Timing chain guid removal

[kerpalstaxi]

I have a ka24de (95) and i noticed a rattling a while ago. I read around and saw that there are timing chain guides that are unnecessary. I removed the top one and put the car back together but when I started the car, the rattle was still there. So I removed the front cover to try and figure out where the rattle is coming from. I can see a timing chain guide that looks like it actually guides the chain on the passenger side and there is a small piece of flat metal on top of it. On the drivers side, there is also a timing chain guide that only touches the chain because of excess slack. Which timing chain guides are necessary and which ones cause noise? any help is appreciated.

-geoff

[yellow_jacket]

the one on the drivers side is unneccesary. You should be able to see that it is fixed and that the one on the passenger side has something behind it that can push it and make it move(hydraulic tensioner)

[DAEDALUS]

How close are objects past the guides? The straight guides are there to ensure the chain doesn't run into other things, like the block or the valve cover, and to help prevent enough slack from building up during decceleration to allow the chain to jump time. If the guides haven't moved and a rattle has developed, maybe it's due to a stretched chain or a weakened tensioner.

[kerpalstaxi]

I think it could be most likely because of either a stretched chain or some movement in other parts because the slack is only in one side of the chain, the drivers side. I went ahead and removed both guides and I don't notice the ticking anymore, but I'm not sure if it was even there in the first place. It turns out my exhaust hasn't been replaced for 111,000 miles and has turned into rust. The rattle I was hearing was coming from within the first catalytic converter and I'm just going to take that out for now to see how loud it is.

I would sugguest anyone that hears a rattle to have their exhaust check before working underneath the hood. It could have saved me 6 hours labor.

[Holisticbeatz]

How did you get the rusted bolts off?

[kerpalstaxi]

I had a muffler shop just put on a new cat for $150. My car has no rattle at all now, and I'm a lot less nervous driving it. Loud cars attract cops.

[gruntzz]

All of the guides are neccessary in some way! I don't think that the engineers at Nissan make a habit of sticking parts in their engines just to justify their highly inflated payscale! This isn't a rip on you but if you look around the general areas of the guides (as stated by DAEDALUS) there are usually some sensitive areas... the KA24E which I have torn apart before has a tendancy after chewing up the original chain guide will start to eat into your cooling system channel in the front cover dumping antifreeze into you oil pan. I am going to go with the stretched chain.