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Some SE-R owners have had an issue with a metallic rattling noise at idle when the motor is hot. Usually, this rattle is attributed to two things: either the timing chain tensioner, or the upper timing chain guide.
This write-up is catered to showing you how to remove the upper timing chain guide in case this noise comes up.
To begin, start removing the valve cover bolts. Also remove the bracket that holds the cruise control cable and the crankcase ventilator.
This is the timing chain guide. Over time, the timing chain starts hitting this guide, therefore causing the rattle at idle.
Start removing the two bolts that hold the timing chain guide.
Remove the timing chain guide.
Make sure this is what you take out.
No more timing chain guide!
After having removed the timing chain guide, I noticed that there were deep grooves that were made on the underside of the guide. This most likely happened due to the timing chain hitting the guide for a long, long time.
Now that the timing chain guide has been removed, start closing up the motor. Make sure you don’t have any extra bolts sitting around! Also remember to torque down the valve cover bolts to the correct specifications as outlined by the Factory Service Manual.
Have fun driving your car rattle-free!
__________________ "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist".
I just did this to my car last week ,It was making a loud rattle removed the chain guide which had grooves from the chain hitting and put on a new powdercoated valve cover while I was in there . Looks perfect and sound quiet and perfect as well no bad side effects. Thanks Rick
Good tip on this, be careful and pay attention when taking the bolts of guide out. I dropped one down into the timing chain itself, and was a pain getting out. I had to use a magnetic tip thing to fish it out. Wasnt really easy, and hard to find. So I would stuff a rag or something in that area next time I ever do this again.
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96 200sx SE-R the new daily
92 Black Classic 12.164 @ 112.85mph -290whp/340wtq - **RIP**
would it be a good idea to put the bolts back in after removing the guide, instead of leaving to holes for oil to collect in? or does it not really matter??
Im a GA16DE guy with a 94 Sentra, just out of curiousity, do you know if the case of the guide rattling is the same in my engine? i have an annoying rattle up to about 3k rpms unless i am more than about 25% throttle. Over 25% or 3k and it stops. Just curious guys.
yeah, my car is a 98 SE and I don't have one. but I have other issues like a crap ECU and open diff trans
as for the GA16, there could be a bunch of things that cause that, first of all the GA16 is a mechanical lash valvetrain, you may need to have that adjusted, hopefully you won' t have to get new rockers or cams, but ususally you hear lash the most when the car is cold and through all RPMs.
another thing is that the GA uses TWO timing chains (which means even more chain tensioners) and has a VTC (variable timing cam) solenoid on the intake cam.
to troubleshoot the source, first figure where the sound comes from (under the valve cover, or on the front of the engine where the timing chain is ).
I believe that servicing the timing chain requires an engine pull and is not cheap. valve lash services are relatively inexpensive.
Finally, this is SR20FORUM.com not GA16DEforum.com. jk. But really relatively few of us know anything about the GA, don't ask me where else you could go to ask this question ***. perhaps nissanforums.com
If you do not get the new style tensioner you can and will skip a tooth on the cam gears.
I don't see how it will skip a tooth based on removing the top timing chain guide. If I'm correct, the guide has nothing to do with keeping tension or ensuring proper cam gear alignment.
I know that the older tensioners were a problem with keeping the right tension on the timing chain as and when it gets older, but I don't see exactly how the older tensioner would make the situation worse by removing the top timing chain guide.
Would you please care to explain, Andreas?
I will be posting a picture of what has happened to a timing chain guide that was never removed from the engine and what the guide did in terms of damage. I'm sure some people will be surprised to see what heavy damages that guide can likely cause if not removed.
it can skip a tooth if the old stock tensioner is there think about it.. you said it was rubbing if it were rubbing at idle that sh*t would have the nastiest groove dam near break the thing off soo it must be hittin the guide at a higher rpm without the guide the chain can go up high enough with old school tensioner that it will skip a tooth... probably the intake cam most likely or both exhaust an intake... since nissan did decide to remove it in 98+ cars theyre tensioner must be alot stonger hence no guide... just cautionary measure to insure nothing goes bad. anyways new tensioner never hurt nobody
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Danny GDM (HKS)
1993 PRiMERA GT
Nissan Ecology Oriented Variable Valve Lift and Timing
it can skip a tooth if the old stock tensioner is there think about it.. you said it was rubbing if it were rubbing at idle that sh*t would have the nastiest groove dam near break the thing off soo it must be hittin the guide at a higher rpm without the guide the chain can go up high enough with old school tensioner that it will skip a tooth... probably the intake cam most likely or both exhaust an intake... since nissan did decide to remove it in 98+ cars theyre tensioner must be alot stonger hence no guide... just cautionary measure to insure nothing goes bad. anyways new tensioner never hurt nobody
I had a headache reading one long sentence like that.
So, let me say it in my own words. You're saying that because the old tensioner doesn't have the capability to give the timing chain the correct tension it needs, the only thing holding the chain onto the cams in the correct position is the cams. Well, I don't see how the guide would give the chain any tension. If the tensioner has gone beyond its point of keeping acceptable tension, then the guide giving it any tension at that point is useless, as the function of the guide is not to complement the tensioner.
Like I said, I have a picture of a destroyed guide that'll show you that it's worse to keep it than take it out.
I don't question the use of the new tensioner, as I installed one myself back when I had my '94. Now I just recommend taking the guide out anyway without even getting the tensioner due to the fact that the guide can become one scary object in the valvetrain.
