SVT Timing Chains

[Broken Bolts]

I have to repalce the timing chains, tensioners, tensioner arms, and chain guides on my 98 SVT.

Are the chains, tensioners, arms and guides SVT specific? Or are all 2.5L duratecs the same and interchangable?

I thought I heard here that SVT cams and chains are different from non-SVT cams and chains.

 

[jaged]

svt cams are large tooth, non svt cams are small tooth so you need svt chains. everything else is the same as far as ive seen

why do you need to replace the chains?

 

[Broken Bolts]

They are making noises. Something is either streched or worn. I'm going to replace everything with dealer parts while I'm in there.

 

[ContourGuy9817]

3L is 600 plus about the same time as doing in-car chains/timing drive on this vehicle...the timing kit is nearly 400 bucks if i recall...

 

[Broken Bolts]

That's fine. I want to keep the SVT engine.

Thanks for the info.

 

[ContourGuy9817]

Well if you can find a clean svt 2.5 anywhere in any yard, blown up or not, the parts you need are inside. These parts are available new too! i just hope your noise isn't a collapsed HLA or lower end related! The chains must be svt, the rest is fine!

 

[BrApple]

svt cams are large tooth, non svt cams are small tooth so you need svt chains. everything else is the same as far as ive seen

why do you need to replace the chains?

This is not completely true. There are two types of timing compomnents, call them narrow and large. Just about all contours have the large timing chains. The 3L and possibly some very later contours and late cougars have the narrow chains. The components can not be mixed.

First I put SVT cams in my SE 2.5L engine, just swapped the cams. Then for the 3L install I used all of the 2.5L timing components as the 3L are the different style.

 

[svttour]

I have a brand new set of timing chains guides and tensioners for SVTcams were installed but never spun pm me

 

[Broken Bolts]

OK so the noise is one of the hydraulic lash adjusters.

I have another question, how do the camshaft gears attach to the camshafts? Are they bolted? Are they pressed on like the V8 SHO engines?

I have the Chilton's manual and it seems like they are not bolted on, so moving them to align the timing marks are going to be total bull••••.

 

[jaged]

they are pressed on. you cant, and shouldnt move them.

if it skipped a tooth you are kinda SOL and need to pull the timing cover and do it correctly

 

[gorman]

I thought I heard here that SVT cams and chains are different from non-SVT cams and chains.

not true. There are two chain sizes. Count the number of teeth on the camshaft sprocket.... it will be 36 or 42. The number of teeth does not necessarily tell you which cam's you have ..... the part numbers on them do (or colored bands).

Case in point is; i have two sets of SVT cam's, ...one set has 36 teeth and the other has 42. I also have a set of SE cam's with 36 teeth and the chains run my 36 tooth SVT cam's perfectly..... G.

 

[BrApple]

I have the Chilton's manual and it seems like they are not bolted on, so moving them to align the timing marks are going to be total bull••••.

get a Ford shop manual. you just rotate the whole camshaft to line the timing marks up.

iirc the cam caps are left loose when the timing is set. So the cams turn very easily at that point. Hell on my zetec I could turn the cams by hand.

 

[Broken Bolts]

Thank you for verifying that the cam gears are pressed on the cams.

And thanks for all the info on the different timing chain sizes, very interesting. It has to be distinguished by production date, there is no way they randomly installed different sizes.

Yeah that's what the chiltons says, the cam caps have to be loose when installing the chains.

I know you move the whole cam with the gear to align the timing marks. Usually, cam gears are attached by a keyway/pin and a bolt so you can put a tool on the bolt to spin the gear to dial in the timing perfectly. Any cam gear i've ever messed with (a couple dozen totally different ones) are sharp as hell and will cut your hand like a razor blade, hence total bull•••• when trying to line the marks up with your hands.