# 89 nissan z24 timing chain install problem



## joshmaxamps (Oct 6, 2013)

Ok. Just replaced head gasket and I am trying to put the timing chain and sprocket back on the cam shaft. Now matter how hard I push it im about 1/8th of an inch too short. Tried pushing on the tensioner spring but it is not enough. Please advise. Pictures can be taken if necessary.


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## saudade (Apr 10, 2010)

You're supposed to remove the tensioner and guide when replacing the chain.


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## joshmaxamps (Oct 6, 2013)

Is there an easy way to accomplish this without having to tear down the motor more? Really wish chiltons explained this better.


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## saudade (Apr 10, 2010)

I'm not sure I understand. Did you *not* remove the timing cover? If not, how are you pushing on the tensioner spring? Did you use the wedge?

I'm in the middle of the exact same thing and have some pics in my own thread.

http://www.nissanforums.com/hb-truck/178481-possibly-last-roundup.html


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

You are supposed to wedge the chain. If you didn't, or if the chain slips despite being wedged, the tensioner takes up the slack and you will not be able to get the timing gear back onto the camshaft. If this is what happened, you will have to remove the timing cover.


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## saudade (Apr 10, 2010)

Yep, what he said!!

Let me ask you a question. Did you have 2 locator dowels between the head and block?


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## joshmaxamps (Oct 6, 2013)

I am Josh's mechanic friend who is helping him with his head gasket. I am familiar wiht older cars and not this Nissan. Okay so when I "wedged" the timing chain I had the head off which the Chilton's doesn't make too clear to understand. Anyway I though it was to prevent the timing chain from falling into the timing cover. So we go to put the timing chain and cam gear back on the motor and find that we are anywhere from 1/8-1/16 of an inch from getting the cam gear back on the cam. I can stick a really long screwdriver down in the timing cover area and press the tensioner and compress it all the way thinking that was holding us up from getting the gear back on. That is where we are now with the gear being about an 1/8 of an inch away from being on the cam. 

I don't believe we did anything wrong and I am really not wanting to take the timing cover off as I believe that would mean taking the water pump and many other things off leading to a much longer and more complicated repair. Can someone please confirm that the timing cover needs to come off now. It doesn't make too much sense why that would give us anymore slack in the chain since we have the tensioner compressed all the way. 

Hope this all makes sense. This Nissan is starting to drive me nuts.

Oh and yes there were two locator dowels between the head and block.


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## saudade (Apr 10, 2010)

Thanks for the reply. (dang!!)

The wedge needs to go in place *before* you take the sprocket off. Likely, the adjuster popped out of the hole. At this point, you'll need to pull the cover.

Check out: http://community.ratsun.net/topic/41595-timing-chain-wedge/


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## joshmaxamps (Oct 6, 2013)

Okay so I saw the photo in the thread you posted. Thanks for that so I can see what I am working against. So I can push the tensioner back in the hole it came from but I am not sure if it is going in all the way I guess. But I can see with a flash light that I have the tensioner pushed back which gives the timing chain slack to move but just not enough. This is extremely frustrating. I'm sure someone out there has done this without having to take the cover off after screwing the stupid wedge thing up. I'll get some pics here in a bit and post them up.

Thanks for the help so far.


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## saudade (Apr 10, 2010)

Please do so. I'll be putting my head back on this week. I had some trouble with the wedge at first but got one made up. Won't know for sure if it worked until I try to slip the sprocket back on. I'll update my thread as I go along and track yours.


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## SPEEDO (Jun 9, 2003)

can you tell if the chain is bunched up under the crank gear? or if the chain slipped? if in doubt, pull the cover make sure it goes back together correctly. other wise you may have to pull it apart again...


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## joshmaxamps (Oct 6, 2013)

Okay if I am going to pull the cover I am assuming the crank pulley needs to come off then? If that's the case, how am I going to get the pulley loose? put the car in gear? Is there a lower cover that can come off by itself so I don't have to remove the distributor? I am fine with taking the lower cover off if I have to. Ill get some pics up here in the next hour when I can go home on my lunch break.


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## joshmaxamps (Oct 6, 2013)

Okay so in the images you can see the timing chain and the gap between the two sides. Before the chain was touching and now it isn't as I took a long flat screw driver and was able to push the timing tensioner back to get more slack on the chain. It still doesn't have enough slack. I don't see how taking the cover off is going to give me anymore slack other than the headache of taking the cover off.

If I absolutely have to take the cover off what all has to come off cause the Chilton's doesn't explain it all too clear. Does the distributor have to come out? does it all slip off as one unit or?








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this is where you can see the tensioner








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## saudade (Apr 10, 2010)

When I pulled the sprocket off the first time, I felt the chain slip a bit. Thankfully I still had the bolt in, just loose enough to slide the sprocket off. I was quite a struggle getting it back on. I think it was the pin not aligning with the hole in the back of the sprocket. I had my son s-l-o-w-l-y rotate the crank a few degrees back and forth and it slipped on.

I made another wedge with a bit more taper and hammered in in a bit more firmly.

Otherwise, I think you have no other choice.


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

You have to remove the front cover. The wedge needs to be installed before you remove the cam gear. Some of the older Nissan engines used a ratchet style tensioner which prevents you from pushing the plunger back. Once the front cover is removed, you can lock the tensioner plunger into the retracted position (some use a hook and some use a pin to lock it into position). Then, you can install the cam gear and timing chain. When you are done doing that, you release the tensioner and it will take up the timing chain slack. 
As far as getting the crank bolt off, I usually use an air impact gun. If you don't have that, you'll have to figure out someway to keep the crank from turning. If you have a manual trans, you can put it into gear and set the parking brake. Auto trans is much harder; you'll need to get a prybar in the teeth of the flexplate teeth. Another option is to fill a cylinder with rope on it's downstroke through the spark plug hole. When you turn the engine, the piston will compress the rope in the cylinder on its upstroke until the engine locks. I would not recommend the starter-jerk method without the timing chain installed as you may damage valves. And, yes, the distributor has to come out. 
This is why it is so important to wedge the chain properly before taking the cam gear off. If the chain slips, it leads to a lot more work.


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## joshmaxamps (Oct 6, 2013)

So we ended up tearing the front cover off the motor to get to the little annoying timing tensioner. So I almost had the tensioner fully depressed without removing the front cover but couldn't get it to move the last half inch in the tensioner housing. We were able to get the timing chain back on last night though. Finally made some head way on this project after banging my head against the wall with trying to get the tensioner in place to get the chain on. Thanks for the insight and help with this project so far. 

Hopefully all will go smooth tonight with getting the cover back on and all of the other things that had to come off. Wish us LUCK!


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## saudade (Apr 10, 2010)

Yes. Good luck. Sounds like the tough part is over.


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