Sprint timing chain / tensioner help please

[Matt Cotton]

Hi Bish. I ordered my kit from Robsport and it arrived within 2 days - really excellent service, so I'm sure you will be up and running for the weekend.

Good tip on the breaker bar location - I'll bank that one!

I hope the refit goes well also.

Best wishes

MC

[Bish]

It certainly looks like the chain has stretched...quite a bit. If you look at the tensioner it looks like there is about 5-6mm. gap (maybe more). Initially it would have only been about 1-2mm.

Thanks for the input Mart. I didn’t measure the gap but it was around that I guess. I laid the old chain out next to the new on the bench. It’s visibly a few mm longer!

[Bish]

Hi Bish. I ordered my kit from Robsport and it arrived within 2 days - really excellent service, so I'm sure you will be up and running for the weekend.

Good tip on the breaker bar location - I'll bank that one!

I hope the refit goes well also.

Best wishes

MC

Thanks Matt. It will all be back together in a jiffy I’m sure.

[Bish]

I bought guides and gaskets from Robsport and I was pleased enough with the quality to use the new guides. I will save the used guides and tensioner - you never know. Plus I don’t throw anything away that I remove from my old cars these days. Made that mistake in the past. All sprockets are in great condition, and there’s no undue play in the jackshaft etc.

Anyway, it all went back together easily enough. The biggest issue i have working on the front end of this engine is the %@£&=+@ fan unit. Unfortuanetly don’t have the hands of a 6 year old child to be able to get in the gap between mount and fan, so those bolts make me curse a little!

It’s a simple enough job though. I saw on a forum post that it’s a four hour job? Thats good going! Took me more like eight. But I was plodding and enjoying the tinkering!



I’m content with the valve clearances for now. Coolant in and start up today so fingers crossed for a quieter engine. Even if it’s still a bit noisy, at least I have the piece of mind of a new chain and tensioner. Thanks to all for the advice.

[mahony]

I bought guides and gaskets from Robsport and I was pleased enough with the quality to use the new guides. I will save the used guides and tensioner - you never know. Plus I don’t throw anything away that I remove from my old cars these days. Made that mistake in the past. All sprockets are in great condition, and there’s no undue play in the jackshaft etc.

Anyway, it all went back together easily enough. The biggest issue i have working on the front end of this engine is the %@£&=+@ fan unit. Unfortuanetly don’t have the hands of a 6 year old child to be able to get in the gap between mount and fan, so those bolts make me curse a little!

It’s a simple enough job though. I saw on a forum post that it’s a four hour job, that’s good going! Took me more like eight. But I was plodding and enjoying the tinkering!



I’m content with the valve clearances for now. Coolant in and start up today so fingers crossed for a quieter engine. Even if it’s still a bit noisy, at least I have the piece of mind of a new chain and tensioner. Thanks to all for the advice.

Well done, let us know how you get on with start up ( and hopefully reduced noise )

[xvivalve]

You did remove the red plastic spacer...didn't you?

[Bish]

You did remove the red plastic spacer...didn't you?

LOL, yes of course! I’m pleased to report that with the spacer removed a quick squeeze down of the slipper / plunger and the ratchet did its thing.

Coolant flushed and renewed, fresh oil and filter, and a quick session with the timing light / colourtune & a length of pipe, and we will call that serviced and tuned.

I’m really pleased with the results of my efforts. It’s so much quieter in the engine bay now! Just a slight clacking from the tappets which is fine. The real metallic noise has gone! Plus I have piece of mind with a new chain etc

Thanks again to all.

[Matt Cotton]

Following on from Bish' success, I've made a start this week on the timing chain on SWU.
I'm now ready to start replacing the components but it is clear that the chain really has stretched.. The tensioner is fully extended!



One concern I do have is with the timing cover bolts. Two are missing and although I've labelled the bolts in accordance to their location.. I'm not convinced they were fitted in the correct place to begin with!
Does anyone have any record of the correct length of bolt for appropriate location on the cover?

Hopefully a nice quiet engine will result. The valve clearances all checked out ok.
Many thanks.
Matt.

[xvivalve]

Your curved guide might adjust to take up some of that slack?

There are 7 HB0817, 2 HB0815and one HB0820 which are all 5/16" UNF hexagonal bolts and are 2 1/8, 1 7/8 and 2 1/2 inch long respectively

[Bish]

Following on from Bish' success, I've made a start this week on the timing chain on SWU.
I'm now ready to start replacing the components but it is clear that the chain really has stretched.. The tensioner is fully extended!



One concern I do have is with the timing cover bolts. Two are missing and although I've labelled the bolts in accordance to their location.. I'm not convinced they were fitted in the correct place to begin with!
Does anyone have any record of the correct length of bolt for appropriate location on the cover?

Hopefully a nice quiet engine will result. The valve clearances all checked out ok.
Many thanks.
Matt.

Good work Matt.

Having just recently done this, I wish I could tell you the answer to your question, but I can’t! My memory is truly shocking these days!

Alun has got you sorted with the bolt lengths, Only thing I can add is that it’s pretty obvious where all the different length bolts go when you look at what’s in front of you.

Good luck. You’ll have that smashed in no time.

[Matt Cotton]

Thanks for the prompt reply and help there gents.

A good point Alun. Perhaps I will see if I can adjust first and reset the tensioner..it doesn't look particularly worn on initial inspection in situ - potentially it has just not been set up correctly.

It is a 'Renold' tensioner - would this have been fitted originally? I presume more reliable than the Rolon ones which we know about. I have obtained a replacement from Robsport, who do state their replacement is better than the Rolon (this was before I read your recent post Alun with recent investigations), however I may be better retaining the original if it checks out ok.

While I've got your attention Alun, I've been meaning to ask you a question:

The engine is not the original. I have been tracing previous owners, and a nice chap in Yorkshire who rescued the car from a barn and recommissioned many years ago obtained a replacement engine as the original suffered from "piston slap"?. Anyway, he told me the engine came from a chap in the midlands who had rebuilt the engine to fit into his own Sprint, however very sadly had to give up driving due to a serious accident - any idea who this may have been?

MC

[Matt Cotton]

All now complete. Thanks for the help with this little project gents.

Some great tips here. The 'flip' on the starter for loosening the crank bolt was particularly useful! Tightening it up with the automatic car wasn't so easy, I used the rope down the spark plug hole trick - worked well although not something I was too keen on doing.

The only thing I wish I had done before putting it back together fully was static timing using a test lamp. I didn't have the rotor arm quite in the correct position, so I had to lift and shift the distributor slightly in order to get correct ignition timing.

Quite an enjoyable task though and a good opportunity to clean up some bits before refitting. I also fitted a new radiator and cleaned up some of the surrounding bodywork while it was all out.

That middle bolt on the viscous fan assembly caused some frustration! It was missing when I removed it, now I know why!

MC

[Bish]

Good work Matt.

You have my sympathy when it comes to those viscous coupling bolts. The patience of a saint and hands of a small child are required…….