I thought I had read that the plastic tensioner for the timing chain that is so prone to failure was only considered a problem for cars prior to MY 2002. But now I cannot find that information.

My 02 XJ makes a sound when first started in the mornig that is clearly engine related. I would describe it as a sticking A/C clutch or fan clutch, but of course there is no fan clutch. Is that the dreaded sound?

 

light tapping on cold start up.. ive done them on up to 03 xj .. goes on for maybe 5-10 seconds.

 

any way to tell if my engine has the plastic tensioners? serial number, VIN?

 

2002 are likely plastic.

 

no reason to push my luck,

Can anyone give a part number list for what I need to change them out?

Also - a reference to a manual (Chilton) for example that might have procedure. I am curious if I can do this at home in my garage. It will not be my first time inside an engine, though the most I have done in the past wast replace lifters, some 15 years ago.

 

We have a tech that can do them in about 5 hours. The first one took him over twice that. He's done a few since then.

Parts needed:
http://www.motorcarsltd.com/item.wws?sku=IN106760 (this includes the metal tensioners)

http://www.motorcarsltd.com/item.wws?sku=IN106662

plus a valve cover gasket kit, contingent upon the year of your car

I also recommend you purchase and extra cam setting tool so you don't have to jump side to side while praying you don't move anything: http://www.motorcarsltd.com/item.wws...p;sku=IN106332

 

Big request from the OP, thanks for coming thru for him Ken. Go Tech

 

No kidding!!

I am trying to decide how quickly I need to attack this. The sound is only inermittent, for example this morning, really nothing, yesterday I heard it for a few seconds after startup.

 

My 2000 XJ8 is doing the same thing. I think it is dependent on the temperature. If its about 55-60 degrees out there when I start in the morning then it doesnt make any noise. The other night it was 30 degrees out there when I started it and it done it pretty good. But it only last a half a second to a second. I was showing my friend the noise it made and he missed it, it was so fast. There is a video here named tensioner troubles - video. Watch it and see if that is the noise yours is making.

Blaze

 

Ken - I cannot tell from the online description, but is the kit with metal tensioners just for the secondaries, or is both primaries and secondaries?

From the article in Jag Lovers I was reading, the secondaries don't look like they would take very long to repalce, but looks are decieving. Are you saying 5 hours for an experienced tech to do the secondaries, or the primaries as well?

I will probably have a local guy I trust do this, but he has 0 experience with jags, so want to try and get him all information up front I can.

 

Upper tensioners are the metal ones. That was 5 hours for a seasoned mechanic to do the entire job.

 

Is that 5 Hrs. for chains and tensioners? WOW! Can you recommend anybody in the Reno area that can match that? We don't have Jag dealer here. I have read where some have had the job done by Lincoln dealers, but we don't have one of them here either. Anywhere you go in this town is "kaching, kaching" when there is a badge on the car. I know that the 3.9 Ford/Lincoln is an AJ, so why wouldn't the parts be the same? I've checked prices and they are definitely more suited to the economy. I've read some had the job done for well under $1k. Any thoughts?

 

Looked for the Video but couldn't find it using search. Could you post a link?

Thanks