How serious is the timing chain rattle?

[junk240sx]

What does a rattling chain sound like? I wouldn't even know...but I'm curious just in case.

[NISTECH]

C-kwik: The DE also had a problem with the chain guide on the lower chain it too has updated parts.

[teampro687]

I just finished doing the timing chain on a 93 ka24de. It turns out that the chains were okay but the lower tensioner was not working. I replaced everything while I was there and left out the top two chain guides as they seem to be the culprits to fail most. Started right up and not a rattle to be heard...It was great!

[BomexS13]

hey teampro67 how much did it cost for the lower tensioner?

[BomexS13]

Also, I had a problem with my guide before so I took it off. I checked the chain if its sagging, its pretty tight. But there's still that click-clack noise heard by the valve cover towards teh chain area.

[teampro687]

BomexS13...I bought the whole timing chain kit off ebay for 200. I know it isn't as good as genuine Nissan parts but hey...I'm poor. I also heard the rattling coming from the valve cover and removed the upper guide but it still did it. The upper chain seemed a little loose but when I removed the bottom cover the lower chain was sagging bigtime. The lower tensioner must have died as a result of low oil pressure. I got the motor out of a 93 that had a front end collsion and the oil pan was bent. I didn't realize that the pick-up had been bent as well. I replaced it but I guess the damage had been done. The install wasn't to bad except for the oil pan. Good Luck

[el5y]

when I first got my 93 it was rattling like crazy, so I took it in to the shop, and he removed the upper guide and called nissan to order a part, but they said it wasn't needed and so he put my engine back together and sent me on my way, however now the rattling is coming back though considerably quieter. The pieces he showed me were metal though..

[Atl240sx]

Hey guys, new to the forum. I just got my first 240. Its a 1991, 88,000 miles on it. I think my chain is making the noise...but. It kinda sounds like a cam bearing, I dunno. Its definitely metal to metal, and kinda squeeky. I priced timing set, then found out that I dont know what motor I have. I know its a KA24, but dont know if it is a KA24DE or KA24E. Its twin cam, and I would assume DE. Need to know because its like $200 difference.

P.S. Whats the deal with the top guide on the DE???????

[NISTECH]

DE and the guide over the top of the chain was discontinued by nissan as it was determined not needed by nissan. It tends to break.

[teampro687]

Alt240sx...The single overhead cam (sohc) is the ka24e and the dual overhead cam (dohc) is the ka24de. Check ebay for the timing chain kit. I was able to get it $100 cheaper. It is a decent kit and included everything to do the job except for the right upper chain guide. This is one of the ones they recommend to leave out anyway. Good Luck.

[Atl240sx]

Thanks for the help guys. Ill be posting pics soon, shes still virgin

[rhinoxs99]

I also had this problem with my timing chain! I had the eaten thru water jacket and I used JB cold weld to fix it seems to work fine?

[thundachiken]

Hey ya'll. Just finished my timing chain kit on my s13 DE with 160,xxx. After getting in there, the cam guide that's to the right of the exhaust sprocket was pretty chewed up. Everything else looked fine, however I did replace it all.

In my case, I feel that guide was to blame for the noise.

[sil8tdrifter]

oh boy, gotta Love the Ka. This Typical problem associated with the Ka is what I like to call Countdown to Destruction!Have a Nice Day.

Time to Start savin for that SR folks.

[Bigrolla]

here is my short story. I had sometimig chain nosie took it too the dealrer and they removed the guides and probem solved.

[C-Kwik]

C-kwik: The DE also had a problem with the chain guide on the lower chain it too has updated parts.

I didn't realize this was an old post until about halfway through when I saw I had already posted in it. But I missed this the first time around.

Is there a TSB on this? Or is it not as big of a problem? In the 8 or so years I've owned 240sx's, I've never heard of anyone having an issue with the chain guides on the DOHC. I do know the SOHC has a TSB on the guides. This is good info to know if that is the case. Any further details would be appreciated.

[NISTECH]

I dont think there is a TSB on it. But there is a parts service file on it. when you go to replace the old one a note in their parts computer tells them to reffer to a book to see what other parts are needed to install the updated guide.

[240Knightrider]

Is it bad that I can hear it rattle even when I give it gas (I know its bad). But how bad does that mean its worse than just at idle. My old KA did that barely but it eventually went away. that I think is because I change the oil and stuff every 2k to 2500 miles

[el cheesmo]

ok.. i just hear mine click-clack (kinda like a roller coaster going up a hill) but not rearly as loud, and it goes away as soon as any gas is fed to it... and sometimes it isnt there at all.. wierd

mine too, but it came right sfter an oil change so i was freaking that it could have been that.I new of this defect but not the symptoms..now I do

[sil80drifter]

Is it common for the KA oil pumps to give out on high mileage engines? The reason I ask is that I've recently aquired an oil pressure gauges (sensor and all) and noticed that my new warning light (goes off if pressure sinks under 11.4psi, unlike stock which only goes off under 5psi) goes on while I idle. So my oil pump is not doign too good, as idle oil pressure shoudl be around 15-20 psi. And mine never goes above 50 even after 3k rpm, although it's supposed to be around 60psi after 3k rpm.

