pawndave wrote:Ok, i am replacing my timing chain tensioners in a 95 Altima. Should i replace the guides as well. I ask because the tensioners do not come with the guides, but the timing chain kit comes with it all. Do the guides wear out? Also it says to compress the piston on the tensioners and put something in the hole to hold it in place. The guides wont budge, so i cant compress them. This shouldnt matter as im going to toss them anyways. Any tips on installing the new ones? Also, someone recommended using loctite on all of the new bolts, is this true? Do i need to torque all of the new bolts with a torque wrench? Or should i just use my judgement?

breadbox wrote:

pawndave wrote:Ok, i am replacing my timing chain tensioners in a 95 Altima. Should i replace the guides as well. I ask because the tensioners do not come with the guides, but the timing chain kit comes with it all. Do the guides wear out? Also it says to compress the piston on the tensioners and put something in the hole to hold it in place. The guides wont budge, so i cant compress them. This shouldnt matter as im going to toss them anyways. Any tips on installing the new ones? Also, someone recommended using loctite on all of the new bolts, is this true? Do i need to torque all of the new bolts with a torque wrench? Or should i just use my judgement?

Should you replace the guides? Yes.
Do the guides wear out? Yes, after the guide breaks the chain slaps through the rest of it and its bolts and into a water jacket.

The compressing of the tensioner piston is just makes it easy to line up the new timing set. I use a push pin, push the piston into the housing and stick it in the little hole, you set the timing and then take out the pin, which releases the piston into the tensioner.

There should be no slack on the guide side, all slack has to be tensioner side. Hopefully your chain has two colored links and not just one like mine did.

Use non permanant threadlocker on the bolts, any vibrating bolts in the timings set will back out and fall on your lower sprocket and F everything up, guaranteed. only bolts you really need to torque right are the cam bolt and crank bolt, everything else should be "german torque spec" Gutenteit.

pawndave wrote: Well im about 85% back together, im hoping it was just the one tensioner that was extremely tight when i removed it. Im hoping it just relieved some of the tension.

One thing i did find that i didnt know fell from the engine is a rubber disc, beats the crap out of me where it came from, or where it goes. I will try to add the pic. Thanks for all your help Well i see i cant figure out how to insert a pic either. Its about 3" in diameter, probably about a 3/8" hole in the center.