Loks like it is locked some how, I know mine was a b1tch to get it back to the locking position. It should not be at that position even at rest. pull it out and have a look they are not hard to remove and install. Just be damn careful you dont drop a bolt.

 

^ +1

Buy a new one just to have peace of mind

 

i would take a look at it after taking it off see if its something obvious thats wrong with it but if not would just replace it. whats 100 bucks for confidence that that part isnt going to fail.

 

Gord, is there a gasket behind it or is it a metal to metal finish?

After consulting the service manual it appears to be in the correct position, but it remains to be seen if there is something blocking the oil galley in the back side that would be preventing proper pressure from building.

Most likely I will source a new one. I will try and remove this tomorrow I suppose. Nothing to lose really, the car isn't running right now anyway

 

it is metal to metal, it dosent look right when i took the allen key out it moved off the locked position if i recall right and I know I had a hard time getting it back into the position where it lined up to get an allen key in. Once it is off try compressing it and and see what happens.

 

Chris I am pretty sure that looks right. It is a metal to metal surface as Gord said. The plunger stopper tab lever is oriented correct for use, you would rotate it to release the plunger, but with it still attached it will have some pressure to push it in. The pluger looks to be in the middle of its range and would suggest it got oil pressure, if it was depressed before.

Please some one comment if I am off base here. If you removed it, and put it back in fully depressed, on first crank up it would return to the tensioned state. Thus seeing if you tensioner is getting oil pressure.

 

nope. Fram is one of the biggies that has problems. I always use the bosch or mobil. Either of those haven't had any problems.

 

I could be wrong, it has been awhile since I worked on mine I just thought I recalled the locking mechanism not lining up with the holebafter it had been pressured up. Like I said it has been about two years since I worked on the timing assembly.

I would even put the one from the oil burner in to see if it makes a difference? It is an easy swap so it might be worth a try.

 

I will remove the tensioner today and check the rear cavity to see if there apears to be any blockage of the oil passage. Swapping in the other tensioner is probably worth a shot. Its a little bronze, but I can hear and feel that the oil galley is unobstructed on that one. Still hoping for an easy fix, but if not the front timing cover will have to come off next.

We had to put a new pin in one of the cam gears because the other one disappeared when it was washed in the sonic wash (I think thats what its called). I would guess this is the next most likely suspect

It seems someone could make a few bucks designing clear plexi covers you could see through to check things like the cam gears or see if the timing chain is flapping.

 

So today was another adventure. I attempted to remove the timing chain tensioner by following the steps in the service manual... FAIL.

As soon as I slid out the bottom bolt, the tension on the timing chain snapped the tensioner over and pressed it against the side of the cover.



To make things worse, when it did this it knocked out the drill bit I was using to hold the lock on the tensioner in place and it disappeared. After searching for 30 minutes and fearing the worst, it had fallen inside the timing cover, I jacked up the car and removed the under tray.... nothing.

Several minutes of swearing followed and then I promised the car that I would part it out and have it crushed if I didn't find the bit in 5 minutes. I crawl under the car again and sandwiched between the oil pan and filter is the bit. Obviously I was relieved and the car must have known I was serious.

The issue still remains that the chain is causing too much pressure on the tensioner for me to remove it or even get the pin depressed at all

Does anyone know how to get the chain guide out of the way to get the dumb a$$ tensioner out? Is there such a tool as a mini spreader or something that would do this?

 

TIMING CHAIN
24. Remove internal chain guide, timing chain tensioner, tension
guide and slack guide.

Remove timing chain tensioner as follows:
a. Pull lever down and release plunger stopper tab.

Plunger stopper tab can be pushed up to release (coaxial
structure with lever).
b. Insert stopper pin into tensioner body hole to hold lever, and
keep the tab released.
NOTE:
An Allen wrench [2.5 mm (0.098 in)] is used for a stopper pin as
an example.
c. Insert plunger into tensioner body by pressing the slack guide.
d. Keep the slack guide pressed and hold it by pushing the stopper
pin through the lever hole and body hole.
e. Remove the mounting bolts and remove the timing chain tensioner.

PAGE EM-52

 

Holy hell Cass, I've been gone for a long time. I can't believe everything I've read, I hope all this gets resolved for you man.

By the way the tensioners are a pain is the a$$.

 

If you remove the 2nd bolt, you can't wiggle it out? Hope someone that has done this before chimes in! Good luck man.

 

Cass, I dont know what your noise sounds like but I also had a "rattle" noise when my build was first put together.

If this helps at all this is my experience.

I could only here the noise at idle and as soon as I reved the eng ~2k + the noise was gone but the concern was still there. At first it sounded like the passenger side valves but within a short time (200miles?) both sides appeared to be making noise. Kinda sounded like marbles.
We pulled the cam sensors one side at a time and when we did the noise went away on the side we pulled. We bought new cam sensors hoping we had the solution but we still got the noise.
Hal (From Injected) sugested we change out the cam sprockets and recomeneded the Nismo versions. We put those in and the noise is virtually gone.
I did here the noise re-appear once when i had a air pocket in the cooling system and the eng overheated. I was worried but it all seams to be good. Im running thicker oil as well 15-50 I know you dont like mobile but its working for me

Hope to here you up and running soon.

Great job doing all this work on your own!

 

Chris try to loosen the other bolt that should release any pressure on it, then try to release the plunger to push it in some and wiggle it out. The timing chain guide will push only slightly to the driver side, as the chain will not let it go to far.

 

I took out the second bolt and was able to fully depress and secure the tensioner piston, but it still won't come out. There is still too much tension on the guide from the chain.

I will try tomorrow to advance the chin a bit by using a socket on the crank and see if I get any slack on the guide. If not, I will have to give up on this. Space is very limited between the fans and the timing cover.

Smasher - thanks for the advice. I was trying to this fix first so if it didn't solve the problem I could expect to replace the cam gears. I was just hoping to not have to pull the timing covers off

 

Got it. After consult with Blinkerfluid last night I manually turned the crank this afternoon and the chain and guide became slack. Where the F is that little tidbit of advice in the service manual

The other tensioner is swapped in and fresh RTV on the cover. I will let it cure over night and then pull the fuel pump fuse tomorrow and build some oil pressurem put it back in and see what happens.

I am hoping for an easy fix, but experience tells me not to get my hopes up. I think it is the passenger timing chain gear.

 

When I had trouble with mine I just bolted the cover on with no and fired it up. No oil leaked out of the timing Cover in the 30 seconds you need to run the car to see if the issue has been fixed.

 

Well.... I THINK I FIXED IT!!

I still have just a second of rattle on cold start, but nothing when warm and no rattle during normal running

So far, no leaks or other drama. If all goes well I will have the oil cooler(s) installed late next week and its off to buy race gas.

The car put down 578.9whp DD on 22lbs pump+meth (up from 543whp in version 4.0). It hits a wall right there, similar to where it did before. The tuner thinks we are running out of air flow through the 2.25" dia inlet pipes

 

Hope its nothing but smooth sailing from this point on for ya!