Hopefully the link for this video will work, so someone can give me the thumbs up (or down ) as to whether the new chains and tensioners are set ok.
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Hopefully someone will be along to advise shortly Roadhogg

Bump>>>>>

 

Thanks Jim

I found a post in the xj8 section that told me that the drive side of the chains is the side where the chains rest against the flat guides, because the crank sprockets turn clockwise and pull the chains from the right hand side of the VVT. Something i wasn't sure about by reading Blackonyx's article in the FAQ section alone.
I also had a chat with XKRacer, who told me that the sprocket teeth that have to be out of phase are not the exhaust cam and VVT sprocket teeth, but the inlet cam and VVT sprocket teeth, and since the inlet cam sprocket is attached to the back of the VVT unit, they will remain out of phase unless you have to seperate the inlet cam sprocket from the VVT, which you wouldn't do unless you had a problem with the VVT, or perhaps a broken or worn inlet cam sprocket tooth.

So basically if you are just renewing the chains,guides and tensioners, phasing is not an issue you have to worry about.

It was confusion about things like that, that put me off the job in the first place, so if i get the ok on what i've shown in the video, then the video and the info i've just stated may help someone else contemplating this job for the first time.

It just depends on whether what i've shown in the video, and the info i've stated above, can all be varified as correct (or not).

 

Hi,
when you have had it confirmed ok by others, if you have removed the fuel relay, you will be able to prime the tensioners by rotating the engine by turning it over, i did mine with the plugs out.
what ever you do, dont forget to remove the locking tools and any sockets on the crankshaft. Ive read many people have done so, it made me paranoide on checking tools were removed.
incidentally, when you have removed all the locking tools, you will be able to check the timing again after rotating the engine. this would reveal if tension was correct on the chains.

looks like you have done well

Best wishes

steveeasy

 

Hi steve, great advice, helpful to me and to others trying this job for the first time.
I'll find out how to judge whether my timing is ok once i've turned the crank a few times.

 

Bump for you Roadhogg

Looking forward to hearing the good news and that all is well

 

Thanks again Jim

It's looking like nobody wants give me the ok on either the chains and tensioners, or the other info i wrote in support of it though.

I was hoping one of the mechanically experienced guys would chime in with a . . . "this bits right, that bits wrong" . . . comment.

But alas, not yet.

I didn't write that stuff in response to your first post with the intention of boring you to death Jim (so i hope i didn't lol), but just as clear info for others who (like me) have never delved this deep into a 4.0L quad cam V8 before.

Trying to kill two birds with one stone really, because by getting the ok on the video and confirmation that the stuff i wrote was accurate, maybe it would give something back to the forum for others, because so far i don't feel like i've done anything but ask questions.

There's people here that seem to be able to strip and rebuild an XK8 in their lunch break, so maybe they don't think this thread is worth commenting on because the content is so basic.

Can't blame them for that, they probably don't remember what it's like not to have a clue what you're doing lol.

Oh well, there's still hope

 

Not borimg me or anyone with this thread at all Roadhogg

I'm sure that its just either those who can help haven't seen it, or those who have don't feel qualified to comment.

I'm going to add a BOLD comment to yout title thread to try and get the help you need.

Good luck buddy

 

Ah, so you're the culprit who puts the shout outs on my posts?



Thanks yet again JIm.

Actually while i'm here again, does anyone know if i need a strobe light or timing gun to check my timing, or is it not done that way on these cars?

I'm having trouble finding info on how to set or check my timing.

 

Roadhogg - Your work looks good. (But hard to give a full thumbs up w/o "feeling" the work but the videos were handy) I would suggest (since you have things apart) check all your coolant hoses and if any are "questionable" change them out.

I would also invest in a new cross-over pipe and definitely the upgraded aluminum thermostat housing.

Good advice provided above as well - thanks!

 

Hi abonano,

I know there's no real substitute for personally testing the tension, and in an earlier thread i asked if there was anyone in the London area that had done their chains, who might be willing to pop round and check mine were done right, but nobody offered, and in hindsight it was probably pushing my luck too far to even ask.

The next best substitute was a video.

On the parts front, i've got new top and bottom hoses, heater feed hoses, bush carrier o-rings, solenoid seals, spark plug seals, gaskets, crank seal, throttle body gasket and sealing ring, and new water pump waiting to go on, plus probably some other bits i can't think of atm, and the aluminium thermostat housing is another new part that's already fitted.

The only thing i haven't got round to ordering yet is a crank DAMPER oil seal. But i'll get one.

