What would you do?

[rawill240sx]

After 132,00 + miles I'm starting to get the beginings of timing chain dead rattle on my KA24E. The estimates I have gotten to have it done have been 500 - 650. What would you do have the timing chain replaced or try to find a used engine swap it?

Yes I know I could replace it myself for the price of parts and about two days of work, but that is a learning experience I would rather not go through.

[SeVa-S13]

If you've got the excess cash and the I30 is reliabale, I say keep driving the 240 until it breaks and then with the money saved up during that time, swap in a rebuilt KA and possible turbo it or maybe go with an SR or CA.

[Bubba1]

Well, you need to weigh the cost of the repair vs the cost of buying a replacement car. $5-600 is not that much money in terms of car repair. It's like a set of tires. If your 240 is in good condition otherwise I would recommend doing the repair when it comes up.

[Altiman94]

I agree wtih bubba. 500 bux is just chump change when it comes to maintaining a car.

[rawill240sx]

I was never considering getting rid of the 240. Just trying to determine if it would be cheaper replace the whole engine with a low mileage used or just fix the chain. As of now I decided that I'll do the work myself. Why give $300 dollars away in labor charges.

[skydragoness]

Well, you need to weigh the cost of the repair vs the cost of buying a replacement car. $5-600 is not that much money in terms of car repair. It's like a set of tires. If your 240 is in good condition otherwise I would recommend doing the repair when it comes up.

Bubba's right. $500 is a lot to pay at once, but unless the timing chain has been acting up for a while and no other damage was done, only the tensioner/guides need to be replaced. If the car is in fine shape all around besides the chain. i say do it. If you throw in another KA instead, you'll end up having to replace the same parts on it eventually.

[rawill240sx]

Can someone answer this question:

From http://www.nicoclub.com/zerothread?id=25395

Now you can see all of the timing components.If you’re lucky, the straight plastic guide on the drivers side is still there. If not, then it becomes a really messy affair involving lifting the motor and dropping the oil pan.

If the plastic guide is gone does this mean I'm gonna have to fish it out of the oil pan, or has it more than likely exploded into a bunch of small fragments that I have to scrape out?

[skydragoness]

You should start to direct this question/thread to the 240sx technical section/KA forum/ or the Nissan Online Mechanic. You'll get a more thorough answer in those forums.

[krazy skwerel]

We left the crap in the pan. Never hurt anything. I guess it could.

Also I always get my chain and guides at Auto Zone. Some may hate them, but dam they charge like 89 bucks for Chain, guides, and sprocket for the SOHC.
Modified by krazy skwerel at 3:10 AM 9/21/2004

[rawill240sx]

Good news the car is apart. Bad news as I had guessed the plastic guide is gone, well 55% of it anyway. I wasn't hearing the beginings of rattle, I was hearing the death throws. Dropping oil pan tomorrow night to fish it out. Thanks for the input on this.