# B13 Step by step for upper tensioner replacement



## Nappejl (May 24, 2010)

Hi, I just bought a 93 sentra as a project car, and it has the usual timing chain rattle. I searched but only found a step by step write up of how to change the upper tensioner for the B14 Sentra. Would it be the same for my car as well? If not does anyone have step by step instructions on how to change the tensioner? I'm no mechanic, but I'm ok under the hood and just need to know what to do. thanks for the help.


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## PhantomSunny (Apr 22, 2007)

The GA series engines are pretty much the same in terms of pulling apart. Thing is the car carries 2 tensioners and two chains and a crap load of guide rails. Your best bet would be the service manuals. There was a link sticky at the top of this thread. My suggestions is that if you have to go in there any at all and funds not too tight just change everything, chains, tensioners, guide rails and the front oil seal because you pretty much will need to get the whole engine front cover off.

The manuals wil give you the step by step for the SR engine as well.


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## SE_RBOY (Jul 28, 2010)

nice sentra. i have the same car and the same problem. i went by the nissan dealership and they told be it would cost qbout 235$$ and thats just labor. Not including the cost of the tensioner. i was "smh" ok thanks bye. but that mite be my only choice. Noy unless there any other ideas


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## BeyondBiscuits2 (Jan 18, 2006)

1. Remove all the hoses from your valve cover. There should be two: one from your PCV valve going underneath the intake manifold, and one going to your intake piping.

2. Unhook your accelerator cable from the throttle body, and move aside (not necessary, but the cable gets rather annoying later on if it hasn't been moved).

3. Remove spark plug wires from the valve cover.

4. Unscrew the valve cover and lay it aside. Now is a good time to change your valve cover gasket if it is going bad.

5. Jack up your engine (see below).

6. Remove passenger side engine mount. It is fairly straight forward. It has to be taken out of the way... easiest way to do this is to just remove it.

7. Unbolt the cam cover (also called timing cover). You may need to use a screwdriver to pry the cover off... they are usually RTV'd in place and difficult to pop off.

8. Unbolt the upper timing tensioner... easy to spot, can't miss it.

9. Bolt up the new tensioner, and then remove the pin holding the tensioner compressed.

10. Use RTV on the cam cover to reseal it, then re-bolt.

11. Reinstall passenger side engine mount.

12. Reinstall valve cover making sure to screw it down following Nissan's guidelines. If you don't have the FSM, both the Haynes and Chilton manuals have the proper tightening sequence.

13. Re-attach throttle cable and re-install spark plug wires.

14. Re-attach hoses.

15. Lower jack.

16. Fire 'er up.

Pretty easy in reality. It is about an hour's job I'd say. If this doesn't fix your rattle, you may have a lower timing chain tensioner issue, or timing chain guide issues. To address these, you'd best just go and pay a shop to do it, as it is very invasive.

(see below) take a piece of wood (2x4 will work) and place it underneath the crank pulley. Use your jack to jack up the piece of wood until it takes weight off the engine mount so you can safely remove it. The wood will absorb the pressure, so there will be no damage to your crank or bearings.


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## LvR. (May 26, 2010)

Wonder what's different on the LH drive model to our RH drive model here in South Africa. Just this weekend I replaced the upper tensioner and guides as well as the upper chain - all without removing the engine mount!

Yes an hour is enough for this job and there is no special tools required.

Note that if you buy a chain with no master link (what most people will supply you) you will not be able to replace the chain at this stage


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## BeyondBiscuits2 (Jan 18, 2006)

You don't have to remove the engine mount, but just like the throttle cable, it just makes everything easier as it reduces clutter in your work area. I do it because I don't enjoy bashing my knuckles on it trying to remove bolts and such.


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