well im following the instructions on how to change the tentioner for the lsj, but i have the lnf, here is the issue i ran into, the lnf chain sprokets dont have the holes in them like the lsj ones so i cant zip tie the chain so it doesnt move when i remove tentioner. now what

 

You can manually roll the engine over until the arrow for the intake cam is at 3 - 4 o'clock and the arrow on the exhaust cam is at about 10 o'clock. Then the camshafts should be pretty much relaxed and there's much less of a chance of the chain jumping.

Also what you can do to make sure the chain stays put is to clean the gears and the chain with brake cleaner. Then get a white-out pen and make matching marks on the sprocket and chain. If they don't line up when you're done then you know it jumped a tooth.

I don't suggest you turn the motor over by hand with the tensioner removed btw. I'd reinstall your old tensioner before doing that.

 

Is there any way to wrap a couple of chained-together ty-raps around the chain, underneath both timing gears, in a loop? It doesn't look like there's a lot of room under the gears, but I can't tell from the pic. Forgive my art, but like the bottom drawing.

 

nope that wouldnt work

 

Dammit. The issue is that if you get too much slack down at the crank pulley, the chain will sag down off the teeth, then when you put the new tensioner on and it tensions the chain, it might come back the the pulley one tooth off.

Now I see why this a $600 job. Looks like you have to remove the timing cover just to make sure it doesn't skip a tooth down at the crank pulley.

 

ya i know. guess ill figure something out

 

Sounds like you just have to gamble it. Once you get the new tensioner in, roll it over 4 times and pray. If it's off a tooth, then you have to remove the timing cover.

 

how do u move it manually? i moved the exhaust cam with a socket on the gear a bit and the chain tightened up. i need a how to on this motor, im scared lol

 

i could always slowly unscrew the tentioner and as i do that pull up on the chain and put something under it to keep it tight, just make sure i mark the top pully so i put it back right, as id tighten the tentioner i can slowly let it loose again. would that work

 

urg i think ill put it back together and take let a diff dealer look at it. iv been listening to videos of bad tentioners, dont thing thats what it is, may be something else ticking.

 

The only way I know how to turn the motor over the the crank pulley bolt. Take out the spark plugs first, though. I've never done this job, though, so I can't be a lot of help. I'm learning from you. Text cmiller. I bet he knows the happs.

 

I doubt the marks on the chain will ever line up again. You just have to stab it right the first time and make sure to keep your slack between the camshafts using a 24mm wrench on the exhaust cam when you install the tensioner.

 

You mean to keep clockwise tension on the exhaust cam with the 24mm pulley-bolt, while removing the old tensioner and installing the new?

 

so i looked in the service manual for the lnf on how to change this thing, and it doesnt say u have to secure the chain, it just tells u to take valve cover off so u can spring the tensioner when u have it installed, other than that, its just screwing out old and screwing in how after u have set it. but i was thinking about it, and if u leave the spark plugs in, there is no way the gears are moving, so not really any fear in that happening, so just mark the chain to make sure it stays in the same place on the gear and should be good to go. im gonna try it

 

well i bought a 2.2 ecotech motor to learn how to take em apart and put em back together. its from an 09, very simular to 2.0 lnf. so of course first thing i try is chain tensioner, so i put the motor tdc like was suggested, with dowl in cylinder 1 also checked valve springs to make sure non of them were compressed, took out tensioner, chain didnt move at all set it put it back in, wrapped electrical tape around dowl and pushed on chain, sprung tensioner, made sure by taking it out, it was indeed, did it again, easy as pie, and seeing how tight the chain was on this motor, ya my tensioner is deff bad cause there was like no play on the chain in the 2.2 so there u have it, no need to ziptie anything, just make sure valve springs are not compressed and there ya go.