Is it possible/desirable to check camshaft timing with engine in car?
 

I'm getting my courage up to install the hydraulic tensioners in my 78 SC myself instead of letting the mechanic do it. My mechanic says that ideally the cam timing needs to be checked afterwards, to be safe. He wants to drop the engine to do the installation, set valve clearances and fix some oil leaks. According to everything I have read (101, engine rebuild book, some threads here), it is possible to install the tensioners with the engine in the car, requiring the removal of some tin at the front of the engine. My question is, is it possible to check the cam timing afterwards with the engine in the car using the dial gauge/Z-block method? Is it even necessary? To my mind, if the chains are kept tight with no possibility of jumping a tooth, the cam timing should not be affected at all. The small oil leaks I can still live with, and if I set the valves clearances myself, new gaskets on the valve covers will take care of one leak anyway. I am not quite ready to drop the engine all by myself yet.

LeRoux

Yes it is possible to change the Tensioners while they are in the car ... and the cam timing can also be checked while the motor is still in the car. I would strongly recommend that you check the timing after you replace the tensioners. There have been serveral problems where people locked the chain but still experienced changes in timing. It does not take much movement and it is definetly worth the extra effort to recheck the timing.