Sorry about this, but I just have to ask

[sblake01]

We talked about this in another thread a couple of years ago. These pictures show how to wedge the chain to prevent having to remove the front cover. I doubt if you can still get the wedge from Nissan but I made the one I use from a piece of wood years ago.

[sblake01]

This next one shows how the wedge works but you wouldn't actually see this since the purpose of the wedge is to prevent having to remove the cover

[Hrududu]

I'm not trying to be a pain here but if you don't know what TDC means then you have no buisness working on an engine.

$.02

GO READ YOUR MANUAL

Not to be a pain here, but I did read the manual I have and It isn't very clear on these things. No, I probably don't have any business working on an engine. The only reason I am is becuase It had to be done and I don't have enough money to pay anyone to do it for me. TDC is not an acronym I know, so I'm sorry about that. Just because someone doesn't know what "ROTFLAMO, IMHO, TTYL, or TRDMC" doesn't mean they shouldn't talk online. Had it been typed as "top dead center" i would have known what was meant. I'm only 18 and have never worked on engines or cars until I got this 280Z a year ago, so I don't know much of anything when it comes to mechanical stuff.

[Ed]

Hey we all started out without a clue. This is how you learn, by doing it yourself and saving a few bucks. Which manual do you have? And tell us more about the engine. Is the front cover off, is the block still in the car, how did you keep your chain tight?

[Hrududu]

The only one I have is the 240-280Z Haynes manual. Its nice book i guess, assuming you have the engine out of the car and are doing a complete teardown, but they don't tell you anything about just changing a head gasket. By looking at the pictures SBlake01 posted, I did spring the tensioner, so it looks like I'm going to be removing the front of the engine here soon. Everything is still in the car.

[Hrududu]

Well, after going out and taking a look, Maybe I got lucky and it didn't spring. Here is a picture. Yes, im sorry to say that's a coat hanger.

[MikeW]

Well, after going out and taking a look, Maybe I got lucky and it didn't spring. Here is a picture. Yes, im sorry to say that's a coat hanger.

Just keeping the chain from falling down isn't good enough. Unless you wedged something down between the chain links you're out of luck. When I was 18 and tried the same thing you're doing I did wedge a block in there but I must not have gotten it tight enough. The tensioner popped out a little bit because I then couldn't get the cam sprocket back on the camshaft without a bit of force. A few days later while driving the tensioner broke, the chain slipped, and all of my exhaust valves got bent.

[Hrududu]

Okay, so it doesn't pop over all the way then. Well, looks like I've got some work to do. thanks.

[Pir0San]

to double check to see if the tensioner popped out, pull the oil pump and look up at the tensioner, and if it's out of it's base, then you've got about another hour of work ahead of you.

By the way, I'm 19 myself. I started working on my Z when she was first given to me, and the first major project I had to do was swapping out the engine crossmember from when my dad borrowed my Z and drove it into a curb while he was drunk. Mind you, at that time, I had no idea about engines and cars, but I'm damned good with my hands, so I figured out what I needed to do as time went on. I did my first engine teardown after I discovered that my engine was leaking water ever so slightly into the 4th cylinder, and I changed the head gasket. That's when my tensioner popped, and my father, my friends dad, and I were all trying to get the chain back onto the motor. We then decided to pull the front cover, and that's where I figured out what I needed to do to fix everything. It took me about 2 weeks to do a head gasket swap, because I had to learn as I went along. Needless to say, the motor froze three days after I got everything buttoned up, due to water leaking into the cylinder and getting into the oil. I had no idea what it was, but I tore the motor down a couple months after the incident, and it ended up being a spun crankshaft bearing. I've torn my head off of my car about seven times, and I've gotten to the point where I could change a head gasket in less than a day.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't feel attacked, we all make mistakes. I started out working on my Z motor at 18, and a year later, I feel like I'm almost an expert on Z engines now.

Ask questions, and further your knowledge. At least if you do it, you get the satisfaction of knowing it's your hard work that caused the car to run again!

[sblake01]

Chris, I hope you don't think I was 'attacking' you in my earlier post. None of us are experts here, at least I don't consider myself one but we've gained quite a bit of knowledge over the years. That's what we're here for, don't be afraid to ask questions, even if they've been asked before. I might ocaisionally come off as harsh with an answer to a question but I guess it's because I figure if I know the answer then it can't be that complicated because I'm no mechanic by any means. Bud I did have to learn somewhere and I guess I sometimes forget how that is since it's been so many years since I started dealing with cars. Hang in there, the car will run again, and you'll be better off for the knowledge you gain by doing it yourself.

[Hrududu]

So It looks like I have sprung the tensioner. Do I reset it by removing the front of the engine or can I go in from the oil pan. Is one easier than the other?

[MikeW]

So It looks like I have sprung the tensioner. Do I reset it by removing the front of the engine or can I go in from the oil pan. Is one easier than the other?

You have to remove the front cover. I don't think you'd be able to get to it through the oil pan any easier than you could get to it from the top.