Timing chain and tensioner for 1.5D

[Mikexx]

Surely if the timing chain etc. Is that f***** it is time to give the engine a real going over or possibly look for a better engine.

 

Maybe, but the engine otherwise starts easily and when turning by hand seems to have equal compressionin the 4 cylinders.

 

While I might like a spare engine, it's not necessarily obvious one's going to be any better.

[bizzard]

Surely if the timing chain etc. Is that f***** it is time to give the engine a real going over or possibly look for a better engine.

Timing chains and tensioners on older engines frequently wore out, especially the tensioners, long before any significant wear occured with the rest of the engine, sometimes due to a blocked lubrication tube that sprays oil onto the chain and gear.

[Mikexx]

I placed the parts over the old timing sprockets and they lined up well. Obviously this is by eye but with shining a torch down the woodruff key and making sure this reference was in line. Of course that could mean the wrong kit was fitted last time!

 

I think the old chain was stretched given the position of the tensioner, but perhaps a better indication of age was the broken spring within the tensioner. The old sprockets looked in good condition and perhaps I could have re-used these.

 

One small snag. The MGB timing chain has 52 links, the old one I have is 54 links.

 

The ASAP website:

http://www.asap-supplies.com/timing-chain-bmc-1500-thornycroft-90

shows a photo of a 52 kink chain just to confound the issue.

 

Is mine specifically different? Or are all 1.5s 54 link timing chains?

[Mikexx]

I thought I would wrap this topic up and for future reference.

 

I got a 54 link chain from:

www.partsland.co.uk

 

as ASAP didn't have stock.

 

Partsland were able to confirm this was the correct chain going by the engine number.

 

The other issue was the timing cover gasket. The MGB / 1.8 petrol gasket supplied in the kit is different, so I cut mine out of a cereal packet and used hole punches for the bolt holes. I used sealant for good measure.

 

The tensioner with the kit fitted fine, though I recommend looking at this video before fitting it:

naturally the one I got was the last one in the video!