Urgent Help! cam sprockets/upper chain install

Post by **BadMojo** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

I believe Nistech has said that he doesn't particularly care for the idea of removing that top guide, though you may want to ask him about directly.

Many, many people do remove *both* top guides. Both parts are no longer available from Nissan, so I plan on removing both of mine when I do tensioners (hopefully this weekend...I'm sick of having to put this off).

It's worth a shot...I don't see any big down-side to removing the top guide that's on the exhaust side.

Post by **Mameluke** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

oh my god.... after this you guys won't beleive how much of a moron i am. the cam sprocket bolts werent torqued down properly.. when i popped the valve cover the intake cam was almost OFF!!! i put it back together without removing that side guide. voila.. no sound. its still rough thou i need new plugs

Post by **BadMojo** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

Mameluke wrote:oh my god.... after this you guys won't beleive how much of a moron i am. the cam sprocket bolts werent torqued down properly.. when i popped the valve cover the intake cam was almost OFF!!! i put it back together without removing that side guide. voila.. no sound. its still rough thou i need new plugs

Eek...are you sure your valve timing is still good? If you're off a tooth or two, you wouldn't be running right. Thank god you caught that before the **** hit the fan.

Post by **Mameluke** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

im quite certain my valve timing is still good. thank god i didnt keep running it.. rough yes but its not that bad at all, i think it needs new spark pluge wires, #1 cyl wire's metal piece is broken and #3 is soaked in oil

however the engine is still somewhat loud its possible that valve timing is off a bit, but ive driven the car and theres no problems at all besides the roughness

Post by **Mameluke** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

btw.. the roughness was there before i tightened those cam sprocket bolts down again

Post by **s13EastTN** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

Check for vacuum leaks. Thats why mine ran rough.

Post by **Mameluke** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

i eliminated all the vacuum leaks after the maf sensor. its still rough but i beleive i know why, spark plug wires. the 3rd wire is soaked in oil from a previous valve cover gasket leak, that spark plug was soaked too but i replaced all those. i need new wires and then ill see whats up.

also the radiator i received from ..someone, member of this forum, is leaking. but since its better than the cracked rad i have i guess it will have to do. funny thing is, this member was giving me **** for being a "bad buyer" even though i had paid him, and his item is ****ty...

whatever

Post by **240-4-me** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

All of the parts have finally arrived. I have the new chains, tensioners and guides in place. Once everything was loosely bolted in I turned the crank a few full turns and didn't have any problems with valve-piston contact. I'm guessing thats a good thing which means the chains and timing marks must have been put on correctly. Thanks for all of the previous posts which helped alot in getting the alignment right the first time! When I was separating the oil pan from the block and front cover I failed to look to check if there was a gasket or just RTV used to seal the oil pick up tubes to the oil pump flange. Anyone know? The majority of the hard work comes tomorrow. Thers alot of sh-t attached to the front of this motor.

Post by **Mameluke** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

the fsm claimed it to be an rtv gasket but what i saw was an actual gasket. i damaged a bit of it so i slapped on some rtv on the bottom of the front cover and bolted it back on.

Post by **240-4-me** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

Have been working on the car most of the morning, making very good progress. I found the missing gasket for the oil pick up flange in the bottom of the oil pan. I must have knocked it off while taking off the front cover. Anyway, the lower cover, oil pan, engine/trans braces, sway bar, engine mount bolts and A/C compressor are back in place. Still a bunch of crap to be bolted back on. How's your car running? Did you get to put a timing light on it?

Post by **Mameluke** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

its running ok i guess. i still need to get a timing light on it and new plug wires. hopefully it'll be done today

Post by **240-4-me** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

:ylsuper IT'S ALIVE!!

I'm a very happy man tonight ( for a number of reasons) specifically because the 240 is running. Thanks to all for the information, posts, suggestions, hints and links that made this ordeal a lot easier. No kidding folks, it cranked, idled and ran on the first turn of the key. All of the timing chain noise is completely gone. Going to borrow the neighbors timing light tomorrow to tweak the timing just a little. I had to turn the cams just a hair to get the alignment marks to match up so I think it is possible to be maybe a degree or two off, but nothing major.

Post by **240-4-me** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

Got the timing light and checked the car. I was 3 degrees off of the 20 mark the engine spec plate calls for. I took it around the block and it runs very very well. I'll keep a close eye on all of the fluids and temp to make sure I didn't leave anything disconnected. Changing out the timing chain/tensioner/guides was the first and most needed work to be done on the car. I've only had it a month and I wanted to get the engine right and make it driveable before doing any other work. Brakes are okay, put on a set of new 205/60/15's and a replacement Nissan radio arrived today(free). The next areas to concentrate on are the shocks, front seats, carpeting, and exhaust system. I'll work on them according to funds and parts that are available. I don't consider myself an expert mechanic, but if anyone needs an opinion regarding the timing assembly work I'll be happy to contribute my 2 cents worth. Again a BIG THANKS to all of you fellow 240 owners who cared enough to help out.

Post by **Mameluke** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

wow congratulations man. sounds like your engine is running in tip top shape. i still havent gotten aroudn to getting a timing light on it and those plug wires. after that i'll need to take the car to a frame shop to have that core support replaced or somethin. then i gota find myself hood, fenders, headlights. etc

found a real nice 90' 240sx at the junkyard. i think im gona buy the whole car, but since canada sucks, they cut it in half before i can take it all

the engine is a sohc but its so clean with a full exhuast and header. the inside has new carpet and clean unripped seats (unlike mine) new tires all around with thsoe stock 15" rims with 205/60 tires. i have 205/55/16 right now but they are so bald and 2 of them go flat all the time. anyhoo good luck with your car looks like its just as much as a project as mine is.

Post by **s13EastTN** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

Mine runs fine. I found out my noise is a valve, I was afraid it was a knock.

I am however leaking coolant and transmission fluid but they are easy fixes I just haven't had the time to get around to it yet.

Post by **burnin240sx** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

how did you find ut it was a valve?

Post by **s13EastTN** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

Well, my car smart friends took a look at it, and knew it wasn't a knock from the way it sounds. And its not the timing chain, as I just replaced that. Also this sound started all at once, and not gradual.

Post by **s13EastTN** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

And btw you can actually take the oil pan off without jacking up the engine. All you need is a very tiny 1/4" drive racket and also a 6" extension. You can't actually remove it, but you have enough space to do what ya gotta do.

Post by **Mameluke** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

yeah i was way too lazy to drop that cross member etc etc. i jacked up the car to get myself under there easily and i dropped the oil pan and then removed the front cover. while doing so tho i did damage the oil pan gasket slightly so i slapped some silicone gasket on the bottom of the front cover where it bolts to the oil pan.

anyway still havent been able to get a timing gun to adjust and get rid of that rough idle. also need new plug wires mine are screwed

Post by **240-4-me** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

Well guys' I've got a problem. Just when I thought everything was going great the water temp goes sky high after about ten minutes of running. I've got full coolant levels and no visible leaks.I took out the new thermostat and spun the water pump pulley and saw water movement in the thermostat housing. I'm beginning to think either I got a defective t-stat or autozone gave my the wrong part for the car. Gonna check it out tomorrow to see if the t-stat is correct or defective. Man, I want to get this car on the road to drive! What a pisser having to deal with this when it's time to cruise.

Post by **burnin240sx** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 3:14 pm

i had the same problem. you have to take out the air screw and fill the system till the water comes out of the screw hole.

it's right above the thermostat and has a lil tag that says don't open when engine is hot.

Urgent Help! cam sprockets/upper chain install

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