How to tighten stretched timing chain?

[ZD44TT]

Hey guys,

 

went through the manual and it's suggesting that I take the cam sprocket off and rotate it to a different dowl hole to get more tension out of a stretched timing chain. This can only be done to a certain extent or new chain is required.

 

Does that sound right?

 

I'm getting too much slack on the exhaust side of the chain when it's put into position. It's a new chain btw.

 

The spring loaded tensioner would do the work on the other side but it's the exhaust side I'm having issues with.

 

Six lazy slow hrs on it so fark.........the joy of doing things the first time....: ).

[Enzo]

Hi ,

    The idea of the extra holes in the sprocket is not to put tension on the chain but to advance the camshaft to compensate for a stretched chain. If you have a new chain you should be in the No 1 hole . When the piston is on top dead centre (as setup in the manual) you should be able to line the line up with the notch in the cam sprocket. If the chain was stretched  you would use a wooden wedge to lock the chain in place and rotate the sprocket to the No 2 hole. The holes are 4 degrees apart. If you are tempted to do this read your manual first. If the wedge comes loose and the tensioner pops out you are screwed. This happened to me  but with a lot of patience and a couple of tools I made up I got it back in without having to pull the front off the motor . About 2 hours of stuffing around. Regards David.

[ZD44TT]

If the chain was stretched  you would use a wooden wedge to lock the chain in place and rotate the sprocket to the No 2 hole. The holes are 4 degrees apart.

 

Isn't the cam sproket a once piece sproket.......i.e not two seperate moving parts.

 

Because from what your saying it sounds like I can mount the chain and by holding the chain in place of the sproket teeths I can somehow rotate the inner circle of the cam sproket....

 

hahahha........this is farked.......never in my life has working on a car gone smoothly.

 

At the moment the 'v' is spot on the '-' and the cloured chain link is on #1 cam sproket digit.

[Rod F]

The sprocket is one-piece, enzo means chocking the chain, then removing the entire sprocket from the camshaft and rotating the sprocket and reinstalling.

 

A new chain shouldn't be slack, are the guides and tensioner worn down?

 

Decking the cylinder head too much can also lower the camshaft and cause issues.

[ZD44TT]

Kool I managed to work out about the number '2' and '3' dowel points on the cam sprocket and ended up rotating to number '3'. I've doubled checked and there are 20 links between the two bright links on the exhaust side of the chain.

 

Everything has lined up except for the dizzy rotor position. I must of rotated it when i took it out and put it back in.

 

Can I get everything back to TDC and then just position the dizzy rotor to point at #1 spark lead and that should get it back to position?

 

almost there....hope to start the car today.....3 day process : ) lucky im on holidays.

[Enzo]

If the cam timing marks aligned perfectly on the number 1 hole with a new chain why did you move it to the number 3 hole. This would have advanced your camshaft timing a total of 8 degrees.

[ZD44TT]

i did it because the side of the chain that doesn't have the tensioner was really loose.........even with the new chain. Maybe the head has been decked heaps. But after i moved it to the #3 dowel point the chain was tort all the way around.

 

dam i have to take it all off again to get the dizzy rotor stem to the correct position.....

 

no energy today..........hahahha........im ripped.

[maddos]

To adjust where you dizzy points you have to drop the oil pump which drives the dizzy shaft.

Just make sure you're on the COMPRESSION stroke of TDC No.1 when you set it up.

A couple of trial fits should get orientated the right way. I assume you don't have a manual to go by.

I managed to set mine up 180deg out when I had mine removed. This made No.1 fire at rear of dizzy (closest to firewall)so had to rearrange all leads around to suit because couldn't be stuffed at the time. Now that engines out, so can sort it out later.

[Enzo]

it's impossible to have the chain on the opposite side from the tensioner loose if you are turning the motor over by hand in the correct direction.  ( clockwise ).As the crank turns the tension is taken up in the chain which in turn rotates the camshaft. You should be turning the crank till top dead centre is aligned with the timing mark zero. If the distributor rotor button is aimed at plug lead  No 1 all is good and all you have to do is check that the camshaft is aligned to it marks. If the rotor button is 180 degrees out turn the crank one full revolution to top dead centre and check again.

[ZD44TT]

Koolies I got it running.......BANG first turn.....hehehe.

 

It was the dizzy......i had no idea it shared the same shaft as the oil pump.......crack up....

 

Timing is out now cause of the dizzy adjustment but that shouldn't be too hard to get adjusted back. Looks like I have to retard it abit.

 

Well all that hard work and it looks like it wasn't a loose chain issue. I'm still getting this knocking sound when it get to around 2,500rpm to 3,500rpm.......or even greater revs as I can't hear it after that cause the car is noisey.

 

wonder wth it could be.....seems to be louder now with semi synthetic oil as well. I was using thicker oil before. I'm pretty sure it's come'n from the front of the head.

 

A friend mentioned that it's a common problem to have the harmonic balancer cause some running knocking noises.....will have to look into that one.