Also I've developed a rattling, appearing only under load, between 2.5-3k rpm, which I think is the timing chain tensioner not having enough oil pressure making the chain rattle. I've replaced all timing chain components 40k miles ago (I'm at 142k now).

At first I thought it was rod knock, but then I remembered that rod knock is constantly present, and the higher the rpm, the more severe. My noise disappears after 3k rpm, to be explained by the oil pressure getting high enough for the tensioner to tension the chain.I've ordered a 280ZX oil pump (I have an SOHC), and hopefully this will solve my problem, and if I have to I'll replace the timing components agai, if they have sustained enough damage at this point.

Any one else have their oil pump give out on them? I've put in 20-W50 oil for now, to keep the pressure up, and try to drive the car smoothly without stomping the gas (so the rattling is not present) until I've replaced the oil pump.

sil80

[amolao]

I replaced my timing chain with a new replacement from Auto Zone, a year later the rattle came back. Im going to get it redone and this time Im buying original Nissan parts........

[sil80drifter]

Here's my story: Did the chain swap, guides were still fine, but I replaced the passenger's side one anyway, tensioner was fine too, replaced anyway, and left the chain, because it never really needs replacement, especially not after 40k miles. Replaced the oil pump with a 280ZX oil pump. Result: Oil pressure is now normal, no "start-up rattle" or audible rocker/valve tick. So the oil pump helped.

The "rattling" that was present between 2k and 3k rpms under LOW THROTTLE ONLY, turned out to be.... PING! Can you believe this?! I've been pinging for a good week! I did an injector replacement recently, put in 460cc instead of the old 270cc, because I'm going turbo soon, and tuned them with the SAFC. Well technically, 40% of 460cc is ~270cc, so I initially just put -40% all across the board, BUT! As I've been trying to figure out the nature fo the rattle, and it's disappearing under WOT (at any rpms when it would usually be present otherwise), and thought about how even 460cc injectors can't flow too much at idle and low rpms, since other cars have them and they don't seem to have idle problems (i.e.: the RX-7 they are from originally), I figured that I should try to rich-en the low throttle map. I did, and went with around -12% between 1000 and 3000 rpms... and the pign is gone.

I cannot believe how long the engine took this abuse, considering I've driven it to work for a couple of hundred miles with this condition present. I think my scenario is prety specific, and the rattle I had is not timing chain/rocker arm/valve related, but I just thought I'd share, so others can maybe learn from my experience. I did fix the start-up rattle though, for which the new oil pump was great help.

sil80

[EstoMax]

hey, my engine rattles too intermittently at idle, it does it for first few seconds after startup and then sometimes i randomly hear it rattle. i have 125k miles on the engine so im thinking it could be the oil pump.. how hard was it to install the oil pressure gauge? and the oil pump (if i have to do that)?

tnxMax

[sil80drifter]

oil pump is as easy as unbolting the old one and bolting up the new one on the SOHC. On the DOHC it's built into the timing cover, so it may take more effort.Also, if you're rattling, make sure your guides are ok, you can see the one that breaks on the SOHC by taking off the valve cover and peking inside. If it's broken then you need to do a timing chain job AND oil pump (it's part of doing the TC stuf anyway).

sil80

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Just bought my timing chain assembly and oil pump from courtesy nissan, i didnt get the water pump or thermostat cos i just replaced those like 15,000 miles ago, but the oil pump cost more than the whole thing, $343 when all the timing chain crap was only $317 (DOHC), i figure ill do the oil pump while im in there anyway.

[sanioll]

Can someone tell how much it costs if you take it to mechanic. I just want to know the average price. $300/$400/$500 or maybe free, yeah he he

ANd also, how does it sound like, does the car vibrate at idle, or when u suddenly hit gas pedal to rev it to like 2k rpm.

how does it sound?

**********Can someone record the sound in *.wav or *.mp3 and post it here?***********clicking noise, please.

Mine rattles when i suddenly hit gas ad idle. chassis twist a bit clockwise if u looking from back of the car, which is normal since engine is long mounted, but it shakes chassis a bit.

and clicking noise in the engine at idle, when engine heats up it goes away by about 90%.

[anou]

yeh when i bought my 240 my chain rattled to...so i took off the valve cover and it was just that my guide was broken. good thing that guide piece didn't go with the chain my engine would of been f'ed up