I'm new to this forum, but have been reading the posts here for years. I just started the task of replacing the timing chains, tensioners, and guides on my 2001 LS8. Bought the complete kit from Christopher's Foreign car parts. The tear down was Pita! I had to cut the heads off of 3 bolts that hold the p/s pump on, and saw the pressure tube in half to get to one bolt. The fan pump bolts were not too bad except for 1 in the front!I used a ratchet wrench on the bolt, and left the pressure line connected to the pump. The alternator was easy to unbolt but tricky to remove! It will only drop out in a certain position. I had to buy the right damper puller and and a long cheater to get the harmonic balancer off.
When I finally got everything off, I found that the LH upper tensioner that I replaced in 2009 with the updated version, had lost it's bottom plastic piece! Also the four chain guides had cracks in the plastic. I have heard several times about using the masterlink chains wasn't a good idea! I installed both secondary chains with the master link chians in 2009, with about 80,000 miles and they still looked new and the car now has 118,000 miles.
[]My question is which way do you apply tension to the exhuast cam gear using the special wrench when tightening the cam gear? On the RH side I pulled the wrench to the left or counter clockwise, which tightened the chain on the bottom side, and on the LH side I turned the wrench to the right or clockwise, which tightened the chain on the top side. The book shows the RH side with the wrench being turned counter clockwise, but doesn't show on the LH side. Did I get it right? I'm not going to put it back together until I know it is in time and right. I don't want to do this job again! Any help will be appreciated.
When I finally got everything off, I found that the LH upper tensioner that I replaced in 2009 with the updated version, had lost it's bottom plastic piece! Also the four chain guides had cracks in the plastic. I have heard several times about using the masterlink chains wasn't a good idea! I installed both secondary chains with the master link chians in 2009, with about 80,000 miles and they still looked new and the car now has 118,000 miles.
[]My question is which way do you apply tension to the exhuast cam gear using the special wrench when tightening the cam gear? On the RH side I pulled the wrench to the left or counter clockwise, which tightened the chain on the bottom side, and on the LH side I turned the wrench to the right or clockwise, which tightened the chain on the top side. The book shows the RH side with the wrench being turned counter clockwise, but doesn't show on the LH side. Did I get it right? I'm not going to put it back together until I know it is in time and right. I don't want to do this job again! Any help will be appreciated.