Secondary chain is broke Uh Oh

[sevend]

How can I replace it without tearing the whole thing apart. See Picture

 

[chris2523]

well, assuming you didn't have any valve damage..
i'm trying to remember. it's been a bit since i've had one apart.

replace that tensioner first.
and the other one too. do them both.

rotate the engine to cylinder 1 top dead center.

align the flats on the camshafts.
(pretty sure this is the motor with the flats on the cam.)

the new chain will have a master link unconnected, so you will be able to loop the new chain around the gears.

double check that the cams are in time with the flats, compare to the un-jumped other side if necessary.

set the chain, lock the master link, and then rotate the engine several times to make sure there is no interference of any kind.

then you can try to start it.

but, i highly suspect valve damage. good luck.

 

[1LoudLS]

i highly suspect valve damage. good luck.

ditto.

 

[RigsLS]

The thing with the secondary tensioners and chain is to replaced them well before this happens. You're so much further in now, unfortunately.

Out of time and likelihood of valve damage as already mentioned.

GLWR

 

[joegr]

The thing with the secondary tensioners and chain is to replaced them well before this happens. You're so much further in now, unfortunately.

Out of time and likelihood of valve damage as already mentioned.

GLWR

Interestingly...
http://www.lincolnvscadillac.com/forum/showthread.php?81589-Worth-5500&p=911336#post911336
"A 2000 LS V8. 135000 miles, all service records, recent as in last 2000 miles timing chain work, trans flush and oil change."

 

[RigsLS]

LOL, further down in that thread,

This is a facepalm moment. I am actually speechless. All that money he spent on the rims and jacking the car up to make them fit, he could have built a bulletproof all motor demon. It takes all kinds I guess. OP I'd talk him down to 4500. If it drive good, great, but 5500 is a lil steep. At least the timing chains are done. That's one less headache.

^ ain't that IRONIC

of course the OP could have ended up buying a different LS all together but if he did buy the one in that post, then I'd have to question the so called timing chain work. Sure it would have been done on that car before he got his hands on it by the PO but it wasn't done at all, a made up story to sell quickly or wasn't done right.

that busted tensioner doesn't look all that new to me.

Anyhow ... not fun and I feel his pain, I'm on the board for secondary and chain also but mine aren't torn up thankfully. (not even being driven)

 

[1LoudLS]

of course the OP could have ended up buying a different LS all together

not unless that turd also broke down and he had to buy another one...

Got it for 4200 included tax and title registration after I took it to my uncle who works at a Lincoln dealer and got a clean bill of health.

only three years on a fixed chain? either wasn't done or wasn't done right (I'm leaning toward not done, if it was done wrong, I'd expect to see a failure much sooner...)
unless that ass hat that did the repair ONLY did the other side!




OP: so did you have any signs or sounds that it was about to fail that were just put off, or was all good until it finally decided to break?

 

[sevend]

OP: so did you have any signs or sounds that it was about to fail that were just put off, or was all good until it finally decided to break?

Well Ibdug into the history of dealership repairs and the date the tensioner was fixed was in 01 so the guy I got it from was BS . I noticed it was knocking on my way to work aand drove it there and back was 50 miles to work and back. Got home code tested it dais lean on driver.side did a fuel pressure test and changed the pump and coil packs and plugs. Started it up and knock was still there called the garage down the street he said drive it in and when I started it to leave there was a loud pop and the car killed. After I got it pulled apart I noticed the tensioner metal part was lodged in the chain and when I yanked it out the chain snapped

 

[Jack Flash]

I'm curious to know if there is a certain milage to the car that suddenly causes the CCT's to fail ? Or, is just random, or perhaps even a certain pre set number of elements ? I understand oïl quality and frequency of oïl changes will influence the durability of the tensioners, but definitely not enough to overlook them.

I'm asking since I need to get this job done, and understand it's urgency, but time is my killer here. Between work, and my kids soccer and karate activities, and everything else life throws at you, I need to know how many bullets am I playing Russian Roulette with.

Thanks !

 

[RigsLS]

It's time, deterioration and stress on a weak item. They split in the middle.
If driven while there's already some chain slap, it should be done so lightly and limited.
It's not the best ... as long as the engine is not over torqued.
If the chain slop is already excessive, it should not be driven further, with luck that it didn't already skip timing by jumping on the exhaust cam, or mangled up like posted above.

 

[Jack Flash]

Thanks Rig. But I see I wasn't exactly clear. My car is fine, and shows no symptoms....so far. As I said, just curious to know if this was something at a certain mileage became a very serious problem. I will do the job before symptoms begin to show, if they are noticeable at all. This I doubt, since CCT failure is usually without warning, and it's just suddenly there....and too late.