Timing chain rattle

[jon521]

i have a stock L16 in my 521 and my timing chain has been rattling, but only when i start it. today it got a lot worse, so i pulled the valve cover off, and saw that it had been hitting the oil sprayer down there. the chain was all tight but i bumped the starter a few times, and all of a sudden i had alot of slack on the long run of the chain (the right side). I talked to H5WAGON and he said just do a timing kit. i do believe this will fix my problem, but i wanted to check and see if i need to replace the oil pump (or anything else), since the chain is driven off the oil pump? it only rattles below 1000 rpm.....so just a timing kit will do?

[datzenmike]

The chain may have stretched, more likely the slack side guides are worn. The oil pump doesn't drive the chain but there is a spring loaded tensioner that also is pushed out by oil pressure from behind. Replacing the chain, tensioner and guides should help. In the mean time change your oil and filter as this may bring up the low speed oil pressure enough to keep it quiet.

 

If interested you can also swap a high volume oil pump from a KA or Z24i motor from a D-21 Hardbody. They move 14% more oil and although the high speed pressure remains the same (because it's regulated) it does increase the low RPM pressure because of the extra 14% more oil available. My tired 300,000 Km L20B went from a hot idle oil pressure of 17 PSI to 29 PSI simply by throwing a used KA pump on it. I can't stress these enough. They are great and give you peace of mind.

 

They can be found on early 240sx KA24E motors. The later KA24DE used an internal pump.

'86.5 and up Z24i, KA24E and DE motors. * most common easy to find

'80.5-'83280zx turbo automatic.

'81-'84 Maxima LD28 diesel

[jon521]

ok thanks! i will order a timing kit, and will look into getting one of those pumps. any idea how much those pumps cost?

[jon521]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Datsun-510-521-620-610-710-Timing-Gear-Kit-23553000-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem5199b17efcQQitemZ350470897404QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

 

is this good, or is it just cheaply made? i couldnt find what brand it was...

[banzai510(hainz)]

Cammella or somthing like that is really a Tsubaki set

 

GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Really I betyour tensioner is worn and slack side guide. Most likely thats all that need to be replaced

 

break the lower crank bolt and cam bolt loose an set motor up to TDC then break it down

watch naked a few times first till you feel confident you can do this. Get soem Black Permatex also for the front cover gaskets. we can walk you thru this but take your time . In a rush youll fuck it up.

 

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8EF51386855F2B58

[jon521]

sweet that kit is way cheaper than everywhere else i have looked. ill check the video out when i get off work. do these engines have mechanical or hydraulic adjusters? if mechanical, should i just adjust it first then see?

 

Thanks hainz! hopefully i dont mess it up, this is my daily

[banzai510(hainz)]

tensioner has a spring and uses a oil hole to push on lower part of chain.

watch the vid its pretty simple.

[H5WAGON]

Anyone live in Salem, that could help?........:unsure:

[jon521]

Anyone live in Salem, that could help?........:unsure:

 

 

thad be great if there was, i doubt it though haha.

[jon521]

hainz i just watched your video, that was great. definetly going to watch it again right before i do it. was that the clash playing at first? haha

 

so this is what it looks like, sometimes tight, sometimes loose

the chain has been rubbing on the pin down there, which H5 told me was an oil sprayer

 

so i should go ahead and buy that kit off ebay? or should buy just the tensions and guides? im not sure what to do.....

[banzai510(hainz)]

for 69$ ITS CHEAP. get the whole kit since you go to take it apart anyways.

 

I myself always have spare tensioners as in my case I have the motor open again in a few years then I just change the tensioner and maybe the slack side guide. as the chains dont strech all that much.

 

The Jap timming set have the nice brite links and makes it more idiot proof.

 

take your time.

[jon521]

thanks hainz, will try to order that kit today. just wondering, what is the "mechanical" reason why the chain is tight, sometimes, and why there is slack, sometimes? not one or the other all the time?

[banzai510(hainz)]

I think car quest carries those timming kits but noit positive maybe its the OSK brand.

 

yours is I say more on the loose side. maybe a bolt pusted on slack side guide thus not taking up the chain tension. or very worn tension shoe at the bottom. Youll see it.

[jon521]

ordered the kit, should be here thursday at the earliest....

[jon521]

just got my kit, it is definetly all japan made. pretty happy with it. just got to put it in.

[jon521]

so i ended up not needing to use the kit, i put some 20w50 in the motor, and it never made noise again. now i have the L20b in my truck, and ive read that its slightly taller than the L16, but if i bought just a timing chain for an L20b, could i use the rest of my L16 kit on my L20b?

 

i ask because i will be doing a head swap soon, and i might as well replace the timing componants if i have the stuff. i dont really want to buy another whole timing kit, but if i could get away with just buying a L20b timing chain with the rest of the kit for my L16, id do that then.

 

thanks

[ggzilla]

The chain differs L20B compared to L16/L18

[jon521]

The chain differs L20B compared to L16/L18

 

 

yes, but is the rest of the kit (tensioners, guides, cam gear) the same? i was saying id buy a L20b chain above ^

[yello620]

Jon, according to Rockauto.com, the guides and both gears are the same from 70 521 l16 and 79 L20b. They show the same part numbers for both applications. The chains are(obviously) different though. The tensioner is also listed as the same part number.

 

Looks like you just need to get yourself a good Japan made chain to match the other parts you have already.

[Guest 510kamikazifreak]

yes, but is the rest of the kit (tensioners, guides, cam gear) the same? i was saying id buy a L20b chain above ^

 

Get the chain...

the rest is good to go

[wayno]

Jon, according to Rockauto.com, the guides and both gears are the same from 70 521 l16 and 79 L20b. They show the same part numbers for both applications. The chains are(obviously) different though. The tensioner is also listed as the same part number.

 

Looks like you just need to get yourself a good Japan made chain to match the other parts you have already.

 

:thumbup:

[jon521]

Thanks guys! Jason, that was a good idea to check the part numbers, i coulda done it myself if i would have thought of it haha

[yello620]

Thanks guys! Jason, that was a good idea to check the part numbers, i coulda done it myself if i would have thought of it haha

 

 

Rock auto works pretty good for cross referencing part numbers, cause you sure cant get a local parts store counterman to look anything up, let alone correct part numbers.

[banzai510(hainz)]

NAPA sells the OSK brand timming set for the L20.Might be listd by another company

they have a photo of it it will have a multi hole sprocket. its OK but better than the other one they sell

[KC Phirus]

so i ended up not needing to use the kit, i put some 20w50 in the motor, and it never made noise again. now i have the L20b in my truck, and ive read that its slightly taller than the L16, but if i bought just a timing chain for an L20b, could i use the rest of my L16 kit on my L20b?

 

i ask because i will be doing a head swap soon, and i might as well replace the timing componants if i have the stuff. i dont really want to buy another whole timing kit, but if i could get away with just buying a L20b timing chain with the rest of the kit for my L16, id do that then.

 

thanks

 

Mine was slapping whenever it came down from high rpm.

20w40 and it hasn't made a noise since.