A different timing chain problem.. I promise..

[Aaron_RMS13]

So timing chains have been rehashed over and over but I have not read anything about my problem. Here goes...

I just bought my '93SE.

It has a timing chain rattle so I pulled the valve cover off to see about removing the upper timing chain guide as suggested by some of you. The upper chain is rubbing on the underside of the valve cover. It has cut approx 1 millimeter deep groves in it so far.

Anyway, I have nothing that even remotely resembles an upper guide so it must have been removed already. After further inspection I confirmed both chain tensioners were working OK, the drivers side/upper guide was ok, but the drivers side/lower seemed to be broken. I say that because it has a "jagged" looking upper edge like a piece broke off but without seeing a new one I can't be sure. It IS firmly seated against the chain though.

Anyway, both upper and lower chains seemed to be tight BUT I can see where the upper is rubbing on the underside of the valve cover. Is this what the upper guide is supposed to prevent? Anyone else notice this? The only defect I could see was in the lower chain guide so what is up with the valve cover rub?

[yellow_jacket]

If you only removed the valve cover I don't think it is possible to see the lower guide or the tensioner. As far as the upper chain goes, if it has enough slack in it to hit the valve cover something is very wrong! The left side of the chain will of course be tight even without the guide. The problem comes in with the tensioner on the right because as the chain loosens up it can't take all of the slack out. It sounds like you need to replace both upper and lower chains before they break.

[Aaron_RMS13]

Sorry, I left out the part about removing the upper chain cover too.

So I take it that the chain has worn too much then? Even though it feels tight?

Also, does anyone have a picture or a link to what a good lower guide looks like?