Ok well I got my VQ torn apart to inspect for the timing chain slap I've been hearing. But to my surprise I don't see any broken or missing guides, and the tensioners look like they are holding.

My issue is with the driver side upper chain and assembly chattering while in idle or at times when I change gears.

How can I check if a tensioner is failing? If a chain is stretched? I thought it was out at first but then after rotating the chain assembly it got tight and the passenger side got loose. I'm confused on where my issue is now.

I'm really hoping it's not the valve cams.

 

Sorry to say, testing of chains and tensioners is not usually a DIY project. They're so cheap that buying new ones if you're rebuilding an engine is easier than trying to test the old components. You could compare the old timing chain with the new one, of course, but why bother?

PS- cam profiles can be checked if that's a concern.

 

Oh I think I'm well beyond simple DIY at this point lol

And the reason I'm not going after an aftermarket kit is because one of my buddy's works on VQ's daily and said they have done a few chain kits. After market kits hardly fit and some he said literally do not fit at all.

I'm literally only after 1 tensioner.

 

I think I got it figured.


Pretty sure that's a bad tensioner