Question about timing chain on SOHC...

[supra brit]

I did a search, and it helped slightly...

I know you can remove the upper guides on a DOHC...is it the same for a SOHC?

I bought a SOHC for my car, and found out after pulling off the oil pan that the guides shattered to pieces. I can't really afford Nissan's timing kit...is Advance/AutoZone/NAPA's kits sufficient?

Should I get the whole kit, or can I get away with getting the guides?

Any help would be great, thanks!

[FattyMcBaggins]

the SOHC doesn't have an upper guide I don't think. If so...then mine was already gone by the time I got in there. You can get a way with just the guides but, your tensioner might be out so you're porbably better off just installing a full guide. Better to do it now before the motor is in the car. It's a ***** of a job once it's in there.

[240marcuSX]

sohc doesnt have an upper guide because there is only one cam. the chain just goes over the sprocket at the top.

[kapower06]

it isn't really that hard of a job its just time consuming... Nothing too technical about it. Took a few hours to do. Anyways check http://www.hybridka.com (deviousKA on the boards) Thats where I got my kit from and was very happy with it. -Jake

[240sxluv]

i just replaced mine because mine did the same thing i bought my timing chain kit from checkers for 110 dollors it came with both guides and the gears and timing chain and then i bought the tensioner after for like 30 bucks

[FliMSiCaL]

ok, the sohc has 1 actual timing guide aside from the tensioner, its on the drivers side of the motor. NO you CAN NOT remove it. I repeat, do not remove that guide. If you have the defective broken one, take the remnants out and put an updated one in there. I just got mine running again last week after the chain ate a hole in the timing cover. It just happens to eat the hole right over the water jacket, so it will dump water in your oil if the chain eats through. The guide is like 10 bucks at orielly's if you don't need an entire kit. I thought about doing a write up on how to do this because no-one here seems to fool with sohc's a lot, but i didnt have a digicam. If i can find a digicam, i'll do a writeup on the entire timing chain/sohc rattle thing when i put together the other ka in the shop. The guide pieces that fall into the oil pan arent usually dangerous, they are too big to be sucked up by the oil pump, but hey, if you feel like taking the pan off and going after them, more power to ya