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

I've had done many cams swap before, the one in the pic looks fine but it is hard to tell. Try to get another picture from the other side. I read your posts about having problems with the tensioner. Before removing your cams, did piston #1 was at Tdc? Once I changed some cams and I forgot to do this and I had the problems u r describing here.

If everything is tightend down to spec, you should be fine. If you're nervous about it have someone just tap the ignition so you can see the tensioner pop and that the cams are moving properly. Sounds like you did everything properly. I wouldn't worry!

I had set the old cams before removing them with the intake dowel pin at 10 o'clock and the exhaust cam at 12 o'clock, with the first lobes pointing away from the motor, but the paint on the timing chain had long since worn off, so I just assumed it was at the right spot.

What did you end up having to do to fix everything?

Can I rotate the crank again, if the timing chain is not attached to the sprokets, if I got someone to hold it up with their hands? Or is this a bad idea? I have no idea.

Do not turn that crank. What color were the marks? Yellow? Some motors I did cam swaps on had black links. If you have the painted links on the chains matched with the cam gear mark and they were at 10 and 12 o clock positions, you should be fine. Some DE's are a pain in the ass to do cam swaps. When I did my brothers cam swap, the cam seemed all out of wack but tightend down nicely.

Ok I won't turn it. There was a very very dirty and dark smudge of yellowish. Also I have the JDM 10:1 SR20 in my car if that matters but I was told it didn't. I never ran into this problem with the timing chain being too tight even after the tensioner was removed.

Yeah its odd. Doesn't matter though from my experiences. A DE is a DE. Everything should be fine. I would just crank the motor over by hand and see if the tensioner pops free and presses on the guide. I usually do that just to make sure everything looks good while the valve cover is off. Another way is to disconnect the distributor plug and have someone tap the ignition while you watch. We've done this plenty of times and crank the motor over fully. After that its just poppin on the cover, plugging the dizzy back in, and drive.

Do not rotate the crank if the timing chain is not attached to the sprokets. In my case, I got enought slack when I removed the tensioner.

Please take a picture of the whole thing and one from the side to see how it looks.

It sounds like something is stuck somewhere and that is why u r not getting enough slack.

Gotcha! Glad I asked about cranking it. I wasn't sure. I will take some high quality photos tomorrow and post them.

BTW I really really appreciate everyones help on this.

Ok so I torqued the cams down again and they fit down better, marked what I counted as 20 chain pins between the intake and exhaust cam dowels, but I haven't been able to get it started, it sounds like it JUST wants to start but it won't get all the way there. I'm thinking I'm off by one tooth on the chain. I did a visual to make sure both cams rotated cleanly around with the valve cover off when I blipped the starter just in case.

Hmmm. Might be off by a tooth. Everything else is on and good? Sure you didnt unplug something by accident?