hyro chain tensioners too tight on install?
 

trying to fit the hydraulic chain tensioners and it seems like they are too big or there is not enough slack in the chain to allow for the piston to come out of the body of the chain tensioner. its so compressed that i can put the pin in and out still when its installed. Ive spaced my cam chain housings, is this why? do i need smaller idler wheels?

Have you turned the crankshaft a full 360 degrees since the chains were installed? I had a similiar situation on my rebuild where the chains were not completely seated on the crankshaft sprocket. The chain had seated on the leading and trailing edges of the sprocket but sloppy in between.

yeah, ive been doing the cam timing so they have seen a good few revolutions

Could it be you got a pre-74 vintage timing chain? Weren't these chains shorter due to the shorter stroke and chain tensioner configurations?

Don't know...just tossing it out there to the early engine builders.

HI why are the chain cases spaced out????? and by how much, you could req' smaller chain wheels, or a half link fitting, what size engine are you building??

regards mike

Mike ive spaced out the housings because ive spaced my barrels to lower the comp.

well, there you go. unspace them and lower the compression some other way. guess that didn't work!

bs motorsports sell 17 tooth gears that overcome the problem of spacing the cam chain housing so thank the lord!

just got the price for the 17 tooth duplex gears............£60 each!
oh well, better than tearing down and machining. Neil at BS Motorsports is a real helpfull bloke. he didn't have any in stock and theres a question over what i'll need-17 teeth or 18 teeth-so he's making up both and letting me try them. nice!

http://www.bsmotorsport.co.uk/

Is it possible to just get a chain with an extra link or two?

yeah you can get longer chains but my case is closed, pistons, heads, cams timed etc so the new duplex gears seem like the easy way out when faced with the prospect of tearing down the engine!

HI i see you have been in contact with my brother about the chain wheels, if thay do not work i have some half links you can try.

regards mike

yeah cheers mike, Neils a helpfull bloke. ill let you know if i need them links