Cam tensioner shot...?

[TrueBlue]

Quite welcome.

I had thought that the wear pad had just "blown up", seperating from the tensioner piston in an explosive mess, but the tensioner appears to be intact. (You can see the pad in photo 5 above, it appears as a small orange blur at the bottom-right of the intake sprocket, the sprocket bolts seem to "point" directly to it.)

 

[gosho89]

Okay, so just the sprockets need to come out? I have no problem yanking both sprockets, I have the timing marks and the Service CD. Update in a day or so...

To remove both sprockets, you will find a hex area on both cams that is to be used to hold the cams (1" open end wrench or so) with while loosening the sprocket bolts. The cams have a index mark on them to use during the reassembly of the sprockets. You of course need to index the new cam chain onto the sprockets while installing the sprockets on the cams. Extra hands maybe helpful.

I think that should work for you, for some reason I was thinking I had to remove the exhaust cam when I did this service. Oh well thats what happens when your over 40. suffering from CRS

 

[TrueBlue]

To remove both sprockets, you will find a hex area on both cams that is to be used to hold the cams (1" open end wrench or so) with while loosening the sprocket bolts. The cams have a index mark on them to use during the reassembly of the sprockets. You of course need to index the new cam chain onto the sprockets while installing the sprockets on the cams. Extra hands maybe helpful.

I think that should work for you, for some reason I was thinking I had to remove the exhaust cam when I did this service. Oh well thats what happens when your over 40. suffering from CRS

LOL!

That's okay, I seem to have an early and advanced form of that disease. I call it the SHO syndrome - Sheet Happens Often disease.

I can compress the new tensioner to get the allotment of space I need to get the sprockets back on then? Any other tricks I should know about?

 

[gosho89]

LOL!

That's okay, I seem to have an early and advanced form of that disease. I call it the SHO syndrome - Sheet Happens Often disease.

I can compress the new tensioner to get the allotment of space I need to get the sprockets back on then? Any other tricks I should know about?

No thats pretty straight forward. Thankfully I work better with wrenchs then typing the "how to's" here on forum.

 

[TrueBlue]

Okay, I believe I'm an idiot. I pulled the intake sprocket off before I loosened the exhaust sprocket - the exhaust cam moved slightly, but my assistant "believes" he put it back in the same degreeing.

Since the intake is untouched (in time), when I put the sprocket timed to the chain, won't that time the next sprocket and help me be certain that the exhaust cam is in time? Or, will the chain have too much slack to keep the whole sheebang accurate? I've since marked all the cam lobes to the journals with a pen.

BTW, tensioner is out, and after a side by side comparison, you can definetly tell that the old one has only about 1/4" - 1/2" compression, while the new will go 2" - 2 1/2" or squish.

 

[gosho89]

Okay, I believe I'm an idiot. I pulled the intake sprocket off before I loosened the exhaust sprocket - the exhaust cam moved slightly, but my assistant "believes" he put it back in the same degreeing.

Since the intake is untouched (in time), when I put the sprocket timed to the chain, won't that time the next sprocket and help me be certain that the exhaust cam is in time? Or, will the chain have too much slack to keep the whole sheebang accurate? I've since marked all the cam lobes to the journals with a pen.

BTW, tensioner is out, and after a side by side comparison, you can definetly tell that the old one has only about 1/4" - 1/2" compression, while the new will go 2" - 2 1/2" or squish.

No worry, The engine manual shows you how to line up the cam chain to the index marks on the cam sprockets. The chain has a shinny link to use in relation to the index marks on the cam sprockets. Just double check all your marks and assemble.

 

[K-Dawg]

I think this has already been cleared up, but neither cam has to be removed to change the tensioner or chain.

As far as lining the cams back up during reinstallation, as long as all the dots and silver chain links line up, you are fine. You will have to do a bit of fanagaling with the different parts to get them in and out. I think you'll also have to turn the cams a bit while unbolting the sprockets to be able to get the bolts out.

FWIW, for some reason I'm not convinced that a bad tensioner is this cars problem. Out of curiosity, have the rod bearings been replaced recently?

 

[TrueBlue]

No. The car has 60,000 original miles.

 

[DDakRT]

Do you guys have the part number for the front tensioner too? My front is ticking and I want to replace both while I'm at it.

