Timing Chain Tight then Loose!

Foolsbry said:

Hey there,

I'm in the process of replacing my timing chain in my 1990 D21, Z24 engine. I've got the new chain on and have started reassembling it. After getting it mostly back together, I gave the engine a turn by hand to make sure that the timing wasn't out, which was fine, but the timing chain which was nice and tight when I installed it quickly went quite loose. I could turn the engine some more and it would tighten back up, then go loose.

It's my understanding that the tensioner needs oil pressure to fully work, so I topped off the oil, unplugged the spark plugs and tried turning it over to get some oil in the system. I turned it until the oil light disappeared on the dash, checked the chain and it was nice and tight again. But then as soon as I turn it by hand it gets quite slack. I can turn it over with the key and its always tight when I check it.

Does turning it by hand no get the oil pressure needed to keep the chain tight? Is this an issue that won't be present when the car is running normally and the oil pressure is kept up?

Thanks for your time,
Garth

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landmannnn said:

No expert on this engine, but yes, you need constant oil pressure to keep a tensioner working.

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