cam chain?

Hay guys I got a mk1 16v I think my cam chain is hitting the top of the rocker cover as it has marked it. Can the chain be changed? or tightend? nice one guys

moles_hole said

Hay guys I got a mk1 16v I think my cam chain is hitting the top of the rocker cover as it has marked it. Can the chain be changed? or tightend? nice one guys

It can be changed, but not tightened. Over time, they stretch. Its a common issue on 16V engines and makes them lose power too.

nice 1. does the head have to come off to change it?

nope, don't think so.

cheers

any ideas where I can get 1?

no worries found 1.  Any ideas how its changed? can you just separate the chain just like you would on a bike chain? cheers

moles_hole said

no worries found 1.  Any ideas how its changed? can you just separate the chain just like you would on a bike chain? cheers

You need to remove the cams, to change it. Then its easy enough to slip the chain on/off the sprockets. Its not designed to be separated, and I have no idea how you'd change a bike chain sorry!

paul_c said

moles_hole said

no worries found 1.  Any ideas how its changed? can you just separate the chain just like you would on a bike chain? cheers

You need to remove the cams, to change it. Then its easy enough to slip the chain on/off the sprockets. Its not designed to be separated, and I have no idea how you'd change a bike chain sorry!

with a big hammer normally :mrgreen:

As stated, the chain can be changed with the head still on, but the cams have to come out to do it. If you don't have a good manual I suggest you get one before doing this task as it is maybe the most screwed up thing people do when working on 16v engines. Being off by just one tooth when setting the camshaft phasing will cause the engine to run like crap and require re-doing. Think of it as being done in two steps, first the cam to cam phasing then the engine timing set-up (cam to crankshaft).

There is an old trick for doing timing belts which also will work for the cam chain. Mark somehow, white-out is bad to use here, on each cam gear somewhere that a tooth sticks through a link in the chain. Then make a mark on the link that same tooth is sticking through, both gears. Now remove the cams and chain, line the new chain up with the old chain and mark the links to match the old chain. When you re-install the cams with chain attached, insure the marks are lined up as they were before and it will be phased correctly.

The new chain will be very very tight and you might even think it is too small, but it is not. The cams will be very hard to push down into position, but be careful as you can break a camshaft if too much pressure is applied or it is torqued wrong (been there a few times  :dontknow: ). One last tip, using two nuts, remove the cam bearing stud at the intake gear end, exhaust side, to allow the cams to be removed and installed. You will see just what I mean if you don't do this first. Oh, no break-in lube on the cam bearings, just oil. The break-in lube only goes on the cam lobes and followers.

Nice one guys shall be giving that a go soon. cheers grimmyfingers.