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Timing Chain ..

stig rotax

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How to recognise the signs of a stretched chain before it's too late?
I suspect it's when the engine sounds like a clattering diesel when it's cold. Can anybody give me a clear idea?

thanks
 

Pedro

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The Tensioner is the usual culprit for cold start rattle as the chain can last a long time if the Engine is serviced correctly
 

neilgsxr69

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Yep you’ve got it 😱 if it sounds like that get it sorted before you wreck the motor as Pedro said you could just try the tensioner but many have found the guides to be broken upon strip down.
 

RCZ-R

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But...
the clatter sound should come from the right wheel arch when running cold. Not from under the bonnet.
What I mean is, if you pop up the bonnet you also will hear a lot of the direct fuel injectors. They make a diesel-like sound.
But when you pay attention to the right front wheel arch only (with the bonnet closed and turn the wheels most to the right to get most of the wheel arch acoustics) and coming from there you hear clattering sound, it is a pretty good hint on the chain and the chain tensioner loosening up.
 

stig rotax

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thanks team RCZ. Unfortunately the chain beat me to it. Last week after the temperature had dropped to around 9C I started the engine and the chain decided it was time to go the workshop for me, jumping 'n' amount of teeth. I knew thanks to all your help immediately what it was. Hopefully the engine survived. I will let you know the damage both financially and physically. Disappointing is that after so few kilometres it's given up. 48tKm.
 

Pedro

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I saw a post somewhere that the owner still has still has the original chain in the car at 80.000 Klms & claims very regular Oil changes have kept his car on the road & as many of us know & have also said on here so for the sake of repeating myself I will endorse or should that be I practice what I preach The Prince Engine Must have good Oil/filter service this means regular changes & if you plan on keeping the car for a long period of time preferably before the Klm stated in the book unless you want a MD to do the job which is expensive to say the least & they will say it doesn't need doing before a full service is due
I was reading a Aussie website last week regarding the Prince Engine & it stated their service schedules should be around 10.000 Klm!
 

RCZ-R

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I saw a post somewhere that the owner still has still has the original chain in the car at 80.000 Klms & claims very regular Oil changes have kept his car on the road & as many of us know & have also said on here so for the sake of repeating myself I will endorse or should that be I practice what I preach The Prince Engine Must have good Oil/filter service this means regular changes & if you plan on keeping the car for a long period of time preferably before the Klm stated in the book unless you want a MD to do the job which is expensive to say the least & they will say it doesn't need doing before a full service is due
I was reading a Aussie website last week regarding the Prince Engine & it stated their service schedules should be around 10.000 Klm!

Well spoken, sir. I can only second that.
Keep the engine oil level at maximum all the time. Not in the middle of the oil stick (where it still is OKish according to the manual). Do not rely on the dashboard info only. Dive under the bonnet and check on that oily stick.
Change the oil regularly. Even more often than advised.
 

Ian J.

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There is no logic to when these go
My current car had the chain go at 32k , guides are plastic so worth doing the whole kit if the tensioner fails.
My first RCZ still had the original chain at over 85k miles, I had it from new and a friend of my wife's bought it off me and it still had the original chain on it when she sold it on.when it was over 6 years old.
 

stig rotax

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As it turned out, the chain was not the problem. It was the high pressure fuel pump. But ... the diesel-like clattering when the engine is cold gave all the warning signs so the local Peugeot mechanic recommended changing the whole lot anyway. Chain, tension bits, cogs, belts and guides. I knew it was coming so agreed to the work.
Peugeot's time scale for this job is 5.5 hours so you know how much that can be. I do advise anyone thinking about giving it to a workshop to make sure they know the engines and car. I have made this mistake before and wound up doing the job myself ( on a little 206+ car). Total cost without tax ..€2000.
Bye the way, I asked at BMW/Mini and they weren't interested in trying the job. Same engine different car and certainly a different clientel.
The motor sounds super now and I now have an acceleration unknown to me with this car. :):)
 
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