L16 (521) head gasket?

[d.p]

Got my head back and got it on the block, torqued down the head bolts then went to put the chain back on the cam sprocket and the fucking string to pull the wedge out broke (plastic hook that the string is attached to actually broke) so I had to hold to chain up and wedge that tool out and when I did that it sounded like something came loose down towards the bottom of the chain.   No idea if anything actually did. 

 

I can't get the cam sprocket back on the locating dowel with the chain on it, there just isn't enough slack. Is it supposed to be near impossible to get it back on?

 

Not sure what to do now.

 

 

 

 

Chain tensioner seems to still be in place (left side of the chain) but no idea if its in the right position.  

 

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Sometimes you can get extra slack in the chain by gently rocking the crank back and forth while pulling up on the chain (or gear with chain attached).

 

If the plunger popped out of the tensioner, then you will probably have to remove the front cover to get it back in. It is possible to get it back in by using a looooong handled screwdriver (or some other such device). Give that a hot first and see what happens.

 

By now, you probably understand that pulling the wedge before you got the sprocket on the cam was a mistake.

[d.p]

Yeah learning process for me.  

 

But I think I jumped the gun because I never let the chain slack, so I shoved the wedge back in there and am now able to get the sprocket and chain close to back on so I think the chain tensioner is where it should be.  Everything down there looks like it did before I tore it apart too so I think I am ok there. 

 

However it seems I may have a jumped a tooth or something moved in the process of all of this.  

 

If I line up the sprocket and chain then the dowel doesn't line up.  

If I line up the dowel and the sprocket the chain doesn't line up.

 

Ignore the paint because it got rubbed off when I was fighting all of this.   The 1 and 2 on the sprocket should be pointed directly at the middle of those chain links, when they do the dowel doesn't line up (3rd pic). Cam pin is also slightly off where it was prior to all of this.

 

So can I rotate the crankshaft slightly to line up the timing pin and then try and line up the dowel, sprocket and chain?  Or rotate the cam?  Cause the cam came out   With the wedge in place the sprocket is just short of getting on the dowel (just below it), can I pry it up or should it go on smoothly?  

 

Before:

 

 

 

 

After (chain and sprocket lined but dowel is off, oblong and notch not lining up):

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

Tensioners don't just pop back in by themselves, so make damn sure that it's in their before you go any further. It's not easy to see, so just because you can't see it, doesn't mean it's in there properly.

 

When you rock the crank (not the cam) back and forth, it may give you the wiggle room you need on the chain to get it back on. If the tensioner is only slightly out, rocking the crank while pulling up on the chain, may push the tensioner in just enough.

 

Make sure the dots line up when you're finished, because if you did skip a tooth, you will have to reset it.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

There's a pic somewhere here on Ratsun of what it looks like when a tensioner is popped out.

[d.p]

I got it all back together but I forgot I broke one of the thermostat housing bolts. The short thermostat bolt (rear of thermostat) that goes into the block. Only found out after filling it with coolant and having piss out the back side of the thermostat housing.

 

Fixed that, put more coolant in and fired her up. Ran fine, little noisier than before all this was done. But it didn't blow up so I guess that's good.

 

Going to change the oil tomorrow and double check everything.

[Crashtd420]

Check the valve lash too. From our conversation earlier it seemed like the machine shop set it a little loose....

[datzenmike]

The timing chain wedge should only be removed after the cam sprocket is on, not before.

 

 

 

You'll have to start with setting TDC accurately first by turning clockwise only, to remove all slack from the tension (driver's) side. Once you have that, you can assess if the cam is off a tooth. From here it looks about one tooth. Block chain and slip one tooth clockwise and check again. Engines are fairly forgiving and will sometimes run with it out like this.... but not very well. With it a tooth ahead, hold the sprocket up to the cam and rotate the cam till the dowel pin slips into the hole in the sprocket. I use vice grips clamped to the middle section of the cam.

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

The valve lash needs to be set after the head is torqued. You'll need a skinny feeler gauge (.010") to fit inside the lash cap, under the tip of the rocker.

 

When you're done tightening the jamb nut on the rocker pedestal, tighten it some more. Then check the valve lash again. Tightening the jamb nut will change the valve lash.

[d.p]

Doing it hot now. Is there an easier way to rotate the engine by hand by the crank? When I do it the socket I am using catches up against the fan.

 

I am using a 27mm socket with 1/4" 'drive ratchet pointing towards the driver fender.

[datzenmike]

I do it from underneath.

[Roadster-ka]

Put it 4th gear and rock the engine where you want it. Pull the plugs if you want to make it easier.

[d.p]

Well I tried to adjust them to factory specs cold and hot only to have the engine start ticking so I think I did it wrong.  Head had a valve job so not sure if that affects the factory lash adjustment?  

 

Here it is in all its ticking glory...I couldn't adjust #3 because I didnt have a skinny enough wrench to get on the adjuster nut.   So I have to get one or just have the local ship adjust it for me.  

 

 

https://flic.kr/p/UKbekf

[banzai510(hainz)]

like I said best to just have left it.

 

I usually break the crank bolt and cam bolt loose just incase a chain drops then put to TDC.

 

reinstalling chain using wedge If just cant get it up. instead turing the crank which can fuck yp the tensioner, just move the cam I think clock wise this will induce some chain slop to get the sprock on the dowel

[d.p]

It's already back together but with that ticking sound. Truck drives great, better than it ever did before but just with that noise in the video. Plugs look good, motor turns over fine but something is amiss

 

Machine shop doesn't think it's the valves, he think something might have come loose underneath the valve cover but I can't find anything obvious.

 

At a loss now.