Timing Chain cover removal (sprint)

[Magenta Auto Sprint]

I looking to remove the timing chain cover soon, just wondered if anyone knew off hand what size the allen key is for the timing chain tensioner, (I like to make sure I have verything before I start)

also any tips for how to break the gasket joint between block and cover without banging a screwdriver in the joint?

Many thanks
Malcolm

[trackerjack]

Please remember that there are screws going from head to cover also sump pan to cover.
There are little ledges that you can lever against but dont be surprised if the sump gasket fractures.
Allen key???
Just a footnote, dont forget to assemble with a 1mm (.040") gap allowing the HYDRAULIC tensioner to work correctly.

[Mad Mart]

Please remember that there are screws going from head to cover also sump pan to cover.
There are little ledges that you can lever against but dont be surprised if the sump gasket fractures.
Allen key???
Just a footnote, dont forget to assemble with a 1mm (.040") gap allowing the SEMI-HYDRAULIC tensioner to work correctly.

[Jon Tilson]

You only get the allen key to release the tensioner on the very early ones, which have a plug on the opposite side of the body.

Be sure if you are doing the tensioner that you get one of the Jag Reynolds ones. There are a few pad detachment disasters that
have had to be sorted due to Rolon ones...as sold by you know who....

Oh and if it is totally hydraulic, your ratchet is broken so replace it...

Jonners

[soe8m]

Semi hydraulic brake system...

wheel.jpg (40.56 KiB) Viewed 3023 times

Jeroen

[Sundowner]

Be sure if you are doing the tensioner that you get one of the Jag Reynolds ones. There are a few pad detachment disasters that
have had to be sorted due to Rolon ones...as sold by you know who....
Jonners

NOW you tell me Jonners.
I recently replaced mine with a kit that contained a "Rolon" tensioner.
"you know who"...do you mean Rimmers? Because I bought this kit from "Robsport".
I searched around for the best price, on both the goods and the shipping combined, and ended up finding that Rolon was the only brand of tensioner available to me.
Obviously I didn't know where to look.
Cheers,
Rob

[Jon Tilson]

Ouch damn sorry about that.

There has been a shedload about this on various forum threads. Robsport to be fair to them mostly do stags and TR7's which use a simplex
chain so they may not have known about this.

I can only sympathise but suggest you try a local jag supplier and do it again for peace of mind.
Shows how it pays to read the forum regularly.

Jonners

[trackerjack]

There is an alternative tensioner from Nissan which fits but has no ratchet facility and I have fitted one to a Sprint engine on the grounds that if its good enough for the makers of a pickup that even "Top Gear" could not break its good enough for a BL product.

I have just gone on Fleabay and MGB duplex timing chain tensioners are now all made by Rolon so look forward to some MGB's enjoying the delights of a trip home on the back of a breakdown truck.

[Jon Tilson]

The chain run on a B series is nothing like as long and I cant see the chain load being as high though thats just dumb
intuition.

On the equivalent Triumph ohv its just done with a bit of sprung steel. I'm sure we'd have heard screams by now if it was an issue
on MGB's.

Jonners

[Sundowner]

Yep.....I have been a member of this forum for a few years now, so I guess I should have kept a closer eye on it.
I've just done some quick looking around and found that the Rolon crowd are based in India. However, their parent company is Reynold. see this.... http://www.renold.in/Products/Transmiss ... /Rolon.asp
I'm probably preaching to the converted, eh?
Anyway, is your advice that I take it all apart again and replace the tensioner? OR just leave it, keep worrying about it and keep my fingers crossed that it stays together.
Where do I start looking for a Reynold tensioner? Everything I've found on Jag sites, DolleBay, etc, has been Rolon.
Cheers,
Rob

[xvivalve]

Unfortunately even the Jag part is getting superseded by the Rolon item. The OE Jag stuff, and you're looking for XJ6, was made in France. I have the Jag part number somewhere...

[trackerjack]

Loks like Rolon are running their own scrappage scheme.
Are they paid by the motor industry?

[Jon Tilson]

I would try very hard to source a Jag OE reynolds one in Oz somewhere. You could also try suppliers in the states where XK engined jags
arent that rare.

In the meantime only use the car sparingly if you have to and keep a weather ear out for the slightest timing chain rattle. Most seem to fail pretty soon after a rebuild, which I guess is what one would expect from a duff batch of tensioner slippers.

Looks like T-J's nissan idea is the way of the future.

Jonners

[MIG Wielder]

The chain run on a B series is nothing like as long and I cant see the chain load being as high though thats just dumb
intuition.

On the equivalent Triumph ohv its just done with a bit of sprung steel. I'm sure we'd have heard screams by now if it was an issue
on MGB's.

Jonners

Hi Jon, I can't remember if I showed you my MGB tensioner where the rubber slipper also parted company from the hydraulic assembly. It had lasted only 10,000 miles from a major engine overhaul and I thought something like that had happened due to the funny noises from the front end. It doesn't seem to be a common problem on the MGB but mine is a daily driver so others may take 10 years or more to get to the same state. And this one is the later 18V series engine with the cheapened simplex chain. And it came from the top reputable supplier near to you.
Tony.

[Sundowner]

Since I installed a Rolon tensioner recently, and with all these gloomy posts about its future, when I did an oil change yesterday, I decided to cut the old filter in half to see if I could find any pieces of chewed up rubber. I was slightly relieved when I found none.
Is this the Nissan tensioner? If so its part number is 13070-21002
Cheers,
Rob