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

Having done this procedure last month I can only offer the following which may be too late for you:

1: Secure the cams with the tool in the SHO Rotunda kit (preferrably) or use two wrenches on the spot on the cam where it looks like a nut. Clam both wrenches together with a pair of vise grips. This keeps the cam from moving and messing up the timing.

2: now just take off one sprocket and you will be able to get the chain and tensioner out. Note the bolts have to be loosened before step one and the sprocket aligned such that you can take the bolts all the way out.

Make sure the replacement tensioner (if it is not brand new) is cleaned out and the oil port is not plugged up.

 

[TrueBlue]

Update:

Okay, the issues I had with timing are moot (hopefully, anyway! ) because the car was in gear - intake cam isn't going anywhere. That said, all you really do have to do is line up all the timing marks... tick marks on the sprockets, links on the chain, holes in the cam ends, and voila... Good to go.

Now, you can definetly get the chain out with one sprocket off, but you can't get it back on with one sprocket on. Both sprockets need to be removed to place the tensioner inside the chain, in time with the sprocket's tick marks.

This is on the rear tensioner, the front is actually a different part, mounted with the wear pad facing up. The rear faces down.

I rubber-banded the tensioner down, and zip-tied the sprockets to the chain in time, made reassembly less of a b*tch.

I'm going to start reassembling it tonight, I repainted the intake on the car. The previous owner had it Chevy orange with black snakes. I'm not to hip on that, so it's going to aluminum with emerald snakes. Purty.

 

[TrueBlue]

Wtf?!

FWIW, for some reason I'm not convinced that a bad tensioner is this cars problem. Out of curiosity, have the rod bearings been replaced recently?

Why do I quote this, do you ask? I got the car reassembled last night, started it, still hearing the noise! It's tough to tell where it came from, but after doing searches, I saw a number of posts mentioning an "oil level light flicker."

It did this. In red. Unfortuanetly, the previous owner had installed an aftermarket tachometer in front of the idiot lights, and I was unable to see it until I had glanced around the rear of the tach as I pulled the wounded car into the movie store.

However, I have also seen that the "youngest" car to fall victim was a 70,000 mile SHO. Have I just set the record for most premature failure?

Help. (PS, saw the Kurt Metro's site on RB swaps.)

 

[SHO--ripper]

Is there metal in your oil?

 

[TrueBlue]

I'm going to check it (drain it) ASAP, probably be a couple days before I can, though. Luckily, the car can just sit while I do so.

What are other indicators of bad bearings? What other possible things could it be? I hate just throwing parts at it to fix the problem, but I can play the bearings off as preventitive, if it's not them.

 

[ckinart]

If you haven't already changed it, it's possible that your oil pressure sender is the culprit. I would recommend getting your hands on an oil pressure gauge to see what numbers you have before you get too worried. Sometimes "dummy lights" are not all that reliable. If you're real paranoid, change the bearings and buy yourself some peace of mind.

 

[TrueBlue]

Would the oil pressure sender make such a racket though? It's VERY loud.

I will most likely change the bearings, first to (hoping and praying) alleviate the problem, second for the experience, third for peace of mind.

Is there anything else I can do while I'm down there? I want a Y-pipe but I still need an alignment and 60k... maybe I'd better save and get maintainence up first.

 

[K-Dawg]

Most likely its rod bearings. Its always rod bearings.

I have somewhat followed the story with the noise on this car with the previous owner, and I've thought to myself all along that the problem was the rod bearings, not the tensioner.

I'll admit to being fooled myself. That's why my car is getting a 3.2.

 

[TrueBlue]

Well Kelvin, at least you're nice enough to say "Duh, Tom, told ya so!"

I'm gonna start a new thread on this so if anyone searches for "cam tensioner" they won't get a thread on RB's.

 

[ScotSHO]

Tom,

Let me know when you want to jump into the rod bearings. I'd like to come down and witness the rod bearing swap and lend a hand turning wrenches, too.

I never heard your car run down in Angola, I had to split early that day...

 

[TrueBlue]

Absolutely!

Scot, you're definetly welcome to come down and prop up a seat. Extra hands are definetly welcome!

I'm continuing the thread here.