sr20det timing chain question

[powersteeringless180sx]

do sr's have similar timing chain guides like the ka's do? i know there are a bunch of threads here about people taking out the guides in the ka's because the chain rubs against it(causing the imfamous rattle).

i've got a redtop just put in a couple months ago and i'm now getting a feint chattering noise coming from the front of the valve cover where the timing chain is. i don't hear the noise all the time though. i only hear it during idling sometimes and after i've driven the car for a little while.

any info would be appreciated

[slider2828]

There is a plastic or material guide and there is a chain tensioner. Pretty much the same I think.... Weird that it rattles, didn't know SR had these problems. You sure it isn't the lifters, cause SR's have really really loud lifters....

[powersteeringless180sx]

hmm.... should i go ahead and just take that guide off and see if that works?

from where i hear the chattering i don't think that it's the lifters? the noise coming pretty much directly at the front of the valve cover where the chain would be.

[panadol]

I have the same problem on the black top sr, and I changed the tensioner. It quieted for a while, but I still have the rettleing noise. My mech told me that it is cause of the new cams (as I left the valve train stock with 264 stage 2 cams). He said that it could be the lifters or that the chain gets loose by time

[TOMKAIRA93]

so you left everything stock with your stage 2 cam? I ask cause I'll be buying some HKS stage 2 264, but I will also be buying valve springs and retainers. How much gain did you see with the new cams?

[powersteeringless180sx]

well i finally took off the upper chain guide but i'm still getting the tapping noise after driving the car. the guide is metal and there were marks on it. so i know that the chain was hitting it but i guess it's hitting something else too. does this mean there's not enough tension on my timing chain or something else? what else can i do or check?

[Steeles]

OK the SR guide is not plastic and prone to breakage like the KA. put it back. you can try replacing the tensioner if you['ve got slack. but my recommendation would be to download a copy of the FSM (search if you don't know where to look) and read it. it will tell you what to do.

[VitaminT]

I read somewhere that Nissan stopped putting the small metal upper guide between the cams on the later model SR's and that the dealers in Japan were removing them if issues came up. Not the two long guides on either side but the 3-4" one that bolts to the head at the top between the gears. I am getting a faint sound as well after driving the car some but haven't pulled my valve cover to see if that guide has wear. I think the timing tensioner was revised to have smaller notches in it so it makes finer adjustments instead of waiting for so much slack to build up before clicking into the next notch. You might try replacing the tensioner and removing the top guide.

[airwig22]

i seem to have this rattle on my redtop SR too. it rattles at idle like no tomorrow. and when i'm driving it, like when i let off the gas. i dunno. i'd like to know what it is. its anoying as hell and it doesn't let me hear the beautiful tone of my exhaust. LOL

[panadol]

so you left everything stock with your stage 2 cam? I ask cause I'll be buying some HKS stage 2 264, but I will also be buying valve springs and retainers. How much gain did you see with the new cams?

Yeah, I left the valvetrain stock, but if you're getting the same cams, I suggest that you'll go for the springs and retainers too...its much safer that way.

I'm not sure about the gain on the cams, cause I haven't taken it to a dyno yet (still on running in the car), but I know that a 4000 rpms its a savage :D

[powersteeringless180sx]

I picked up a new tensioner at the nissan dealership and put in a couple days ago. It actually made a big difference. The rattling noise is gone. but i'm still getting a very slight ticking noise. i'm thinking it's just the normal SR loudness or either the top timing guide i put back on. i'm wondering if i should have put that thing back. i downloaded the s15 fsm cuz it's got the best quality of the all the other fsm's and the s15 motor still has the guide according to the fsm. So i just figured i should put it back in even though people have said that the later model sr's didn't have it anymore.

[maverick27]

great to hear this cuz i have the exact sound in my sr. i was scared when i took the valve cover off i left a bolt in there. the sr runs great but that sound was scaring me. imma try the tensioner and see what happens. how much does one go for?

[powersteeringless180sx]

$74.95 at Phase 2

[reeskm]

I hear a distinct rattling sound on my 180SX -- and it's intermittent, not often and clangy like rod knock -- it seems like both at the top and bottom of my SR20DET redtop, but very hard to pinpoint. Seems worst at 3k-4k, not always present when my car is cold, and usually most audible after letting off the gas or upshifting.

After getting my exhaust quietened up with a better resonator this week the sound was very noticeable. Sounds like a rattle that is very evident usually after letting off the gas and after having my timing adjusted from -2deg BTDC (wtf?!? Don't ask, I just got my car from Japan) to the stock 15deg BTDC.

Right now I'm pretty new to this car and lovin' it... Never had such a fun time putting in plugs before! Wow, done in 15 minutes flat. But I don't have a compression tester, oil pressure guage, or a lot of experience with engines... I'll keep testing though! I am not giving up on my redtop with only 100,000kms yet!

My SR20DET is a feb/91 engine, one of the first to ever go in a 180SX/S13 in Japan. I hope and pray this ain't rod knock. I'm going to have it looked at hoping it's timing chain issues. The last shop told me it was rod knock. I think they're wrong but they may be right. They're reasoning is "when you rev it it's obvious... it sounds like s**t." and "Well, it's coming from the bottom end and we've seen dozens of redtops... it must be rod knock". Anybody have a similar experience -- misdiagnosed timing chain rattle or problems as rod knock on the redtop or blacktop SR20DET?