My first post and it's a doozy

[5thtimesthecharm]

All good man.
Oh yea the WP was perfectly fine too.
Yea just couldn't believe it, still leaves me stumped as to what's going on with it. But good to know it isn't that.
Issue now is putting it back together right. And an oil change because a lot of coolant ended up in the oil pan.
I was cleaning with air compressor and not paying attention. My buddy started talking to me and I ended up blowing air straight into the coolant galleys. It shot out the little holes below, and not only soaked the rag I had underneath but snuck right passed it as well. Good thing I was planning on an oil change anyways.

I also had a full timing gasket kit set. I'm not sure what a lot of them are for, unless the set covers multiple models.
But on mine the only ones I had to use were for the WP and timing cover, and main seal plus rtv of course.

Also while taking everything off noticed that the intake gasket is a cork gasket, and it was fairly easy to pull apart. It seemed to be saturated at the front so that may be why. It could be crappy gaskets causing a small vac leak. So im thinking intake and valve cover gaskets once it's all back together and running again.

 

[Aspen500]

You should always change oil after doing a timing cover, intake, etc. anyways. No matter how careful a person is, coolant could get in the oil.

The cork end gaskets on the intake won't cause a vacuum leak, only an oil leak. If you ever change the intake, don't use the end gaskets. Instead, use a bead of good quality RTV. Let it cure for 24 hours before starting the engine to give it time to cure. Properly done, it will never leak or seep like the cork gaskets always do.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Well unfortunately early morning for me, gotta work.
So I got the cover and WP on then had to call it a day. Not gonna lie, I may have to go back and check all the bolts. I feel I put at least one in the wrong spot.

Really? I knew the valve covers wouldn't but I figured the front/rear Intake gaskets could. Either way good to know, I'll remember that. Lots of rtv in this garage lol

Upside the way I see it....assuming the timing cover and WP is all good once it's all back together, I've taken care that huge potential issue.
Then the intake/valve cover gaskets.
All ignition stuff checks out.
Once thats done, that leaves the carb as the only thing that could still be causing all the weirdness.

 

[Aspen500]

Intake side gaskets can leak on the bottom and leak vacuum. It will also include excessive oil burning since oil will get sucked into the intake ports. Unfortunately the only way to really check is to take it apart. If it is leaking, the gasket will be oily, and there will probably be oil in the ports.

 

[Mikes5thAve]

I seem to remember the last timing gasket kits I got the cover gasket and maybe water pump one too were crappy thin paper ones and I ended up buying the better ones from the dealer for a couple bucks.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Intake side gaskets can leak on the bottom and leak vacuum. It will also include excessive oil burning since oil will get sucked into the intake ports. Unfortunately the only way to really check is to take it apart. If it is leaking, the gasket will be oily, and there will probably be oil in the ports.

The front cork gasket is oil saturated, but that could be from anything, the whole front of the motor, timing cover and around it was covered in oil/dirt. Most of it still is lol

Well, they have been ordered so we will find out in a week or so if rockauto treats me nice

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

I seem to remember the last timing gasket kits I got the cover gasket and maybe water pump one too were crappy thin paper ones and I ended up buying the better ones from the dealer for a couple bucks.

They were thin, but not paper. I would say 2mm.
I used rtv copper on both sides of the cover gasket, and coolant resistant permatex on both sides of the WP gasket. Crossing my fingers

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Forgot to post these. These are the plugs that have been in the car since the first month I owned it. The ones that went through all the testing and diagnosis.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

So timing chain and gaskets are mostly done.
Took awhile because the first gasket set did not have all the right gaskets, and I screwed up. Didn't know what the little cork tabs were for. Had to tear it all back off and restart basically. And I had to go back and get a new proper gasket set.

It is all back together except belts and fan/clutch.

Question though, how are you supposed to torque the dampener down when it just turns the motor? I don't see any way to lock it in place.

Also I have not done the oil change yet, I will before first run.
But my plan is basically to drain, then dump a whole fresh 1L bottle in and let it drain straight to the drain pan.
Would this be enough to clear out whatever coolant got in?
Should I dump more than 1L down, or should I just drop the pan and clean it out?
I would rather not drop the pan of course but I'll do what I have to.

