Agree with donbrew, it looks like you've found your problem.

I suppose the path forward seems clear then. I'll make plans to get the timing chain kit and do the job pretty soon.

I'll keep you posted with the outcome.

Thanks!
M Ridzon

I'm about to order my parts to do the camshaft timing chain and tensioner (but not the balance shaft components). I have some questions for the Cloyes timing set:

1. Does the tensioner come compressed and ready for installation? If not, how can I compress it myself?
2. Once installed, how do you decompress the tensioner so it loads the chain?
3. Does the tensioner come with a new o-ring seal?

And another question...In the service manual, when removing and installing the engine front cover, there is mention of a "friction washer" that must be replaced. Does anybody know what this is and is it vital to replace or can I reuse the old one?


Thanks again!
M Ridzon

Tensioners always come new compressed.

Attachment 22045


Don't know anything about what your manual mentions, no pix?

My Haynes manual makes no mention of a friction washer.

The verbiage is the same in my Mitchell's manual, so we must be reading from the same manual. If you scroll further in that section and get to the part about installing the front cover, that section will mention the friction washer. I'm not sure what it is or if it's vital to replace; perhaps I can reuse the old one. From looking at online schematics, I assume it is either the washer on the crank balancer bolt, or the washer between the two crank sprockets (one sprocket for balancer chain and another for the camshaft chain).

Thanks,
M Ridzon

In my Cloyes kit , yes the tensioner was compressed, it unloaded as I screwed it into the head and torqued it to specs, the tensioner came with a new oring seal washer.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....L._SL1495_.jpg

Crisis averted! I was finally able to fix the timing chain. I was definitely running on borrowed time! When I pulled the front cover off, I found the black guide had shattered into a dozen pieces (see attached picture). I ended up pulling off the oil pan too since many pieces ended up lodged in the pan and oil pickup tube screen. Check engine light is now staying off and the engine runs great! It was only a matter of time before the something worse would have happened and the pistons would have kissed the valves.
I found what the friction washer is. It turns out that it is a very thin washer on the face of the crankshaft sprocket that is sandwich'ed between the sprocket and the balancer. In fact, if you've ever done one of these jobs, you have to remove it (it just slides off) before the timing marks are visible on the crankshaft sprocket. Nevertheless, I didn't have a new one to replace it, so I reused the old one. It didn't look like a big deal to reuse anyways.


Thanks for all of your help! :thumb:
M Ridzon

Good work! You really dodged a bullet there!

I did this fix to prevent that guide from killing my2.2


This works great also, I ve got one of these in Sweetie's Sunfire GT 2.2