Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Timing Chain Tensioners and Guides

I have a 2000 SVT with 167,000 miles on it. I have had a rattle sound on cold start-ups for years and have never been able to find out what the problem is.

In the last year I also have been getting a knocking sound from the engine bay at idle speed. I though it was a pulley since the knock only happens intermittently and always goes away once the engine goes over 2000 rpm. Also the knocking noise seems to happen when the car is in stop and go traffic on very hot summer days. The other day I hear the knocking noise and determined it was not a pulley but coming from engine. The knock is coming from front of the crankcase on the firewall side. Could this be the timing chain tensioners and guides? Also could the rattling sound on cold start-ups be related to this problem?

How hard is it to replace the timing chain tensioners and guides myself? The hardest thing I have done is replacing the air conditioning compressor on my car.

ive broken down that side of the engine many times while its still in the car. I replaced all of the chains, guides, tensioners, and stuf at the begining of the year finally after have to reset the chains on the cams many of times.

Its not a one day deal, if you jump into it, youll need plenty of time. you have to take off a lot fo stuff.

heres a pic of the engine when it was in the procress of the work.



Its doable within a few days, of good work. But be prepared to curse like hell.

If you need any help on it, that is if you end up doing it, ill be glad to help.

Do yourself a favor and plug those intake ports. Or maybe tape them over. Makes me nervous just looking at them open like that. Have you ever seen what happens when even the tinest screw falls in the cylinder?

Thanks! What kind of symptoms were you getting when you decided to replace the tensioners and guides?

It won't cause damage. It's just annoying.

Umm symptoms, ha, when you are driving down the road, get on teh gas, and the chains jump a couple teeth on the cams, and your car is running horrible. Or after you "fixed it the first time" , you go outside to start the car, and it just cranks forever, never turns over.

I had the usual start-up clack, and i seemed to also have some lifter knock as well. I guees the tensioners finally gave way, and needed overhaul.

LIM CLEANING!!!!!! THE HORROR, THE HORRROOORRR!!!

moding and performance was the last thing on my mind when doing the fix. i did the UIM a long time ago, never had the gaskets to do the lower, so i didnt care. We wont have the car for to much longer. hopefully, but unfortunetly.

You can purchase your guides, gears, etc at www.autopartsgiant.com You can save some money from doing this.

The startup rattle that you hear for a sec is the tensioners building oil pressure. I'd replace the tensioners also.

I have an extra timing chain crank gear that is new that I never used - i bought two thinking I would need them both when the new revised type is one piece unit with to rings...You can have it for 10 bucks plus shipping if interested.

Be carefull on the timing.....

http://bobt.gotdns.com/pict/2b.pdf

Bob