So this is what my morning consists of. It’s been idling like **** and sounding like a diesel truck I’m crossing my fingers that this is all I need to do right now. Who else has tackled this? Getting around the oil cooler was a ***** but the wobble extension made it easier.

 

I have one to throw into mine as a preventative measure while everything else is torn apart. However my car is currently a long block sitting in the bay with the exhaust manifold bolted up. Service Mode +

 

I've done them a couple of times, I guess I've been lucky, I was able to do the job with just a swivel socket (not a universal) with no disassembly, everything from the top.

The only problem you may have is getting the new one in, it must be compressed to get the bolt to start.
You can try putting it in expanded and push on the bolt to compress it enough to get the bolt to start on the threads, but I honestly haven't had luck with doing it this way.
I've always had to compress it fully, put it in, and let the oil pressure expand it back open.

 

 

Yup, what you've described is pretty much textbook.

Good to hear.

 

That oil cooler is really in an inconvenient location, isn't it? You can actually get to the tensioner thru the passenger side wheel well using a long offset box-end wrench. There's still not a lot of room but I think it's much easier than trying to access it through the top with a wobble extension.

 

 

Thanks for the info. I have a question about all of this, as I will be swapping out a cam soon. Is it worth changing out the tensioner preemptively, as well as the guides, while I'm in there doing the cam swap? Car has had its oil changed every 5k, and has never made any noise and runs really well. Currently has 79k. I didn't find any plastic in the oil pan when i swapped out the gasket recently as well.

 

I'd swap them. Personally chain guides over 100k miles of use need to be swapped ASAP, but that's my personal opinion on the matter. I'm not comfortable past 100k miles on any sort of un-replaced timing components of that sort.

That said, I just swapped my tensioner out last night. Car is already in the air with the supercharger removed, so had a head start. Took about 30 min for me to: remove the oil cooler, clean both flanges, clean gaskets, remove tensioner, clean flange, clean bolt gasket, and then "installation is reverse of removal."

The most "frustrating" part of this, if I could call it that, would be the bottom right torx-head bolt used to secure the oil cooler together. Fairly hard to see except from a single angle of lighting / laying down that I could find, but putting it all back together was actually a fair bit easier.

Edit: as an aside - how do you like that Quicksilver exhaust? I need to purchase a catback for my car (OEM stuff rusted so much to melt bumper a bit) and would like a single-sided one for weight savings / weight offset.

Also of note, my car is a New England car and has all the associated rust and corrosion as well. I've been drilling out and replacing probably 50% of the various small stuff that mounts through the body (exhaust, as a prime example...).

 

At 79k that is a hard one. I'd prob just put the cam in and go. We see the timing chains stretch between 125k-150k so in that range we do the entire kit. I think in the last 17yrs I've seen one or two failed tensioners. The noise made is usually from a failing guide and people throw a tensioner at it only to find out it was the guide and have to do the entire job. So we don't recommend a tensioner as a preventive part. Do it right and do the whole kit when the noise starts.

 

I personally have the opposite feeling about the guides, I had my motor rebuilt at 213k and the guides were fine. I wouldn't bother changing them unless you knew for certain there was a problem with them. Just make sure if you do, that the chain is kept very taught so there's no chance of it skipping a tooth while you're trying to align the stationary side to it's dowel pin.

The tensioner itself, absolutely, since you have to pull it anyway. Then since your old one is still fine, keep it stored in a small jar filled with oil, as a spare should the need arise.

 

THanks for the info. I am definitely torn on what to do. I didn't have too much of an issue accessing the oil cooler, but i changed out all the gaskets when I dropped the subframe to install a new clutch and LSD, so it may have been harder for you.

Quicksilver exhaust was good. Had it on the car since 2006, but recently it got a lot louder. Pulled it off and found that it had cracked down the whole stainless steel can at the seam! It had been through many years of NJ salt and snow, so i can't hold it against it too much. Quicksilver had offered to replace the can for me, but i would have needed to ship it to the UK and their other option was to just get it welded, which is what i'll end up doing.

I had similar issues with the mini; mostly to do with the exhaust and some of the frame rail bolts. Make sure to put anti seize on the bolts when they go back in, and i started using Fluid Film on all of my cars this winter, and it seems to be stopping the growth of rust.

Thanks for the info. I'm always curious on what causes these issues on some cars, and then never having an issue on others.

Thanks for your input. I was going to do the mod mini hack and use strap connected to the hood to keep tension on the chain.

Did you use the tool to keep the camshaft from moving? Or just put the car into 6th gear?

 

The bungee cord method works fine, I always do mine that way, but do yourself favor for safety sake, use something as a prop-rod, while the chain is on the bungee, last thing you need is for someone or something to accidentally cause the bonnet to drop.

I've done both, the tool is extremely convenient, but either way works, esp if you have someone to hold the brake on as well. (Even with no power assist)