KA24E: Cam gear replacement

[240sxfastback]

Alright all you KA24E guys out there I need your help.

Just picked up this 89 240sx fastback and i noticed the cam gear was very worn out.I bought a new cam gear, and decided to see how difficult it would be to take off the old cam gear and transfer the new cam gear onto the chain.

I marked the position of the chain to cam gear relationship,Took this one bolt off,then slid the cam gear off.Marked the new cam gear exactly as the old one, then positioned it where it belonged on the chain.(new cam gear on and now too low to reach camshaft bolt hole)The tensioner is now being a ***** and won't let me line up CAM GEAR BOLT HOLE TO CAMSHAFT BOLT HOLE. The tensioner uncompressed itself- and now the chain is not giving me enough play to be able to meet the holes. The cam gear bolt hole is now lower than the camshaft bolt hole.

Is there any way I can re-compress the tensioner so I can get this MF back on there? Or am I going to have to remove the hole damn timing chain from the engine to do this crap?Thanks!-Noah

[onosqv]

you may be able to get a big enuf screwdriver or thing pry bar w/ a second person who can push the tensioner back.

I hope you set everything TDC before you went about removing the camshaft.

worse case, you'll have to pull the front timing cover - if you end up doing that, might as well just replace the whole timing chain.

[240sxfastback]

yeah everything is at tdc.

[goen4broke]

How did this work out im in the same spot. I have a rebuilt head, with new tentioners,chain and gear looks good. I just did a Head, intake, exhaust gaskets wile the motor was still in the car. Its a single cam in a 91 fastback all done by retards, hasent ran in eight years, so i did not let the fact tat i dont know what im doing stop me from trying. Im doing this in the yard on dirt so i really dont want to have to take the poor thing apart any more then it is, thanks in advance