Timing Chain Tension

While taking out my solid lash adjusters and putting back all of my followers I mistakenly turned the crank while my wedge took was in place on the left bank. The wedge tool I have never really fit all that snug, so the crank moved fairly easily. I never noticed slack in the chain at certain crank positions prior to all of this, but then again I was never looking for it either. When the crank is at TDC, the tensioner compresses and there is a lot of slack in the part of the chain that sits on the lower guides. I turn the crank and it tightens up as the tensioner comes back out.

Is this normal, or did I fuck something up by turning the crank with wedge tool in place? The right side does not have nearly as much slack at any position while clocking the crank. Does oil pressure take care of this under load and I am just over thinking this, or should I replace chains/tensioner?

I'm having a hard time visualizing. You had the cam out? Chain off the cam sprocket? Wedge tool in but it was loose. And then you turned the crank? The chain moved. Did it have enough slack to skip a tooth on the crank sprocket? Do you have the chain and cam sprocket marked?

Either way, I don't think you should be able to spin the crank with the tool in, IDK because one, I've never used the tool, and two I never tried to turn the crank with it the chain wedged. I use a piece of hose folded over as a chain wedge.

Oil pressure is what actuates the tensioner. Being that you turned the crank with the wedge in there it can't hurt to pull the cover and take a look at everything and double check the timing. There are cautions in a couple of manuals I have warning against turning the engine backwards and possibly jumping a tooth on the chain due to not having tension on the chains.


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The cover is off the motor , motor is out of the car, that is how I know there is slack in chain on lower guide at TDC. It did not skip a tooth and Cams were in. I put the wedge in to just size it up , walked away from it for a bit , forgetting that I put the wedge in, I turned the crank and then realized it was in. The wedge I bought from Macman45 on here, he makes them on a 3D Printer, the fit is not perfect, should of just used a hose as mentioned. In any event , by prying the wedge out, I was able to get it out, then notice the slack, wondered if I stretched chain, which I don't think happened, or bent something... bottom line is it common to have slack in the chain on the lower guide in certain crank positions?

Ah I understand now. I just had my motor out too and I do t remember having slack on the chain. When I set up the timing there was just enough room to install the tensioner and then when I pulled the plunger retaining plate it didn't pop out that far. I picked up new chains, tensioners, and plastic guides from freedom racing fairly cheap. There's also a L and R tensioner make sure those are where they belong.


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At certain cam/crank positions, there will be slack in the timing chain. I doubt it's really anything to worry about, but I would double check everything to be sure.

BMR Tech 2 said:

At certain cam/crank positions, there will be slack in the timing chain. I doubt it's really anything to worry about, but I would double check everything to be sure.

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Thanks , I will double check timing just in case, but that is what I was looking for ..

Yeah if you stretched the chain by turning it back slightly. Imagine how it would handle 6k rpms.
Without oil pressure being applied there's going to be a bit of slack

If you prime the motor before you put it in you have nothing to worry about. Those tentioners pump up.

I just bought all the shit to prime it with the sprayer method ... thanks for all the replies ...