Checked oil, and being a bit low I went to top it off. I noticed a glint I didn’t expect, and looking closely I could see that the chain had a scuff on it.



Do I have an issue with the tensioner? Something else?

I need to to update my signature. This motor has 92000 miles on it.

 

How does the engine sound up front? You can generally hear the whir of chain on a broken tensioner. I would expect more than one link to show evidence though.
You may need to remove adjuster lock rubber plug and look see to be certain.

 

Agreed,

Mostly I see a shiny chain through that hole on all mine, from the constant running on the boomerang tensioner. The rest of the guides etc in there only "kiss" the chain.

Get a thin screwdriver and CAREFULLY work down the side/front/wherever of the chain and "feel" if its loose or tight, it should be tight, to tightish. If its flopping around to the feel, the boomerang, she be broke.

A broken tensioner can be heard, as said, and felt, usually on the run down from 1200rpm to idle and a very keen feel for that engine.

NO disrespect to anyone, but the small "hunt" you will feel would be missed unless you have spent way too many hours with this engine. It took me a long time, and many beers, to "feel" that hunt on my PreHE.

 

It may be possible to get a smart phone endoscope in through filler across timing cover for a look see, maybe.

 

Thanks for ramping down my concern! I have an audio clip I’ll upload. I do have an endoscope that should reach. I’ll check it out tomorrow. Before stub axle replacements.




I actually look forward to wrenching this car over the weekend.

 

Well I started with the stub axles. I Never made it to the tensioner. Took a while to figure out the first stub axle removal. Then found I’d wasted half a day struggling with installing the inner race. Wrong Timken bearing. Too big. Punted and cleaned and reinstalled the old inner on the new stub and wrapped it all up for the night. No beers. Too hot, just water. That made it tougher. Catching those up now.

Ill have to put in a new inner on that side and do the drivers side stub next weekend. Now that I’ve done one stub I expect the next to go mush smoother.

At least I did did get the upper and lower ball joints done on that one side while I had easy access. Both ball joints spun when I tried to remove the nuts. Does this happen frequently? Took some vice grips and a lot of cursing to hold them still and get them off.

I read some suggestions on how to remove the stub axles. I tried tensioning it up it up with the castle nut, backing the rear nut off just a couple turns then whacking the back of the stub axle. Beat the heck out of it. Bad choice. Made getting the nut off a fun time. Definitely would remove that fully before whacking it next time. I’ll just use safety wire holding the rotor to make sure it doesn’t take a dive.

I read some additional suggestions and went and got a thick 5/8” 18 pitch nut. Put that in place of the castle nut. Torqued the bejesus out of that and whacked it on the back again. Nothing. Beat it hard. Nothing. So I took a propane torch to the upright for about 5 minutes. I Decide to whack it again, but as I turned off the torch it decided that it’d had enough and popped! Went a good 18 inches. I must have had it torqued up good.

 

Jigjag have you got any pictures of the stub axle?
cheers

 

Here’s a picture of the original stub axle. The marring in the taper area is from my vice. Had to get the nut off once I had it out. Not easy to grip that slippery hard steel.

this view is of the bottom. But I had wear all the way around the axle. Most severe on bottom and only bottom shows this pattern in the worn band. Video closeup coming soon.


OEM ‘86 XJS stub axle. 92K miles.



Another view of worn area. Bottom of axle.