Please Help - Engine Problem

Draevon · tinkerer Joined: 30 Aug 2002 Posts: 102

So anyway, I bought a 'large cam' off of a person who said that they would install it for me. I said ok because I haven't really done any work inside my engine before and wanted the help of someone who knew what they were doing. So he put the new cam in, and my car ran like a soggy piece of shit and couldn't muster any power at revs below 3000. So I asked him to put the original cam back in, which he did.

So my car runs pretty much as well as it did before-hand ... problem being that there is a horrible metal on metal rattling/vibrating noise coming from the front of my engine. It increases and decreases with revs, and doesn't seem to get any louder when I remove the oil cap. I have checked and reset the valve clearances, thinking that might be the problem, but it hasn't helped.

So I'm open to any ideas as to what might be causing the noise. If he dropped something down the front near the timing chain (a washer or something) could that be causing it? I really need some help because I'm about three days away from smacking my car into a power pole just to stop the noise.

thanks.from.draevon
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tx1975 · tinkerer Joined: 21 May 2002 Posts: 321

check timing chain tensioner and that cam sproket is tight and all cams mountiong bolts are done up firmly

Draevon · tinkerer Joined: 30 Aug 2002 Posts: 102

Thanks Mr TX ... anyone else have any ideas? I can't have another look at it until this weekend, so I'm trying to bank up as many ideas as I can so I can try them all in the one sesison.

from.draevon
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Draevon · tinkerer Joined: 30 Aug 2002 Posts: 102

oh yeah ... I meant to ask, can you actually adjust the tension of the timing chain manually, as it does seem a little loose (i have no idea how tight it should be). I read my Gregory's and it sort of suggested that the tensioner is automatic, and I couldn't find any way to adjust it manually

thanks.from.draevon.again
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TXcoupe · petrol head Joined: 05 Oct 2001 Posts: 1675

is it loose enought hat you can move the chain outwards lots? or is just loose like a lil bit of play. check that the tensioner is locked down
or that it is stuck on something

DrIFtA · tinkerer Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Posts: 246

You've already checked valve clearances so there goes that idea.... Make sure the cam sprocket timing mark is spot on, is the tensioner adjustor/release bolt/screw missing - it may be in your sump, was ignition timing reset with the new cam but not reset again wit da old cam ? did the cam you are now using get dropped or chipped on instalation ? Did you over-rev your engine to explore the characteristics of the larger cam, if so you may have stretched your timinig chain.

Draevon · tinkerer Joined: 30 Aug 2002 Posts: 102

Ok so I woke up at 3 o'clock this morning and I think I've figured out the problem. The guy has snapped of, from what I can figure, the top 1 1/2 inches or so of the white plastic think ... which means I can't lock it down so I can't put the tension back on the chain.

So, can I replace the white plastic thing without pulling my whole engine apart. Again with the Gregory's manual, it seems to suggest that the engine has to come out of the car before I can even get in there, which I don't really want to do. Has anyone changed their tensioner before? Or does anyone have any ideas how I can hold down this remaining plastic bit another inch or so?

I have a spare engine I can source the parts off of if that's any help.

thanks again

draevon.

TXcoupe · petrol head Joined: 05 Oct 2001 Posts: 1675

yeah its best the engine comes out u need to remove the head and remove the crank pulley and timing cover