Help me diagnose my troubles, suspect timing chain related. (with Pics)

[JoeyBones]

GO DUCKS!!! haha... I was born in WI, went to Clemson, but started following the ducks a few years back as they started to shock everyone. Call me bandwagon, but whatever I can have 3 teams... ;)

[vegaskyle]

I just wanted to update this thread for posterity. I finally got a chance to rip into the timing case last weekend and found the source of the problem.



A huge chunk of the chain guide broke off and also caused the lower guide to crack. The tensioner guide and top guide were intact but showed signs of wear. I knew my cam gears were in good shape from taking the valve cover off. The idler gear also looked to be in good shape but I replaced it anyway. If anyone is having a similar issue or finds pieces of plastic in their lower pan you can count the chain guide in as a possible cause.

[blalor]

Yowza! That was just from turning it over by hand?

[vegaskyle]

Yowza! That was just from turning it over by hand?

No, I had some timing chain noise just before 3k rpms from when I first bought the car. I also found some plastic in my lower pan and planed to replace the timing components when I got the car home. The day after I got home I was on my way to the DMV and all of a sudden the noise got 100x louder and could be heard over the entire rev band. You could tell there was some kind of massive failure.

We speculated for quite some time in this thread what the problem was. I had my money on the idler gear based on someone else's video where the car sounded just like mine. Turns out the idler was in great shape along with the cam gears and crank gear. It was just the guides that were trashed.

I still don't know why my car won't turn over but plan to take everything off and start over this weekend and hopefully find the problem.

[Dj Buttchug]

helllllllzzzzz yaayuhhhhh glad you got it figured :up:

[blalor]

Ah, ok. I thought these bits were what you found after opening it back up.

I'm in the middle of replacing my timing chain components (have been for about a month, now…) but I didn't buy new guides. They look pretty good, minus some small cracks in the black rubber or plastic that rub against the chain. Very little wear, near as I can tell. I wasn't going to replace those parts. But now…

You may want to replace the front crank seal that's in the lower timing chain cover. Mine was leaking pretty bad. You'll have to tear everything apart again if it starts to leak.

[Ryann]

Thanks for updating the thread, good info for the "boat anchor" crew.

[vegaskyle]

Ah, ok. I thought these bits were what you found after opening it back up.

You may want to replace the front crank seal that's in the lower timing chain cover. Mine was leaking pretty bad. You'll have to tear everything apart again if it starts to leak.

I did replace the crank seal. I did just about everything but the cam gears and crank gear.

[Dj Buttchug]

Thanks for updating the thread, good info for the "boat anchor" crew.

you don say dat :( :( :(

[Ryann]

you don say dat :( :( :(

I like my m42. I like yours more though.