Yeah, no kidding! Unfortunately we moved here recently, so we only know the one neighbor, and like I said, his boating trip takes precedence over my trouble! Well, I think I may have it okay now. Whatever is putting tension on the chain was screwing me up. I took the chain off the cam and gave it some slack, and then was able to pull out the chain on the passenger side, then pull back on the drivers side chain to get it back on the sprocket. I was able to meet up the two sides, but then started to wonder if I was still at the same location on the sproket. I think I was, and was able to pull the new chain in with no resistance (other than that of compression). If it was off a tooth, wouldn't it have stopped moving? Is there any way to tell if it's off before I put the master link on permanent? Also, I was figuring that once I got the new one in, that it would end up at the same spot on the sprocket as when I began, but it didn't. Instead of the mark on the gear being straight up, it is now pointing to the drivers side of the car. Is that normal? The crank pulley is also not where it began.
Here is another question:
Before I began, I had the cam gear mark lining up with the mark on the tower, and the plastic thing on the crank pulley was about 20 degrees to the right. I don't know what that all means, but I was under the assumption that it was also supposed to be straight up and because it wasn't, that it meant the chain was stretched. Well, now that I have the new chain in, the crank pulley mark still doesn't line up with the cam mark. What all does that mean? Sorry, but this is my first timing chain experience.

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87 300D - Running on Veggie oil; 260,000 plus miles; Original #14 head

The camshaft can be off by one tooth and the engine will still rotate.

Yep, put the side plate on and put the tensioner back in and rotate the engine at least two revolutions. Then stop with the marks on the cam tower aligned. Read the crankshaft damper and report back with result. Take a photo and post it if you can't read it.

I'm not with you here. With a new chain, there is no "spot" on the sprocket. If the engine moves a few degrees forward, then you'll have a different position for both the cam and crank sprockets.

There is a small metal tab, about 15 degrees to the right, that is the crankshaft position tab. You need to read the degree wheel relative to this tab. If you can't read it, or don't understand what to read, you'll need to take a photo and post it.

What I see on the crank pulley is 3 plastic looking things. 2 rectangular ones with a circle in the middle.

What I meant about the spot on the sprocket, is where I took the old chain apart was right where the mark on the cam gear was. But when I got the new one in, where they joined together was not at the mark.

I'll turn the engine over a couple of times, and let you know what I find.

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87 300D - Running on Veggie oil; 260,000 plus miles; Original #14 head

The loss of tension on the chain may affect your observations.

As you planned, see if the engine will rotate.

I'm not familiar with the plastic looking things.........you may need to take a photo.......or someone who has a similar setup will respond.

brian, when doing the t-chain job you should/have to.. make a mark on the crank pulley right?

If you are careful and don't allow the takeup man to screwup, you don't need any marks. The new chain just follows the old one.

But, you really need three people.

One to turn the crank.

One to feed the new chain and keep it on the camshaft.

One to keep tension on the old chain as it comes off the crankshaft.


I have not done any chains personally. And, I'm not attempting it without two competant helpers. The risk of FUBAR is too great.

Here are pics of where the marks are on the cam gear, and where the plastic circle is at the crank pulley (I don't see any other marks on it). They are basically in the same spot as when the old chain was in. So now how can I tell if I skipped a tooth on the cam sprocket? I still am kind of confused about the setup of this engine. I wish I had a diagram of how the chain is routed.

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87 300D - Running on Veggie oil; 260,000 plus miles; Original #14 head

If I remember correctly there is something in place at the bottom of the crank sprocket that will prevent the chain from moving away from it far enough for it to jump a tooth. The vacuum pump spring mechanism is what probably caused the chain to "pull" down into the engine on that side. If you were able to pull the chain back into position on the cam (overcoming the vacuum pump mechanism) then you are probably ok. Let me suggest that you tie wrap the chain to the cam sprocket before you go much further.

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Jim

I seem to recall the same thing from Sixto's comments. But, he seems to have rotated the crankshaft without the chain moving.........

My memory was correct. I have attached a pic showing the tab that prevents the chain from moving on the crank sprocket. All you need to do is overcome the vacuum pump spring pressure on the actuator to pull the chain back up to the camshaft sprocket and make the ends meet.
I'm glad I take pics of just about everything I do.

Disregard the orientation of the picture. With the engine in the car the tab is at the bottom.

I have always done this job by myself but I always use alot of tie wraps.

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Jim

How in the hell do you do that?

Who keeps tension on the outbound chain?

Do you make 50 trips down to the crankshaft and rotate it 10 degrees at a time........and then move the tie wraps on the camshaft..........seems like a virtual impossibility do to it safely by yourself???

brian.

i was just asking since when i adjusted my valves i noticed the chain looked new compared to others i had seen in the same milage area as mine(vacuum pump is new also).. back to the topic

That's pretty much what I ended up doing, but for some reason it didn't line up with the other section of chain, which is why I was concerned that the chain had come off the crank. I still don't exactly know what happened. All I know is I ended up taking the chain off the cam and letting it go into the engine a couple of inches (still had a hold of the end) which for some reason allowed me to pull the opposite end of the chain to where it needed to be, I was then able to pull really hard on the tensioned side and get it back on the cam and get it to meet up with the other side of the chain. But what I am worried about is that with me taking the chain off the cam in order to do this, that I might not have gotten it back to the proper teeth on the cam sprocket.

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87 300D - Running on Veggie oil; 260,000 plus miles; Original #14 head

Brian I looked for a pic of it with the tie wraps but I don't seem to have one of those. I must be too busy to be able to hold the camera. Anyway, both sides (accross the cut) of the chain are tie wrapped to the spkt so the cam spkt is pulling the old chain out. Next time I do one I will take pics of it. You go slow using this procedure but it is accurate.

Jmana you are going to have to try to find your TDC indicator on the crank. If it is lined up and the cam marks are lined up then nothing has moved. Other than tie wrapping the chain to the spkt do this before you do anything else.

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Jim