Brett Jenkins

Pulled my DS cover to investigate the rattle noise. Cam cover is getting a groove worn in it from the cam chain and the chain looks slack on the bottom below the front banjo bolt.. See the pics attached. Any ideas on why?

Schocki

FMPOV but I might be wrong, it looks like the chain is running very close to the metal part of the tensioner. Is there enough clearance? Normally the chain runs in the center of the nylon pads.

Is this a picture of the DS? Looks like the PS to me. Here is a picture of my GTS when I changed to GT cams. It looks like your tensioner collapsed for some reason...

GregBBRD

That tensioner is completely collapsed. You need to figure out why and fix that.

Replace that chain!

dr bob

Carefully remove the banjo bolts and that oil pipe. Make sure that the bolts are in fact hollow banjo bolts and not regular bolts fitted by Dim Wittington Motors the last time it was apart. That was for the bent valves IIRC...

GregBBRD

I believe all the banjo bolts from the '85/'86 version, with check valves, have larger bodies and threads, making installation in later oil lines or tensioners impossible,

Lizard928

I talked with Brett about this and what you are missing from this picture is that the tensioners are on the wrong side of the engine.
This then puts the tensioner piston on the tension side. Which is why it appears compressed.

GregBBRD

Good catch!

Completely missed that the picture was from the driver's side.

The ways to screw up these engines never ends.

Those poor chains have been through hell.

Schocki

Wow 😳! That's why I was wondering above if the picture is from the PS. Now I noticed the orientation of the oil pressure line 😳. Just wow 😳😳😳!

worf928

I too wondered if they weren’t swapped. But, I figured it would be tough to do. I guess not.

I use two bags. One’s labeled “left” and the other “right.”

Kevin in Atlanta

I didn't think it was possible to swap the tensioners. Is it because these are S4 tensions mounted on S3 heads?

GregBBRD

The cam cap hardware says "S4", plus the oil supply on an S3 comes from the intake side. Definitely S4.

Since both heads are the same part, it has to be possible...and the oil.lines would work.


Edit:

Sorry, they are S3 heads. I was looking at the 2nd picture.

Christopher Zach

That's pretty amazing: I had a tensioner fail and rip a head apart/break a camshaft once. Can't believe this one didn't suffer the same fate.

ROG100

That could effect the parts that I may be supplying - I was told they were S3 heads with S4 tensioners.

Brett can you confirm please?

Kevin in Atlanta

I think the cam caps in the first picture are S3's. I don't think there is any way to swap the tensioners on a S4 head - the pipes won't allow it.

Brett Jenkins

Part # on the head is 928.104.411.2r