Porsche 911UK Forum

Welcome to the @Porsche911UK website. Register a free account today to become a member! Sign up is quick and easy, then you can view, participate in topics and posts across the site that covers all things Porsche.

Already registered and looking to recovery your account, select 'login in' and then the 'forget your password' option.

Timing chain tensioners

Delanor

Well-known member
Joined
1 Oct 2016
Messages
440
Now I guess this has probably been discussed before but I have a rattling timing chain on a 996 on 90K miles when starting from cold that appears to be getting noisier, I have owned the car for a year and it had just been serviced when I bought it since then it has done a couple of thousand miles due to the fact it is one of 3 cars I drive, I get a loud rattle for literally a second its not cam followers then the engine runs a sweet as it should anyway having extensively searched online can someone tell me to replace the tensioners do I have to lock the cams in order to remove each tensioner one at a time as I have read you need to lock the crank OK not a problem but the cams need a special tool but do you actually need to do this as some say yes and some say no.

I can fabricate a camshaft lock tool if needed but its a waste of time/effort if its not necessary so can anyone tell me what exactly is required because what I have read gives conflicting advice.

*
*
Del.
 
It could actually be the guides that are worn after 90k miles, the chains cut a groove in the plastic and this takes the tension off the chains a little as you can imagine.
Changing the guides is more involved than just the tensioners are though.
 
In most cars with a timing chain if the guides are worn the chain noise is constant not just on a cold start so you know the guides need changing so is a Porsche different if so do you really have to undertake a strip down to find the guides maybe are OK and its not just the tensioners.

Surely hydraulic tensioners are there to take up the slack?

*
*
Del.
 
You are correct that ordinarily they would make noise all the time if it was worn guides but both the tensioner and guides work hand in hand and there is only so much slack they will take up.

It was just another thing to consider, the chains do cut quite deep into the guides and I replaced mine during an engine build around 60k miles as they were deeply scored.


And to answer your question, I would lock the cams and crank before changing the tensioners and do them one at a time.
Can you point where the rattle is coming from as you have three tensioners, one for each bank and the crank to IMS chain too. I think it is possible to repair the tensioners with some heat and flushing out.
 
The rattle stops literally as fast as it starts when firing up from cold such as overnight so that suggests its a tensioner not holding pressure I will have to have a listen round with a stethoscope.

Where would I get the correct cam locking tool.

*
*
Del.
 
Delanor said:
Where would I get the correct cam locking tool.

You need the top one of these 2 for the 3.4. The longer one is for the 3.6 (Of which I manufacture: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORSCHE-9...T-LOCKING-TOOL-CAM-TIMING-GAUGE-/182277744776)

DSCN1512+Copy1332730397.jpg
 
I suppose you could probably chop the 3.6 tool down.
 
Some manuals here might help ..

http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=83491

Correct way is to lock the cams and crank as such thats what i would advise .

Mechanics and obviously people on the forums might say you can get away without locking the cams .. i would just point out that a mechanic in an equiped workshop is in a position to correct the timeing should it slip .

The fault does sound like a tensioner .. but a sound clip is always usefull :)
 
Has no-one actually removed the chain tensioners on an early 5 chain engine, there seems to be cam lock tools available to do a late 996/997 3 chain engine but no-one markets a lock tool for a 5 chain - why is that?

*
*
Del.
 
Done loads ..

Early type you lock a single camshaft , later type you lock both , if you read alex yates a couple up you will see the locking tool for both types and where it can be bought.

If you download the instructions i mentioned it will also show you the tools and it wouldn,t be hard to fabricate something like that .
 
I had already read up on the method etc but the cam tool bit is confusing I have got some vague dimensions to make one up but I just couldn`t understand why no-one appears to sell that tool which would have saved me making one.

I have searched but can find the tool to lock both cams but not for just the one unless I`m looking in the wrong places.

*
*
Del.
 
I've seen them for sale but usually included in the full kit. I keep meaning to make them 3.4 as well but need one to copy 1st.
 
alex yates said:
Delanor said:
Where would I get the correct cam locking tool.

You need the top one of these 2 for the 3.4. The longer one is for the 3.6 (Of which I manufacture: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PORSCHE-9...T-LOCKING-TOOL-CAM-TIMING-GAUGE-/182277744776)

DSCN1512+Copy1332730397.jpg

Top tool here will lock one cam ( early type ) .. if you cant get it too fit and to be honest i cant remember on an installed engine as i dont use it , then you need a narrow version of this with a long bar , must be able to shorten it and weld a bar on i would have thought .
 
Chopping the right hand side of the 3.6 longer tool would probably do the job.
 

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
124,354
Messages
1,439,461
Members
48,713
Latest member
3sp1f8
Back
Top