Did anyone that replaced a VVT tensioner, with a new VVT tensioner, report that it fixed the rattle?

I know there were reports that replacing an old non-VVT tensioner with a new VVT tensioner helped for a little while.

With as much slop as your chain has, I wouldn't risk my engine's life on it.

 

Folks, there's confusion in this thread. My old tensioner is the "new style," as is its replacement that arrived yesterday. So there isn't really a debate over whether I'm swapping styles.

 

Yes, we know. What I'm saying is this: I remember some people have replaced the "old style"(non-VVT) with a "new"(VVT), and reduced or eliminated the rattle.

I don't remember anyone with as much chain stretch as you have reducing or eliminating rattle by doing what you are going to try.

You're going to put the new tensioner in, strike it to release, then cross your fingers and hope that starting the engine doesn't cause it to self-destuct. Very risky, considering how badly your chain has stretched.

 

It is my understanding that there have been three designs of the timing tensioner, not just two.

I wonder why the tensioner design would have anything to do with whether the engine is VVT or not. Could it be that VVT results in addition demands on the tensioner? Did the new design(s) provide more chain tension from the hydraulic? From the spring?

 

Maybe because of the varying speeds of the camshafts via the phasers, compensating, preventing slack.

 

Case closed. As fate would have it, I had to replace the camshaft timing chain (I also replaced the balancer chain while I was in there). My son and I did a little investigation. We installed the new OEM tensioner to see if that would rectify the problem. But the chain still slapped. So I proceeded to get new chain kits. Fortunately, Cloyes offers a lifetime warranty on their chains. Therefore, since I installed a Cloyes camshaft chain kit 80K miles ago, I was able to get a free replacement kit. The balancer chain kit was on me though, since it had never been replaced. I compared the old and new camshaft chain. The old chain was roughly 1/8" longer, which was the culprit. All of the guides were intact with no issues.

I got everything installed new and now it runs like a champ with no chain slap and 180K miles total!

I guess I am just a little disheartened that these chains do not last longer. My Nissan chain has 130K and seems to be fine still. Oh well though. I guess it's just the nature of the beast. Life goes on...

 

Glad you found the issue and got it sorted out.

 

Life goes in, and that Nissan is running on borrowed time! However the timing chain in my wife’s old 2003 2.2 Sunfire lasted 230,000 miles.

 

You might be right. I started it the other day and it made a funny noise, that resembled chain slap. But I haven't heard it since. I will continue to monitor it. I posted in some Nissan forums the other day, to ask if owners knew of a recommended service interval. Crazy as it sounds, a few knuckleheads argued with me, claiming the chain was not a wear item and lasts very very long in the Nissans, hundreds of thousands of miles. Needless to say, I just shook my head at their idiocracy and scrolled on.

 

Timing chains are a stretch and fail natural disaster! The trick is to replace it when you hear a noise! Better safe then a dead engine with bent valves and damaged pistons!