Timing Chain Help
 

I have a 2000 Durango with a 4.7. Recently it started making a chain slapping sound on the passenger side. I removed the valve cover and seen where the upper chain was loose. I put in a complete new timing chain kit and almost immediatly upon starting it the sound came back and got worse the more I drove it. I pulled it back apart and found the passenger side tensioner the arm that adust up had the tab broke of it. I replaced that tensioner and reassembled it again. When I restarted it the noise was there again at idle and dissapeared when I reved it up. After driving it a short while it is back all the time. I pulled the valve cover again and looked down at the adjuster and the tab is broke off again. It is starting to puzzle me on why it wont go away and keeps breaking the tab. The factory tab was not broken when I orginally took it apart. When I had the valve cover off this last time the chain was not even touching the upper slider arm. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. This is my wife's everyday vehicle. The slapping started without any warning and the vehicle doesnt smoke or need oil between changes and has all kinds of power even with the chain slapping. I dont want trade the vehicle and take a beating with it slapping like this. It does have 182K miles on it but it has a new rack, ball joints, wheelbearing, ujoints so it rides like a new one.
Thanks is advance for any help

sure somebody will come along with more info, but DO NOT drive it till you get it figured out. the chain will skip on the gears and bend valves.

by complete timing chain kit you mean upper and lower chains, all gears, all chain guides(slider arms as you called it) and both tensioners?

Same question.... what exactly did you put in? Also, were they name brand parts or "Ebay specials". IMHO, the only thing to put in here is genuine parts. The reasons the tensioners fail are poor oil control (sludge in the oil feed holes to the tensioners), improper installation (extending them too far during install), and bad parts. What did the old ones look like? Wear patterns on them?

It's important to check ALL of the timing components on it, even if just an upper part failed. Given that the same side failed twice, double check your installation method and the oiling hole passageway for debris. When installing the tensioners you need to compress them completely and pin them, install your chains & tensioners, tighten your sprockets, and then pull the pins / rotate the engine by hand ONLY in the direction of rotation (NOT BACKWARDS)

Also, the 4.7 tends to make a little noise on startup, but normally it goes away after 20-30 seconds. If it doesn't then it can indicate low oil pressure / poor flow. I changed mine over to Mobil 1 synthetic and the noise is substantially reduced.

Bob

Unfortunatly it was a ebay kit due to the cost of factory parts. I did replace everything right down to the gears etc. The parts I took out didnt look to bad actually for 183K miles. The sliders(what I call them) did have some wear to them. About the thickness of a fingernail. When I replaced the tensioner for the second time I double check everything and it all was were it was suppose to be a torqued right. The tensioners were already compressed with the pin holding them in and I didnt pull the pins till last. I ran some of that engine flush through it with no help. I am at a loss thinking the same thing on the oil passage. I plan on pulling it back apart this weekend and cleaning the passage behind the tensioner. Its had the factory and 2 aftermarket tensioner fail on the same side so dont know what else it could be. As for any start up noise up untill this happened it made no sound upon starting. Its been a really good engine and still runs great so I hate to give up on it or hurt it.
Thanks for the advice.

4.7 startup noise...
 

I agree with Bobman, the 4.7 in my 2001 D does make a little noise on startup also, mine has 94,000 on it so I run 10w40 Castrol Gtx or Valvoline high mileage oil most of the year (I tow quite a bit), and it seems to help...kingoftow

do you have a link to the ebay seller so others know not to buy that kit