Landseer

Not sure.
I need to study Rennlist posts about the chains.
Seems like DaveK9 has written some good descriptions in the past.

I've got an 86 opened up right now. Its passenger side seems tight and springloaded, looks good, not sure if it is original. Drivers side chain seems loose, though. Looks like it isn't springloaded, just a fixed wear platform?

On the 85 engine, where the passenger side failed, it looks to me like the driver's side has tight chain. Am going outside to look at this now.

Landseer

Sean that picture is hilarious!!!!

Its like a selfie of my expression when it happened.

Snark Shark

The thinner pentagon shaped guide is the one that's not loaded. It's just a fixed platform. It's on the top in one head and on the bottom on the other. Sorry I don't recall which side goes which way. Thanks for the post-mortem.

Landseer

Will post some more pictures for review..

the flyin' scotsman

pls tell us this was a typo

hwyengr

Do you have a good solution to the hard-to-find intermediate oil pipes that I could purchase from you?

zekgb

+1.

Inability to source these pipes was the main reason I didn't update the tensioners while the engine was out in my car.

Snark Shark

There's some S4 tensioners on ebay right now with the pipes still attached. That's how I got mine. Not sure if I have 85, 86 or 86.5 heads though.

Landseer

The platinum car, then both heads:

928NOOBIE

Hi everyone...this ticking noise...how loud is it when you hear it...barely perceptible...or easier to hear...like a loud lifter?

Reason I'm asking is I have ticking...very low level...more on start up...once it's hot...harder to hear or not there...I have 130K on an original engine and push it regularly...to my knowledge no maint. has been done on chain tensioners so would appreciate some opinions on how the tick presents itself.

Thanks.

Landseer

The brown car, early 86, vin 405. Showing the pass side, which seems well tensioned and intact (is it really bad)?

My second question, is the drivers chain with the stationary tensioner too loose, if so, how to tighten?

Adk46

If you send me the busted off piece, I'll probably be able to determine if it's a fatigue failure or overload failure. Don't disturb the fracture surface. Or just look for clamshell markings emanating from (probably) one of the upper bolt hole "corners" (indicates fatigue crack growth). Sources of cyclic load: normal oil pressure variations or something making the chain run wonky. Source of an overload: something gets caught up in the chain?

GregBBRD

Someone has been here before....

The passenger side has an S4 tensioner.

The tensioner on the driver's side is an '85/'86 tensioner.

GregBBRD

I buy complete late '86 engines to get the pieces for my own use....not a very economical approach, but allows me to harvest both the valve cover hardware and the tensioners with oil lines.

Landseer

Greg, many thanks for pointing out the s4 tensione on the brown car.

Curt, I can send whatever pieces you might want if it would help. I pushed the engine especially hard that morning and instead it should have been serviced.

The ticking sound was more like an old V8 lifter, but softer, more subtle. Worse cold, car wasnt fully warmed up when I pushed it that morning.