Timing rail tensioner
 

Doing the wonderful job of changing the timing rails, timing tensioner, and finally the chain on my 1987 560 SEL with 107k. But of course I run into a snag....the floating pin that holds in the tensioner rail won't come out. CD says to take an 8 mm bolt or a screwdriver to get it out. No such luck for me! So I'm soliciting, begging, asking for any tips, suggestions, comments, special tools....anything to get this bugger out! Thanks in advance.
Jet

You are using a bolt to turn against a couple of washers thus pulling the pin out as you tighten the bolt, aren't you? Be sure the bolt isn't bottoming out in the pin.

Try Radio Shack for the "chiller" spray in a small can. Used in electronic assembly. Spray the pin and immediately try to pull it out.

Yeah, what you need to do is get several large diameter washers (larger than the pin's "head") and use them between the bolt and head. When you tighten the bolt, it should be holding the washers tight against the head. Tightening the bolt pulls the pin out (it goes into the openings of the washers - thats why their ID has to be large enough to allow them in). I also needed a smaller washer between the bolt's head and the first thick washer so that the head of the bolt didn't go through the large washers.

As the pin comes out, you need to add more washers. You need to do this because there is only so much of the pin that's threaded, and when the bolt bottoms out into it, you need to take it out, add a washer (or two) and retighten it to keep pulling it out. Once you get it out far enough, it might pull out easily with your fingers.

This tensioner rail pin isn't like the other pins, it's not threaded. I've got the extraction tool, which I've used to change out the other pins. This one being a smooth bore pin, is a real pain in the a__. The book calls for you to use an 8mm bolt to pull up and out, then the outer lip will be exposed to grab onto with visegrips or pliers. I can't get it to come out.
Jet

I've had good luck using a tap that fits tightly into the pin (I think I have used a 9mm tap). I screw the tap into the pin until it binds up and the pin rotates in the block. At that point, the tap will be mechanically stuck into the pin and you can pull the pin out by the tap (using vise-grips if needed). Once the pin is out, lightly clamp the pin in a vise and unscrew the tap.

Scott P.

Or, you might be able to use a self-tapping screw. Good luck on this one! Sounds like a real PITA alright! :eek:

I purchased this rail pin puller off ebay from El Paso Tools

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4528077171&category=35625&sspagename=WD1V

When I got it I was a little confused.. as it didn't come with any instructions. But I figured it out.

Basically you screw a stud into the rail pin and arrange the shaft and bolt in a certain manner so that when the bolt is tightened it pulls the pin.

In retrospect several thick washers a nut and a long bolt of the proper size for the railpin would work just as well. And probably be alot cheaper.

James
Are you saying the pin has a hole in it but it is not threaded? Or are you saying that the pin doesn't have a hole at all?

If it has a hole that is not threaded then try to tap the hole, then pull it out with your puller. If it doesn't have a hole at all then you could try drilling a hole in it but I don't think that will work. The pins are very hard. Someone may have put the pin in backwards and the threaded hole is inside the engine.

If all else fails, the front cover will have to come off and that is not fun.

I found the pins to be soft as pig iron. I just drilled one of the other ones on the left head out and threaded it. I managed to strip the 6mm thread because it was frozen in. I drilled much deeper into the pin (~1.5 "), with a #7 drill and tapped the hole slightly larger (1/4" 20). I inseted a threaded rod and with about 18" of stroke on a slide hammer it came out.

Now of course I did this on the bench but I certainly could have done it in the car although I would have used a shorter slide hammer. I'm not sure how accesable the chain tensioner one is in the car.

In fact I just finished pulling this out about 1/2 hour ago.

John Roncallo

Try an EZ-Out. It is used for removing broken bolts and studs and as the pin is already "drilled" it should be an easy fix.

Tim