Timing chain guides removal questions!

[kaktus]

Hello Nico, i have a 95' Nissan 240sx and it has the well-known "marble in the can" sound. i did some research and found out that the noise is caused by the timing chain guides. I read the sticky about removing the guides but i still dont understand some parts. Here are my questions:1. Do i really need to adjust the #1 piston to Top-Dead-Center if i only remove the top guide which is right above the timing chain? ( i dont think i'm ready to take out both the top and side guides yet due to my lack of experience with cars.) or just simply take off the valve cover and go ahead and remove the top guide?2. are New Valve cover gasket and sealant liquid a must after removing the valve cover?.

just want to make sure so that i don't ruin my only form of transportation. Thank you.

[kaktus]

plz.

[Vegascorbin]

I am assumeing that this is on a KA24DE. I am not familuar with that engine but my question to you is why not take #1 to TDC? It allows you to verify cam position etc at the same time. I have folloed the instructions for a few things that were posted here on NICO and they have not done me wrong yet.

When you do not have a lot of experiance with mechanical car work the best approach is to follow the listed instruction without fail. The individual steps are their for a reason.

Best is if you have an experianced friend to help but if you are "flying solo" just take your time, read every step compleatly before starting the procedure and work carfully I am sure you will havs success.

Good luck.

BTW when you buy tools spend the money and get quality. As you work more and more on cars it will be worth it.

[jamesblonde82]

NO, it's not necessary to put the #1 on TDC if you only remove the top guide. however i highly recommend you remove both the upper and lower guides for the upper timing chain. to do this you need to remove the distributor and front cover which them you would need to put number one on TDC. and also make a mark for which position the distributor is in. 90% of the time the timing chain is banging against the guides is because your tensioners aren't working right. take the guides off anyways, and remove the upper chain tensioner and clean it really good, get them gummy junk out and make sure its getting proper flow. then reinstall it, or get a new one. (you have to take front cover and distributor out to get to tensioner.) if your tensioner is real bad, only taking the upper guide off will allow it to start hitting your valve cover, and a chain with that much slack makes baby jesus cry. i've seen this before.

do it right the first time, and your car will love you.

it is not necessary to buy a new gasket after you take the valve cover off, just be careful with it, make sure its not ripped, etc. and when you put it back on make sure its seated properly before you go tightening everything down. don't need any sealant either on the valve cover, just for the front cover.

p.s.- all this is IF you have the KA24de....dont know much about the chains for the SOHC

[kaktus]

that's all i need to know, thank you guys!

[racebuilt]

i just wanna say something.. i know i might be wrong but i just wanna say it... ok so the guides are there right, but the chain is so freaking tight.. i meant tight.. so it wont slip off.. and its tight all the time.. never any slack.. so how the hell is the chain hitting the guides if its so tight... i just can see the chain hit the guides at all..

[jamesblonde82]

it's different when the chain is under torque, the slack will go to the top. thats my guess. meaning it only does it when the car is running or under heavy use.