Just wanting to clear up some last minute stuff before putting my new timing chain back on my mini turbo s r56. My only real concern is the dummy tensioner. The lack of information and proper installation of the dummy tensioner leads me to believe it may not have a use on the n14 engine.
Number 1.) Haynes manual does not even go into detail about it. Though the book is a early edition and they never printed a revised addition of how to service the timing chain.
Number 2.) I had already attempted to install the timing chain once with the dummy tensioner. and the pin of that dummy tensioner gouged out the oil hole on the guide a little bit.(guide was brand new; now I have to replace it.)
I found some instructions on that dummy tensioner sense then concur if I am right!
to put the tensioner in and do not move the bolt thread in any further then 52mm or something I don't know (that part is not important from other sources I have obtained);
My more trusted source is probably every bodies go to now. That the dummy tensioner does not get threaded in the big hole all the way. and the bolt that threads through the bigger bolts that threads into the block only goes about halfway through the big bolt(less then 52 mm or whatever). Point is to only thread the dummy tensioner into the block until it touches the plastic tensioner guide, RIGHT?(not pushing the guide to seat against the chain?)
And only installing the dummy tensioner after you have put the intake and exhaust camshaft on finger tight and put the upper guide in. At that point putting the dummy tensioner in and torquing each of the gears starting with the intake then torquing the exhaust cam gear. going back to the intake and doing a 90 degree pull and then the exhaust for a 90 degree pull, back to the intake for a final 90 degrees and back to the exhaust for a final 90 degree's per mini cooper employee on youtube with most recent timing chain install.
how far and what am I looking for if not to just seat the dummy tension bolt against the guide without torquing the mini cooper employee did not fully seat the dummy tensioner in the engine block? So I know it does not get 5 pounds of torque against the engine block. maybe the center bolt of the dummy tensioner gets 5 pounds, but why halfway with the big bolt and not fully seated.
My old tension guide looks remarkable where the tensioner goes. Without one gouge! smooth plastic faded in a circle where the tensioner goes. where as my new one has a small circle gouge where the bolt from the dummy tensioner rested. And a bigger crescent shape where the tensioner was smearing plastic. Old one perfect aside of long chain grooves in the channel(guide) at least 30,000 miles it. new one gouged by just using a dummy tensioner. and smeared after 9 miles and 1 hour of break in!
What is the best method?

 

the dummy outer (bigger) gets threaded all the way into the block. The central screw is tightened to 5"lbs or 0.6nm (this is tricky as no tool I have goes this low). Rule of thumb is to hand tighten and then a small tweek with a tiny resistance.
Before you torque up the final angle on the cam bolts, take off the cam tools, remove the flywheel locking tool and rotate the engine clockwise three cycles until your pistons are level again (you should be using straws or the like in the cylinders to observe), reinsert the flywheel locking tool and check timing with the cam tools. You do this at least three times to confirm accuracy and adjust if the cam tool is not a perfect fit and dropping into place. When you are satisfied, do the final torque/angle on the brand new cam bolts (you are using new bolts I presume as they are TTY). Remove the dummy and insert the new tensioner.

 

First of all, lose your Haynes manual. Either get a Bentley manual or use the newTIS website. Here's a link to their premium cam replacement procedure which includes using the dummy tensioner --- https://www.newtis.info/tisv2/a/en/r...aft/1VnY7d2Xnh. Here's another page from a different procedure, showing how to use the dummy tensioner (step 2). It also shows the measurement you mentioned. It's used to determine chain stretch. The rest of the procedure steps can be ignored, deferring to the newTIS procedure.

Pay attention to Scudder44's advice. It may seem like a PITA, but it's well worth the extra effort.

