Timing chain tensioner problem - started with rattling noise

bayern

I´ve got an Astra -01, currently having ₂₄₀₀₀₀ km´s in it and having a little problem, hope you can help.

At first it started to make some rattling noise _20seconds after cold start (never immediately after start, and never with a warm engine). This was normally rattling like a diesel for about 1 minute and after that it settled.
I checked from the notes and receipts of the previous owner that a complete timing chain kit with all the gaskets and tensioner etc. had been changed at 182000 km´s (just about 60 thousand ago), so I thought that I must be in the tensioner.
So I got myself a new one, and while waiting for the part, the noise got worse. Luckily, today I got the spare part and went to change it.
When I got the cylinder head cover off, I thought that I´m lucky, since the chain was already loose enough to be moved up&down approx. 1 cm by fingers, I think that´s quite bad?
Then, while taking the tensioner out, it popped quite nicely, didn´t stay in one piece at all and probably at that moment one of the camshafts jumped.
With a new tensioner I got the chain tight after releasing it in it´s place and then turning slowly on the crankshaft, but an unpleasant surprise is that I noticed some valves hitting the pistons.
So in other words, the crankshaft won´t turn.

Question is; can I fix the timing correctly without opening the whole lower part, since this sounds like a real pain in the a** to do?

Nitronick

Nope.

You need to align the Crank with a mark on the chain so front cover off I'm afraid. Dont let it worry you, it aint that bad a job.

bayern

I actually did it without opening anything more 😃
First of all, I checked that the belt wheel on the crankshaft was aligned with the mark on the engine block, and then by hand managed to "jumping" the chain on camshafts to their position.
So to speak, the exhaust camshaft on cylinder 4 (viewing from the direction of the chain) pointing at 2 o´clock and the intake camshaft pointing at 10 o´clock when the marks on the crankshaft&the wheel are aligned.
Then tested that everything runs smooth by turning the crankshaft by a ratchet and after that firing it up. This just took a little patience to do, but still quite easy.
The engine runs nice and smooth, so everything is ok :thumbup:

I hope this helps any of you other guys having similar problems.

vocky

well done, it's extremely tricky to align the bottom mark witht he cover on

you are correct in aligning the timing mark of the crank pulley with the mark on the cover, but then you should use the cam locking tool to align the top marks as they could be one link out, it seems you were lucky 🙂