Thanks Bobman! I ended up going with the kit that has all the sprockets and gear, guides, tensioners, chains, should I use threadlocker on the bolts of the timing sprockets, cams, tensioners? Ehats the easiest way to find TDC on this engine I cant see the timing mark on the timing cover too well, thanks

 

Yes, use blue locktite on all the bolts. Make sure you check the Haynes manual because a few of the timing cover bolts them need thread sealer put on them as they thread thru the water jacket.

You can find TDC by putting a piece of stiff wire into the plug hole on #1 cylinder and rotating the engine by hand until the wire stops moving up. I'd suggest putting the main timing gear / chain on first, then temporarily install the harmonic balancer so you can see the timing mark on it. Make a corresponding mark on the block and you have a quick and easy visual reminder of where the TDC is during assembly of the upper chains. It's easy to accidentaly rotate the crank slightly when putting on the camshaft chains.

Bob

 

more progress… slow progress that's! I finally got the cover off after breaking 2 -3 jaw pullers! I made a video of one of the tensioners pass side it can be pushed down with finger it hardly has any tension on it, check it out, drivers side was pretty tight couldn't push up on it. more pics to come as well.

Video of tensioner: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koNilzEAGYE

 

Sounds like the problem is found! Replace both tensioners while you're in there, and make sure you check the lower one as well.

What did you break the 3-jaw pullers on? The harmonic balancer? They make a balancer puller that makes the job REAL easy!

Bob

 

yeah, I got the whole kit w/ gears guides and all tensioners only want to do this once!! big pain in the you know what, I broke the pullers pulling the harmonic balancer off, it was really on there! lol! they were the OEM brand ones autozone rents as a loan-a -tool

 

Ya know.... ya gotta REMOVEthat funny looking bolt in the middle of the balancer FIRST! At least they were someone elses tools!

Just kidding, I wrestled with mine too. Just wait till you put it back on! It'll slip on juuusssttt far enough so that the bolt WON'T reach the threads to draw it down. Some light "persuasion" with a wood block helps....

Bob

 

jim1999..are you back on the road yet? Did you fix the noise?

Bobman....what goes bad in the tensioner? They are spring loaded and use oil to dampen I think. Since my D still makes noise after replacing the whole kit I am wondering if the problem might be that the tensioner is not getting oil?

 

Not yet.. its at a freinds shop which is a ex-dodge dealership, I am going to get him to set the chains, tesnionsers, guides, sprockets and I am going to do the rest. he is only charging me 1 hr labor to do it. the springs get weak I guess over time and wear out.

 

Were you able to get the balancer back on? I had to "modify" the installation tool to get mine back on. I did not have room to swing a hammer as I did not take the rad out. I can take picture of tool if you need to see it.

 

Yes, the springs get soft on them, as well as the outer guide portion wears when the chain rides against it. I don't know if the oil feed is to help with spring pressure, I believe it may be mor for providing adequate oil to the chain itself. That's just a guess though. These oil passages are pretty small, it may very well be a sludge buildup has plugged it up. What did the rest of the motor look like as you wer epulling it down? Lot's of caked up oil / sludge?

The spring itself is pretty stiff, and once the tensioner extends it cant retract because of the latching pawls holding it in place.

Bob