timing Chain 2.2 Ecotech
Administrator
Joined: 10-13-2011
Posts: 39,900
From: Welland,Ont Canada
And for those replacing that front guide, get one of these!!
https://zzperformance.com/products/z...ng-chain-guide
https://zzperformance.com/products/z...ng-chain-guide
Moderator
Joined: 01-23-2009
Posts: 26,448
From: Fredericksburg,VA
The message area doesn't seem to be working properly but I have a cursor so I will five it a shot. There is one thing I have seen that might relate. The long black (usually) guide on the intake side has two guide bolts (top and bottom) I bought a 2.2 VVT HHR that had jumped time. It had evidently done it before because the aforementioned guide wasn't bolted at the top. The original guide had broken (parts in the pan) and the top.bolt is hidden behind a plug. Whoever did the last timing chain job had only boltedvthe bottom bolt. There was no old guide left around it but but the bolt was still there, but it didn't go though the new guide. The top end of the guide was just floating free. That guide was intact but the engine had broken new guides and jumped time. I've also seen a few comments where people didn't know about the top guide bolt hidden behind the plug.
Please consider double spacing or some sort of breaking up wall o' words. I can't be bothered to read it all.
New Member
Joined: 03-01-2022
Posts: 21
From: Lehi, UT
Hi Guys. I recently bought a timing chain kit from RockAuto, CLOYES 94201SWP. I am not planning to replace the timing chain and water pump till next spring, but I did go through all the components sent to verify they are not defective. The one concern that I came across was the tensioner guide (this is the longest tensioner guide bolted in place with one bolt. My concern is I see a lot of play between the plastic piece and the metal. I can rock the plastic piece along the curved metal surface I would say about 1/8 of an inch. Is this piece defective or is this normal? I can make a little video and send it in if anyone needs to see what I am describing.
Also, I have watched the install video by Cloyes and it seems pretty straight forward, but I am just a little worried about activating the main tensioner. I am just afraid that that I might not be able to be confident that this tensioner is activated the way the guy in the video shows (he uses a large screwdriver and pushes it against the back side of the chain to activate the chain). Does anyone have any thoughts or methods they have discovered to verify the tensioner has been properly activated?
Also, I have watched the install video by Cloyes and it seems pretty straight forward, but I am just a little worried about activating the main tensioner. I am just afraid that that I might not be able to be confident that this tensioner is activated the way the guy in the video shows (he uses a large screwdriver and pushes it against the back side of the chain to activate the chain). Does anyone have any thoughts or methods they have discovered to verify the tensioner has been properly activated?
Senior Member
Joined: 12-05-2014
Posts: 3,330
From: Northern Ohio
In addition to the spring and oil pressure tensioning functions, the cam chain tensioner includes a mechanism (often describes as a "ratchet", for lack of a better name, I guess) that limits how far the tensioner can back off under load. It does so by advancing in increments to compensate for system wear.
Because the advance is incremental, at times, with enough force to overcome the spring, a small amount of slack is inevitable. When the engine runs, the force applied becomes the spring force plus that from the oil pressure, but the ratchet mechanism is still needed to compensate for wear or the chain will surely eventually jump time. The risk is highest during a cold start when there is no oil pressure and possibly no oil in the tensioner.
This tensioner has an additional important feature. To ease installation, it's normally shipped with the spring restrained in a fully retracted position, and once in place, mild impact in the compressing direction will release the spring; thus activated it's free to apply force as well as incrementally advance the mechanism as needed.
I have dissected a few of these, OEM and not. On the bench, a new-stock AC Delco refused to activate with pressure alone. Repeated trials showed impact was needed.
I also proved it could be reset without disassembly, despite many claims to the contrary.
https://youtu.be/9F4pXqExfkQ?si=tFsyVdTLvLFaxnkL
I also learned that at least some aftermarket versions differ somewhat in design, and don't behave exactly the same. At this point, I would ONLY use a new-stock AC Delco.
Because the advance is incremental, at times, with enough force to overcome the spring, a small amount of slack is inevitable. When the engine runs, the force applied becomes the spring force plus that from the oil pressure, but the ratchet mechanism is still needed to compensate for wear or the chain will surely eventually jump time. The risk is highest during a cold start when there is no oil pressure and possibly no oil in the tensioner.
This tensioner has an additional important feature. To ease installation, it's normally shipped with the spring restrained in a fully retracted position, and once in place, mild impact in the compressing direction will release the spring; thus activated it's free to apply force as well as incrementally advance the mechanism as needed.
I have dissected a few of these, OEM and not. On the bench, a new-stock AC Delco refused to activate with pressure alone. Repeated trials showed impact was needed.
I also proved it could be reset without disassembly, despite many claims to the contrary.
https://youtu.be/9F4pXqExfkQ?si=tFsyVdTLvLFaxnkL
I also learned that at least some aftermarket versions differ somewhat in design, and don't behave exactly the same. At this point, I would ONLY use a new-stock AC Delco.
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