Yeah, that sounds like the beginnings of the rattle. Just shim up the
tensioner and check it periodically. You're about halfway through the normal
life of the chains - the factory said about 60K miles.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> [mailto:owner-datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Andrew Taylor
> Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2003 11:54 AM
> To: datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net
> Subject: The ever popular U20 upper timing chain
>
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> I'm looking for opinions on how much action needs to be taken with my
> 2000's upper chain. The prior owner had the whole thing rebuilt about
> 25-30,000 miles ago, and I know that all the chains/guides/tensioners
> were replaced because I have the old ones sitting in a box that he gave
> me. Just for fun, I pulled off the valve cover today and looked at the
> "L", the tensioners, etc. Here's what I've found:
>
> The "L" has just the slightest amount of notching in it, only on the
> bottom edge, and it's really more of a mark than a cut. The depth is
> less than 1mm into the metal, possibly less than 0.5mm. The extra bolt
> holding the chain guide in place in the front was in place, and
> everything seems tight.
>
> The timing chain, when I unload the driver's side of the chain (put the
> car in second gear, pushed it back as hard as I could and set the
> parking brake), can definitely reach the "L" with just a little push on
> it.
>
> So here's the thing. I've never heard the infamous "death rattle" on a
> sick Roadster, so I don't know how loud/odd it really is. Yes, my car
> sometimes rattles a bit at idle (very quietly), but it's hard to
> localize over the fan noise and could easily be something in the engine
> compartment, like the fan, etc. This rattle is no louder than the
> little buzzes/rattles, etc. that normal modern cars have when you stick
> your head in their engine compartments, so I can't say definitively that
> this is chain rattle. For those of you who know, how loud is loud? How
> loud/weird is a dangerous rattle, and what's a normal, thirty year old
> car rattle?
>
> Also, could the scuffing on the "L" be due to starting the car after
> changing the oil, when the new filter is empty? I've heard some
> rattling when I start the car after an oil change, which goes away
> within a few seconds of the restart. I have a good fitting oil filter
> anti-drain tube in place, and the car is running 20W50 Castrol. Oil
> pressure is low when warm at idle, pops right up to normal when the
> RPM's come up.
>
> I'm (still) a student, so I ABSOLUTELY cannot afford to redo the upper
> chains, guides, tensioners, etc. at the moment. So my question is, is
> this a critical problem that needs to be addressed before the car goes
> another 1,000 miles, or does this sound pretty normal and not like the
> dangerous rattle and metal cutting that we read so much about in all the
> 2000 literature and websites? If so, is there anything I can do to stem
> the tide until a full redo?
>
> Thanks a lot,
> Andrew Taylor
>
> 1970 2000 SRL311-13183
> Philadelphia, PA
/// datsun-roadsters@autox.team.net mailing list
/// Archives at http://www.team.net/archive
|