 

[Sub03]

I made my own tool for holding the dampener while tightening the bolt.
I found a piece of flat iron, drilled two holes and grinded a half moon shape of it to clear the center of the dampener.
Then I attached it to the dampener using two of the original bolts and laid a piece of wood between the end of it and the crossmember.

I don't have a picture of it, but hopefully you see what I mean in the sketch below.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

I made my own tool for holding the dampener while tightening the bolt.
I found a piece of flat iron, drilled two holes and grinded a half moon shape of it to clear the center of the dampener.
Then I attached it to the dampener using two of the original bolts and laid a piece of wood between the end of it and the crossmember.

I don't have a picture of it, but hopefully you see what I mean in the sketch below.



View attachment 53872

Nice thinking, I'll see if I can mock up something similar in the coming days

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Ok so, good news bad news.
Got everything back together, except the fan/clutch and belts. I also did NOT put any coolant in, so I couldn't run it for long.
I don't know what I did wrong.

I really wish we could upload videos, but anyways. The chain is loud as heck and very audibly contacting something.

I will run through the process.
Left the old chain on, cranked it over until the dots on the sprockets lines up at 12-6.
Took the old stuff off, put the new stuff on all lined up, after it had soaked in oil for a few hours. Chain was tight.

With it all apart, and all surfaces cleaned. New front seal already in. I applied a thin layer of rtv copper to the cover, then applied the gasket, then another thin layer to the other side of the gasket.
Applied it to the block.
Then put the bottom bolts that come through the oil pan, and tightened them up going back and fourth until all other bolt holes lines up evenly.

Then started putting the cover bolts in, hand tightening or socket wrench until they were snug. Then torqued to 30ft pounds.
Then same deal with the WP, rtv copper-gasket-rtv copper.
Applied it to the cover, put bolts in, torqued to 35ft pounds
Put fuel pump in, torqued to 30ft pounds.

Then all the other little things, brackets and whatnot. Retorquing stuff as necessary.

It's a very constant 'tingtingtingting" and does NOT go away if you give it some throttle. I will try to upload a video somewhere and link it here.

The only things I can come up with is either a bolt is in the wrong spot and for some reason the chain is contacting it.
Or there is an issue with the cover itself, maybe it got warped somehow during all this. But even so I don't think the chain is even near close enough to the cover itself to contact it, is it?

I did check the timing, and once the car settled off of high idle the mark came down enough to see, it was holding a steady mark at idle. Adjusting the distributor it would still hold a steady mark wherever I set it. And outside of the tinging, it sounded relatively normal.

Also I do not see anything leaking, and no sign of coolant(leftover from the block) in the new oil.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Hopefully this link works, and please excuse the language. I'm just uploading the same video I sent my buddies.

 

[69-]

Perhaps its the lever of the fuel pump touching the chain?

A friend had to grind some space for the.chain into the lever.

I'd say if its that, another oil change is due. Take the fuel pump out and check the lever.

 

[AMC Diplomat]

Yeah my guess would be the fuel pump eccentric or the pump arm itself slapping around

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Unfortunately working today, I'll get at checking that stuff tomorrow after a funeral.
To add to the above post though, I did line up the eccentric and torque the bolt to spec from my Haynes manual, with a dab of blue locktite.
Hopefully not that, I really don't wanna have to pull it all apart again. But it is what it is.

I already have the WP and fuel pump off, didn't think to look at the fuel pump arm though.

 

[Aspen500]

Just a question. Are you sure the crank oil slinger is on the right direction? If it's backwards, it'll hit the chain.

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Just a question. Are you sure the crank oil slinger is on the right direction? If it's backwards, it'll hit the chain.

It wasn't equipped with one...just two parts, eccentric and bolt

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Pump arm out, no signs of impact or damage on the arm

 

[5thtimesthecharm]

Unfortunately I can't get any worthwhile pictures with my snake camera.
Off it comes again I guess