! though don't believe everything you read on the interwebs