Timing chain wedge

[Foxhound]

Need to change the head gasket in my z24. The wedge thats been linked on here before seems to not be sold anymore. Ive heard of using a garden hose or wooden wedges. Bad idea? Any other ideas? Wedge template? This is the only one I can find, but it doesnt look like it will reach the tensioner, which Im assuming is the important part: https://www.amazon.com/Alltrade-648832-Nissan-Timing-Holding/dp/B0002Q8TVO/ref=dp_prsubs_sccl_1/136-9760836-5998544?pd_rd_w=2q5SN&content-id=amzn1.sym.3b3eed55-a3f5-4b73-9642-3affe7414e0b&pf_rd_p=3b3eed55-a3f5-4b73-9642-3affe7414e0b&pf_rd_r=1EEBACS4ZP8B7MA80P7J&pd_rd_wg=Jlw2f&pd_rd_r=0eb31be8-fdb5-4d12-9b36-4a696f6fbb55&pd_rd_i=B0002Q8TVO&psc=1

 

Id love to just pull the engine and tran and really do an overhaul on everything but I dont have the space for that unfortunetly so just doing the HG will have to do for now. Its blown between cylinder 2 and 3 but still runs better than ever since I got it a year ago, probably thanks to the Weber. Funny how that works.

Edited September 1 by Foxhound

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

You don't need to overthink the wedge thing. Anything that fits down between the two sides of the timing chain, with a long enough handle to be able to retrieve it, will work fine. I've seen people use screwdrivers upside down, wooden blocks, and the aforementioned plastic wedge. I personally use a piece of 3/4" heater hose with a slug of steel shoved up inside the bottom end so the hose doesn't squish. I can also hear it clunk when the slug hits the chain oiler or the lower gear.

[Foxhound]

11 minutes ago, Stoffregen Motorsports said:

You don't need to overthink the wedge thing. Anything that fits down between the two sides of the timing chain, with a long enough handle to be able to retrieve it, will work fine. I've seen people use screwdrivers upside down, wooden blocks, and the aforementioned plastic wedge. I personally use a piece of 3/4" heater hose with a slug of steel shoved up inside the bottom end so the hose doesn't squish. I can also hear it clunk when the slug hits the chain oiler or the lower gear.

Thanks for the reassurance. I really didnt want to take the timing cover and all that off if the wedge came loose because my crank pulley nut might as well be welded on with how difficult it was to loosen as I was trying to change the front seal when I first got her. Never did get it off.

Edited September 1 by Foxhound

[Thomas Perkins]

That is a job that is not meant for me.Good luck.

[bottomwatcher]

You kind of want the wedge down against the tensioner. The old how to keep your datsun alive book had a wood wedge wrapped in denim. I don't have the measurements. I also would stick a round phillipshead screwdriver next to the sprocket and turn the engine so it got pinched between the sprocket and chain. This would take up all the slack then install the wedge. Once the wedge was secured I would pull the screwdriver out and I would have a little slack to work with when removing and replacing the sprocket.

[MeyerMan]

I used the wedge in your link, Alltrade 648832, just last December, to replace the head gasket in my 1986 720/ Z24, successfully. What helped was to find pictures and/or diagrams online showing the wedge in place, especially on engines that were already out of the vehicle, with the timing chain cover removed. And search this forum for the Timing Chain Wedge topic that was posted in December, 2018; lots of good stuff there.

[Logical1]

For all the 720's I have done head gaskets on I use a wooden coat hanger broken in half, it truly seems like they are specifically designed to work as a Z chain wedge! the original hanger is one like this:

 

 

I cut it down to this size and drill a hole in the top for the retrieval line like this: (E-tape for scale)

Edited September 2 by Logical1
spelling

[RyanC]

Just did mine with a wedge as noted in the haynes or whatever book I had, did the job but I think there is a nack to having the chain as loose as possible before wedging something to do with how you rotate the engine.  That being said with how gummy my L series was it is possible the tensioner was stuck out.

 

I can get a pick tonight of dimensions but the clothes hangers looks the goods.  The head hasket job is simple enough taking time etc.  Good luck.

[datzenmike]

I've heard that a folded garden hose works also. Just get it pushed all the way to the crank sprocket.