Australian Zafira Cam Chain Replacement

allan55

Hi everyone. I'm after advice on some issues relating to the cam chain replacement in my 2001 Zafira. It has 180,000 km on it and has been an excellent car. Recently rattling then loud noises which settled back to a cam chain rattle has occurred. Since it happened the car was driven home parked in the drive and I was advised not to restart it in case the cam chain broke. Examination has shown that there is a broken cam guide and the upper securing bolt has broken off (it fell out when I removed the cover). I have had a cam chain and balancer chain kit delivered from AutoVaux (at half the cost and quicker than from my local dealer).
Although there was a definite cam chain rattle as you would expect, the car was running normally, not blowing smoke on start up or under load. There wasn't a compression test done as I didn't want to restart the car and now it is partially pulled apart. I don't want to have to pull it apart anymore than neccessary as I'm doing the job in the drive (the garage is full of bikes and such). Is there anything I can check to see if there is any possible damage done? e.g. all the valve springs look the same.
The upper cam chain guide securing bolt seems to heve broken off 2mm of its length and I assume its still in the motor. I'm not sure how important this section of the bolt is as it is the tapered bit. Can I just match up the new bolt and assume it will still do the job?
Advice appreciated.
Thanks

allan55

vocky

the engine should be fine if it was just rattling and that bolt isn't too short so perhaps drill out whats left of the old bolt and clean the threads with a tap :thumbup:

I hope you get it sorted soon 😃

any questions just ask

allan55

I had time today to start the chain replacement but I can't rotate the crankshaft to line up the cam sprockets and the shaft. I'm either doing something wrong or there is another problem. The car was driven home so was operating. With the plugs out I have replaced the crank pulley bolt and tried to rotate the shaft, it only moves a short distance then stops , in both directions. I have tried to rotate it by chocking a wheel and turning the other (with the car in drive). Nothing. I'm obviously missing something.
Any advice?

Daz

it stops because the the pistons are hitting the open valves,

You shud have had the engine on tdc b4 you stripped it down , that way you wont have to tuen the engine over to align the marks.

Only way round this now is to turnthe camshafts slighty and then turn the crank, and then the cams and so on until its all lined up

allan55

Thanks Daz. I should have read the posts and manual more carefully.
I should have pointed out in the previous post that the cam chain is still in place.
So is this still the correct procedure?
If it is then do I use a couple of 24mm spanners on the cams , then move it a small amount it will allow the crankshaft to be turned? Then just keep going until the shaft and the sprockets are in the correct position.
Thanks for the help.

Daz

Is it all still tensioned up etc?..

If it is u have issues.

If not take the chain off and line all marks up like i described above.

allan55

Daz its still tensioned, maybe the chain is caught on something inside the case now I have removed the broken guide? Or perhaps something moved when I was pulling it apart as it was running OK except for the cam chain rattle. If I can't see anything obvious I will do as you have suggested.
Thanks for the help.

allan55

Daz. Checked again today and when the crank is rotated it will only move a short distance than stops. I think it feels like a piston hitting a valve. Is there anyway to check without pulling the head off? I suspect I may be at the limit of my mechanical ability, for what it is.
The exhaust cam sprocket is at 12 o'clock and the inlet at nearly 3.

The crank key is nearly at 12.

Do I bite the bullet and take the head off, or should I be looking at something else?
Advice appreciated.

Daz

Cant see the pics in my iphone, so will take a look at home 2nite.

Daz

righto.. from them pics it looks like the timing is miles out, you say it was still running b4 u stripped it down so i hazard a guess that its jumped since....

My advice is to remove the plugs, remove the cam chain completly and align all the marks to where they shud be, like i described in one of my replys above.

Hopefully it shud all line up and you can carry on with ure replacement.

when it is all back together, and tensioned up then you can rotaate it by hand too see if it rotates ok, if it still locks up , then you may have to remove the head and check for valve/guide/ piston damage..

How the marks shud be..

And if ure replacing the balnce chain to

hope this helps

allan55

Thanks Daz. Will do this weekend. I'll let u know how it goes.

allan55

Daz. I have removed the cam chain and tried to align everthing to the marks you suggested. I think it is close but I have never done this before.
One of the things that worry me is in a lot of posts it says the cam lobes on No. 4 should be at 2 and 10 o'clock when everything is in position. Mine seem to be at 1 and 11 (see photo).
Is this close enough?
Also the crank seems to be just off TDC.

Am I on the right track.

Thanks in advance

ATOM_X

allan55 said:
Daz. I have removed the cam chain and tried to align everthing to the marks you suggested. I think it is close but I have never done this before.
One of the things that worry me is in a lot of posts it says the cam lobes on No. 4 should be at 2 and 10 o'clock when everything is in position. Mine seem to be at 1 and 11
Is this close enough?
Also the crank seems to be just off TDCCrankshaft position.

Am I on the right track.

Thanks in advance

I would say 11 o'clock & 1 o'clock is a better description

allan55

Had a chance today to spend a little time working on the car.
Balance chain fitted.
Cam chain fitted except for right hand guide and tensioner.
Everything seems to align as per the drawings (I hope).
Should get a chance to continue tommorrow.

Daz

Looks ok to me m8....glad its coming together for you :thumbup:

allan55

Well got everything back together. The car started easily and there was no noise. I let it run for 10 mins and it was fine. Turned it off, restarted and as I was backing out of drive a rattle started and is still there. It is different to the cam rattle that was present when the car was parked a couple of weeks ago but it follows the revs. I have taken the aux drive belt off and its still there.
Should I check the timing and how do I do that without a timing gauge?
Could it be the cam chain tensioner? I put the tensioner in as per the Haynes manual (fit it and push on the chain/guide to make the tensioner engage). The chain certainly seemed tight enough. Should I take it out and refit it already released?
I have hopefully attached a short movie. If someone half a world away could be of some help that would be great.

vocky

I always release the tension before fitting the tensioner, that way you know 100% it's correct :thumbup:

allan55

Well the tensioner checked out OK but there is still a 'rattle' in the engine. As most know its difficult to identify where a noise is coming from. Guesses so far range from valve springs to big end?
Next step will be to check compression (should have done it before I started).
Then cam cover off and closer inspection of valve springs etc.
I don't think I can check the timing without a timing jig (is there a way to do this, e.g. align the mark on the crank pulley and holes in cam sprockets are at certain positions or distance between them?)
Then remove cam chain side cover and check everything OK.
Next (I have been advised) is to take the sump off and check the crank (not sure what I need to check yet).
Then ??? Hopefully something will be discovered by now.

allan55

Had a chance today to do a compression test. No. 1 = 0, 2 = 12 Bar, 3= 0 and 4 = 12.5 Bar. No compression in cylinders 1 and 3.
I'm assuming the head will have to come off when I get back from holidays. Something to look forward to!