Thread: Can't get enough slack in timing chain after tensioner removed

If you change one cam at a time, I really cannot see how you can mess this up. I have a cam timing diagram, here to help you.

HOW TO: Check camshaft timing

doesnt make sense that it wouldnt reach never seen that before

I know, that's why I'm sort of baffled, I've done 4 or 5 cam swaps and never came across this.

I can just do this to the intake side? Then when installing both new cams verify there's 20 links between (after marking the chain)

Thanks so much for your post. This seems the most logical step from what I'm experiencing. The tensioner is already compressed and waiting to be reinstalled.

My question is though: what if after removing the chain from the cam gears, the marks I made on the chain don't line up with each other properly to keep the intake cam at 10o'clock and exhaust cam at 12o'clock?

same here, I have been using the same "JWT spec" wood block forever, but I have never removed the tensioner during a cam install

EDIT: I meant I have always removed the tensioner, I have never had a terrible time installing the cams, but it is really tight (thinking while typing owns me :rolleyes

I actually always removed the tensioner and had no problems, this was the first time i tried the JWT method

You can do whatever you want to do! I never removed the tensioner. I have always used what I guess is "JWT method" with the wood block.

Take one cam gear off at a time. Nice and slowly. See how the lobes of the cams look in my picture? That is some stage of cylinder number one at top dead center, not true, but some stage of top dead center.

This is the beauty of doing one side at a time. You zip tie the side you are NOT going to work on (let's just say at two spots on the cam gear.

Do your work on the opposite side. Take the chain off and lay to the side, take the cam gear off, remove old cam, check rockers and such, install new cam in the same orientation and tighten the cam gear.

Use my link and the picture to help to re-establish the proper amount of links, rollers, dots, whatever between the already zip-tied cam gear and the newly installed one. The cam lobes should be super close to the same orientation, but more important is the newly installed cams position in relation to the zip-tied other side cam gear.

I always remove the tensioner and usually when you do the chain will either slack inbetween the gears or slack between the exhaust cam sprocket and crank. Usually it happens because the lobe is pressing on on rocker and it will rotate it to a slack position.

All you had to do to get the gear back on is rotate the cam with a wrench and put it on with the method your using. Your allowed to rotate the cams to get the chain to slack properly.

Then once your done you can rotate the crank a bit to tighten up the chain and give you the proper slack you need to reinstall the tensioner. If you dont then you wont be able to get the tensioner back in because the chain will be tensioned on that side.

Again if you have slack between the gears which ive never seen it not do it when at tdc and remove the tensioner as the intake and/or exhaust cam will always try to rotate to a better slack point off the lobe.

Just move it around as necessary until you get it. When all back together with the tensioner in rotate the motor by hand and make sure the tensioner clip releases and tensions the chain. You should hear a wratcheting sound when it releases. Then do two rotations of the crank and bring it back to TDC and make sure your dowels are at 10 and 12 and there are 20 pins between the dots on the gears and if so, your good.

Thanks for all the advice guys, here's what another list member wrote me on Facebook:

"Just bolt down & turn the cam using the facets on the cam with a wrench in the direction it needs to go to align the dowel pin. It should not require much force and should not require to turned much. I have had to do this a few times and is normal. Because if you lay the cam flat and tighten down it is a few degrees from where it should be. If you place cam in the correct position and tighten down it starts out not flat in the head and I think this is where people snap cams in half. So what you did is fine just turn the cam a little."

As soon as it gets a little warmer out I'm going to head out there and start wrenching again