So it seems the timing chain tensioner did not fail?

[buelldozer]

I didn't have time to wrestle the crank pulley off tonight but I did pull the upper timing cover and the inspection rubber out of the lower timing cover. What I found is a bit puzzling.

Chain tension up top is good and if I rotate the engine by hand it spins over smooth...mostly. Looking in the inspection port of the lower cover my tensioner is holding tension and if manually drive it back it pushes out again. What the?

What's concerning is the "mostly" part from up above. It spins over smooth by hand to a point and then it reaches a position where it jams up and doesn't want to rotate at all. Once when rotating I heard a god awful ratchet noise from under the cover.

Now I'm starting to wonder if I the problem is something else under there. I see the cam chain, the oil pump chain...but what is that chain on the right in this picture?
https://c8.staticflickr.com/8/7745/2...baf39d38_k.jpg

Next step is to get the lower TC off, obviously, but what God help me...what if everything looks fine in there?

[pierreb]

Check the timing alignment marks?

[buelldozer]

Check the timing alignment marks?

Yeah I thought of that but I have to get the lower timing cover off first PLUS the engine doesn't want to rotate over by hand. Like I said it hits a point where it binds up pretty solid and I don't want to force it.

Dad thinks I may have dropped a valve or a valve seat. Guess I won't know until I have it all the way apart.

[Allowencer]

Have you tried to rotate the motor both clockwise and counter clockwise? If not, try it and watch the tensioner. Also, don't be gentle with the rotation, imagine the torque when the starter engages and when the engine is running, you can't match it so dont be gentle.

When you said you push on the timing tensioner's piston, it presses in right? That's the failure. It should not press in more than like 1/8".

What you are describing all sounds like timing tensioner failure still. The binding is the slack in the chain and the tensioner moving more than likely.

Following the instructions I provided, did you line up your timing?

The other chain is the balance shaft chain circuit. Again, I cover all of this in the DIY.