I think the crossover pipe is the black pipe sticking out forwards of the top of the thermo housing, with the light brown staining on the end.

I'll check it, and if i'm not satisfied that it's good, i'll replace it.

Good advice again about the hoses and thermo housing, thanks.

 

Dear Roadhogg,
by useing the cam locking tools on the cams and the flywheel locking tool, and having the sension on the chains correctly you have set the timming.

I thinkl as long as you have torqued the bolts properly on the cam sprockets,vvts, and new tensioners, then rotated the engine and rechecked the alignment on the cam flats after this, again make sure you pull ther pins from the new tensioners.

best wishes

seveeasy

 

Roadhogg - you are worrying over nothing - it looks like you've locked the crank and cams at the correct place, you've confirmed a flat screwdriver in the right place.

Torque all your bolts down to spec' - remove the cam and crank locking tools, and button it back up. Make sure you remove the fuel pump relay or disconnect the tank harness from the top of the petrol tank to spin the engine to build up oil pressure to the tensioners, then replace the relay/harness and go for gold - report back after a spin round the block - and sleep easy on a job well done.

 

OK fellas,
1) remove crank and cam locking tools.
2) turn the crank.
3) refit the crank locking tool and make sure the cam flats are level when i've done so.

If not,
4) undo sprocket bolt of out of align cam flat(s).
5) re-align cam flats.
6) re-tighten sprocket bolt.
7) re-check chain tension.

Repeat 1-3 until cam flats are level with the crank lock back in place after turning it again, and no binding of secondary chains against sprocket teeth, the latter being determined by willing compression of secondary tensioner when pulling on non-tensioned side, and no stiffness of movement in secondary chains.

The above should indicate that the cam flats are not going to "walk" when the crank is turned again, because the secondary chains have found their natural position in the sprocket teeth.

I know i'm making hard work of this, but it's deliberately intended to be a "dunces guide" to the crucial stage of a timing chain and tensioner job.

If it helps anyone else that's uncertain about this stage and wants unambiguous instruction, i'd rather look like a dunce and get it right first time, than try to look clever and get it wrong.

Many thanks guys

All tensioner, sprocket and guide bolts were torqued to spec before the video was shot.

 

Sounds like you have everything covered - kudos... now that you have the chains/tensioners sorted out you will have a rock solid motor yielding years of power and enjoyment!

 

We're all just waiting for a good start and a smooooth test drive, then please report back here and let us know all is well

 

It may be a while before she's ready for a start up Jim, because the weather is turning horrible, darkness arrives much earlier and i can only work on her at weekends.
My most optomistic estimate is about a month.

All i got done today was to remove the crank locking plug and camshaft locking tools so i could crank the engine by hand with a socket on the crank bolt, to see how things were afterwards.

The left bank (passenger side, UK car) secondary chains and tensioners looked fine, but on the right bank, with the crank and cam locks re-fitted wasn't so good. I had a lot of slack on the secondary chain and the tensioner wasn't moving freely.

In fact when i pushed it in by hand it didn't want to come back out.

I know these are driven by oil pressure normally, and with no oil pressure at the moment, it might be air pressure through the oiling hole that's interfering with it's movement.
It did seem to be moving normally when i was cranking the engine, but i was taking more notice of the cam flat position at the time.

The only good news is that the cam flats line up with the crank setting plug hole, which was a lot easier to find today by simply lining up the cam flats, (plus i'd marked the hole in front of the flywheel hole with a felt tip pen, to tell me when it was coming round) so the timing seems to be spot on.

Weather permitting i'll test it again tomorrow and video it so you can see what's happening.

I may find out this is normal, but then again i may not lol.

 

Oh well

Got back to the car today after leaving it overnight, and found the left bank tensioner had resumed it's extended position.

So after cranking the engine over with a socket wrench, and finding the tensioner behaving normally, i decided that, although i could push the tensioner in by hand and it would "stick", it would un-stick as soon as i cranked the engine again.

There's also the fact that the chains and tensioners are in the driest state they will ever be likely to see, having had the new parts on and the engine cover off for some weeks now.

It's tempting to push the tensioners in by hand just to keep assuring yourself that they work right, but as long as they do so when the engine is cranked, that's all that matters, ( because that's what they're designed for ) and when oil is flowing round the engine to lubricate things, i doubt they'll stick anyway.

So no video, i didn't see any point.

Next week, i start putting things back together.

A big THANKYOU to everyone for tolerating my paranoya