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Re: Timing chain replacement
Posted by c.k.christacopoulos (more from c.k.christacopoulos) on Thu, 30 Sep 1999 10:45:47
In Reply to: Timing chain replacement, SuprHtr, Wed, 29 Sep 1999 23:18:02
Sorry for the length of this.
Hi, It would take a brave man to replace a chain from the top. I have not read it anywhere and I did not have to try it. I happened to have the engine off the car.
Every chain has a point at which it is connected in a loop. Disconnect the catch and connect to it the new chain (you must undo the catch on that too. I assume you remove camshaft(s) sprocket, to get the chain loose).
Now you have one chain double the original length. You have to feed it through the cranck shaft sprocket (from memory, there is not enough clearance at the sprocket end so you will have to rotate the engine from the pulley nut to feed the chain through. You might as well remove the sparking plugs to make life easier) See WARNING..
Once the new chain has fed through the loop, remove old chain, close the loop and that is it.
Watch out for: Lock the tensioner in place. (Early 900s had a tensioner that at least in the UK was replaced under recall. Off course mine wasn't. Since about 1983 we got the new simpler tensioner. If your 86 had the 'old' tensioner it was really bad. I seen the damage on the back plate by the ratling chain :-)
WARNING. As you rotate the engine it would be better to position the camshaft(s) at a position where the valves are not compressed (or else you need a new engine).
WARNING. The chain connector MUST only be fitted facing the direction of the travel of the engine (the same if a chain is fitted with the engine off the car. The connector must have closed end towards the direction of the rotation).
Triple check timing etc. You got a new chain!
Try at your own peril. I bear no responsibility for what I am saying here as I am going insane :-)
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For all the comments about timing chains I agree with the general opinion, they are trying to make a killing. Three things which are easy to check about a chain.
A. Listen for noise especially from decelaration after high reving (I wish I knew that then) B. Take the cover off, and feel the tension. On the fingers it should feel very tight. If you give a bit of reverse rotation on the engine the chain will loose its tenson. Try moving it sideways (new chains hardly move sideways). C. To work out how worn everything is, rotate the engine until it comes to DeadTopCentre (0 degrees). See how far out the camshaft(s) are from their 0 degrees marker. In my case the chain and sprockets were so worn that I had managed to get it out by one tooth. I never found the fault until I put a new chain in :-)
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Save your money and keep the car well serviced instead (loads of fresh clean oil). If you want to replace the chain, you might as well replace the oil pump, comression rings, big ends, small ends .... they can all fail.
Regards Charles
============================================== Charles Christacopoulos, Secretary's Office, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, (Scotland) United Kingdom. Tel: +44+(0)1382-344891. Fax: +44+(0)1382-201604. WebDad of http://somis.ais.dundee.ac.uk/
Home of the Scottish Search Maestro http://somis2.ais.dundee.ac.uk/
Happily using OS2 Warp. ==============================================
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