 

Scudder44 you make a really good point about the inspection. and Old Broken wind you have provided some real information I can't say thank you enough. but in a way with the way everybodies been putting this operation real loosely; I liken it to tightening lug nuts on a wheel. the theory that you know where too tight is on the crank bolt and to just stand it down. and double checking the work is the best thing that both of you mention. Because I have spent a pretty penny on redoing the head because of my first timing failure where I followed the book. So double checking with the cam locks is needed.
but the test tensioner problem I had when I went 5 with the inch pound torque wrench put a gouge in the plastic guide which did this pic below on the new guide. THAT GOUGE did not help when I put the real tensioner in and ran it for 1 hour on jack stands and about 9 miles driving at which point it broke loose the timing(now it is a number of reasons I am sure). But that gouge that test tensioner left in the guide on the left at the oil hole I believe was enough to make the real tensioner leave that cresent shape. It looks like the real tensioner caught a bit of the gouge from the test tensioner. Where as the original guide is perfect right there just showing some white like circle where oil never really died the plastic; but it is smooth plastic.
So I see this and he puts his test tensioner in only halfway.THERE right at 3:08 it appears DID YOU SEE THAT! I think it is to slightly offset the center bolt from burrowing into the oil galley in the plastic guide. Either way you can see I cannot use this brand new guide with only 9 miles on it; I don't want to risk the edge of the real tensioner resting at that point which is lower then where the old guide shows the white circle on that oil covered and died tension side of the timing guides; the edge of anything like a tensioner could take what ever the pound feet of spring inside the tensioner and multiply it to infinity(and just not compress at all; just wedged in.
So that why I asked.

one on the left is new with 9miles total the other is 30,000 at least and pic does not do justice old one is smooth and slick.

 

From what I read in your posts, you're installing the dummy all wrong. Try doing it this way ---
1- Before installing it, unscrew the long inner part so the guide contact end is flush with the large diameter threaded end.
2- Install the dummy tensioner as far as possible, by hand. Do this by turning ONLY the outer, large diameter portion.
3- Using only your hand, screw in the smaller diameter inner portion until you can feel it contacting the guide.
4- Back off the contact slightly, then using a torque wrench on the inner portion, tighten it to the 0.6Nm.
5- With the dummy still installed, finish torquing the cam / crank timing bolts. Use Scudder44's process if you want to.

Yes, step 1 is overkill --- the objective is to ensure no contact with the guide UNTIL the dummy is fully seated. This gives you full control over how much tension is applied --- 0.6Nm (note that this is about 5 INCH pounds, not FOOT pounds). The newTIS special tool for torquing is probably available someplace, but I prefer to use a bar type torque wrench, which can achieve this low setting. I've seen them on Amazon and they're affordable.

As for the video, this is just one example of why I never use them. Maybe good for getting a basic idea of how to do something, but details are often not clear. I especially don't like his use of power tools in place of torque wrenches for the "basic" hardware, but he's probably doing it by the hour and not on a high performance build.

Finally, don't take this whole process lightly. Timing on these engines is critical, as you apparently discovered --- must have used Hayne's as your "book". Using the wrong torque settings can also be a disaster --- I too blew out all my valves by not tightening the crank bolt correctly. Purring like a fat cat now!

 

The dummy tensioner sets in there regardless that is the similarity between what your saying and what the guy in the video is doing. The car I would like to run. But serious I can't find the original equipment plastic guide that sit's under the Exhaust cam(if I only get none Original equipment products from all U.S. handlers then that's that. but it's not all the mechanic or operator error at that point. And from having to shim the inside of the 18 mm socket to sit on the crank bolt because it size is real small for a 18mm with no play to doing the same with exhaust cam lock. In the end it was not straight forward process so I'm not gonna be mad at myself. If I get it running I sure will post pictures and carry on like any other mini owner. Never got the cup holder couldn't afford it was always in the shop every 4 months for 10 years in a row. obviously I don't believe in camera's on my house and in my yard and the street I live on is the darkest in town with no street light. And everybody around me has flood lights on there home pointed at mine.
When the car was new to me in 2010 (it's a 2008) I went to one of the most well respected places in the United States of America and whet to some really really important people that are good friends with really famous people I know you have heard of and acted like a complete piece and made them angry as all H#ll And they ain't just falutting famous they can get angry on so many deep levels it goes beyond the boarders of the country itself in a way. In that car. So I got use out of it. When I drove off like mini coopers master driver itself on earth.

 

2013 MCS, 85k miles. It’s actually the most reliable car I’ve had recently and would like to keep it that way.

No sign of any problems but I’m wondering if I should have the tensioners checked as my GTI recently suffered a skipped chain presumably from a tensioner problem. (I got rid of it) I really like this car and I’d like to keep it as long as I can.