964 left-hand timing cover
 

I'm trying to remove the left-side timing cover, and it seems that the lower chain rail is hanging-up inside the case. Is there a trick to getting this out?

Isn`t that the hydraulic tensioner shaft o-ring that is sticking to the cover instead? I had this problem and had to pry the cover out with the taped end of a screwdriver. Use lots of caution and a thick layer of tape to avoid damaging the surfaces.

Aurel

Hi Aurel, Thanks for the reply. I have removed the tensioners and the oil supply tube. It feels like something is grabbing the lower rail, inside the case ,and I just don't see well enough anymore to see inside. Has anyone had to remove the roll-pin from the outside-end of the lower rail?

The o-ring I am talking about is inside the chain box. It is on the chain tensioner oil supply connection that goes through the cover. I am pretty sure this is what is holding your cover. The rail should remain attached to the chain box.

Aurel

Here's a photo of my dilema. the box comes about 3/4" away from the case. I can't see any other o-rings.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1205536452.jpg

Ok, nevermind. I thought you were trying to remove the cover, not the chain box itself. My SC has shorter chain ramps also.

Aurel

Jon, why don't you remove the lower chain ramp first. Pull the sping shaft out of the chain housing. After that it should come off easily

Thank you for the tip. It worked well, but going back together I'm having trouble with the same side. The right side assembled and is ready to time, but the left side chain doesn't seem long enough to let the sprocket engage the cam. I thought perhaps the chain had either slipped back on the intermediate shaft sprocket, or I had one link not seated behind it. Neither is the case, but looking down the chain it appears that the lower chain rail almost goes to far against the inside sprocket. I know the straight rails are different for the left and right, but this seems odd. With both rails in, on the left-side, the sproket is about 4mm from going on the cam, but the curved rail is all the way up and would prevent the tensioner from having any effect even if the sprocket did seat on the cam. Anyone had this happen, or know what I'm missing here? Thank you in advance!

I usually install both chain rails but do not anchor them with the case anchor bolts. By leaving the rails loose I can move them around in order to get the sprocket on the chain and over the end of the cam. I remove the large roll pin form the lower rail completely and install it after everything is together.


aws

This is exactly what I ended-up doing. It seems the edge of the new lower rail was not allowing the chain to lay flat, thus the appearance of not enough chain. If you're re-building a 3.6, the above post by AWS is sage advise. File it somewhere. I spend an hour pulling and installing rails until I figured-out my miss-hap.