Thread: Timing chain stretched?

All good ideas,thanks for thinking out loud with me.I realize I should probably install a new chain,but I'll try the dizzy and the tensioner first.Now that I think about it,if it was the tensioner,wouldn't I hear the chain slapping about? I'll try the dizzy tomorrow,work schedule looks slow.I might gain ( or lose ) adjustment with a different one.We shall see.

I have the same issue, although I have no idea if it's chain slack. Upon a total tear down and rebuild and even a new chain, I still have the same issue w/way far advanced dizzy for 15* even after all cam and chain timing has been checked like 10 times. No idea wtf it is.

Could a mismatched cam setup like a stock intake S4 exhaust(or the reverse case) cause something like this?

Car performs OK, but it has always seemed to be missing power over similar setups. I'm probably off 30-40whp from where I should be. It sucks.

-G

I'll find out something in the next few days.I'm not losing any power,hell,I dynoed earlier this spring and had picked up 7 whp from last year with no changes!? Just gotta go through all the small possibilities before I make a major move,I'm pretty lazy.The worn distributor idea seems the easiest and maybe the most logical solution.(other than the actual stretched chain)

Then I wouldn't worry about it.

-G

If you're interested, I have a set of timing chain guides with bolts (metal guide versions) and a timing chain I replaced on my car with just under 100k miles. I thought I was getting noise from my chain and guides but it was all lifter tap on the rockers. I had a brand new chain and guides so when I tore it apart, I saw that my guides and chain where in great shape. I was going to keep the parts around as spares, but honestly I hope I never need to tear a motor apart again for that job.

If you're interested in my used set, the guides and chain are all in great shape, and still have a lot of life in them. I can get you pictures if you'd like too. Just shoot me a PM. I can do like $25 shipped for you, I'd be glad to know they weren't going to waste. I highly highly stress the guides and chain are in great shape, came off my 99 G20, OE hardware, not aftermarket junk.

Okay,I changed the distributor today and got the result I wanted.At full advance with the old one,18*.Took one out of a box I had laying around,set it at fully advanced where the old dist. was,got 27*.So,in effect gained 9ish degrees of timing adjustability.Not that I really need it,but I've been bored and nit picking at problems that don't really exist this week.I spoke with a friend who is a Nissan master tech,and he said the easiest way to check for a stretched chain is remove the valve cover and look down at the tensioner.Knowing that there are about ten "teeth" (for lack of a better word) on the tensioner,count the teeth that are exposed.If all of them are,yeah,your chain is pretty worn.I have not done that,and probably won't until I get bored again.
@gomba-try a different distributor if you have access to one,although it sounds like you may have other issues as well.

Good approach to take, I never thought about looking at how far the tensioner was expanded to determine chain stretch, that makes a lot of sense. You also probably want tension on the front side (straight guide) portion of the chain when checking that too. Any slop in that portion of the chain could cause misleading results on the true stretch.

No.... That isn't how the tensioner works or any car tensioner I've ever seen for that matter. It ratchets out and doesn't ever compress so it stays out at its furthest point and will gradually ratchet out with the aid of oil pressure while time as needed.

Glad to help a fellow purple crack addict! @Bucky13

I bet if you check you will find the roll pin is bent that holds the key to the shaft on the distributor. I've never seen it happen before, but it makes sense. Bent and slowly continues to bend over time.

I've tried a diff dist and it didn't work for me in the past :/ What I have going on is some crack science and that's some pretty hard stuff to fix lol

Glad to hear it fixed your problem though!

-G