Bad tensioner?
11-24-2002, 09:15 PM
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Bad tensioner?
How can you tell if you have a bad chain tensioner? What I thought was a tapping valve now seems to be coming from the right chain cover. Is there a way to check to make sure everything is alright?
Tom
Tom
11-25-2002, 03:48 PM
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Rouxzy,
when mine gave up the ghost, it made the most gosh awful noise - I've heard the expression "rattling a chain in a metal garbage can" and that pretty much describes the sound. If this is you, then I think a flat bed is in your future, cuz I was told you definately don't want to drive it any more, or else bad things could start to happen (chain skips a tooth and timing is so bad that values start banging into pistons etc.)
This is probably one of those deals where if you think you've got a bad tensioner, you probably do.
Joe
79SC Coupe
when mine gave up the ghost, it made the most gosh awful noise - I've heard the expression "rattling a chain in a metal garbage can" and that pretty much describes the sound. If this is you, then I think a flat bed is in your future, cuz I was told you definately don't want to drive it any more, or else bad things could start to happen (chain skips a tooth and timing is so bad that values start banging into pistons etc.)
This is probably one of those deals where if you think you've got a bad tensioner, you probably do.
Joe
79SC Coupe
11-25-2002, 04:59 PM
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if you have hydraulic (SC or "Carrera") tensioners one might havefailed and give a ticking noise..i have seen this failure a rew times but its rare. if you have older mechanical- and dont assume based on year of car (early cars..even up to mid eighties) that you dont have mechanical ones.. I have seen mechanical tensioners where they shouldnt have been, a particular case comes to mind in which a fellow paid for a "full boat" race engine in which were found mechanical tensioners upon its post-mortem teardown. a failed mecahnical tensioner is much more catastophic sounding..but a hydraulic can fail just slightly. Make sure to get the latest version of tensioner..as Porsche continued to develop the tensioners with updates made as needed.
A couple of other less likely causes- piston slap,
degrading or mis-installed chain guides, and/or valve noise. Have the guides been done and updated?This is one of the MOST important things to have done to an early 911 and is so commonplace that it is often overlooked.. or assumed to have been done.
It isnt particularly hard to remove the sheetmetal and remove the chain cover to inspect the chain, guides, etc. Having a mechanic familiar with early 911 noises listen to it can pay dividends as well....but as expressed above- I wouldnt drive the car until a diagnosis is made an an inspection carried out.
Just my .02-
Don
A couple of other less likely causes- piston slap,
degrading or mis-installed chain guides, and/or valve noise. Have the guides been done and updated?This is one of the MOST important things to have done to an early 911 and is so commonplace that it is often overlooked.. or assumed to have been done.
It isnt particularly hard to remove the sheetmetal and remove the chain cover to inspect the chain, guides, etc. Having a mechanic familiar with early 911 noises listen to it can pay dividends as well....but as expressed above- I wouldnt drive the car until a diagnosis is made an an inspection carried out.
Just my .02-
Don
11-25-2002, 06:00 PM
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Being winter here in the NorthEast my car is up for the winter. So, I will remove the chain covers and give an inspection of tensioner,ramps, etc. By the way I have the updated Carrera tensioners.
