Lancia Motor Club

Does anyone on the forum, or does Lancia, have any guidance or information on how to assess whether the timing chain tensioner does it job correctly, and when it needs replacing?
Thanks
Charles

Hello Charles

Part of the timing chain tensioner mechanism, is a curved metal 'shoe' which has its face covered by bonded-on rubber, on which the chain slides.  (The shoe is different between 1300 and 1600 engines).  A new shoe has perfectly flat rubber but after usage, the chain gradually wears away the rubber surface to show grooves corresponding to the pattern of the chain.  As wear increases, particularly at the leading edge of the shoe, the rubber can get thin and start to break away from its metal backing, and eventually the chain will start to wear away the metal part of the shoe in the same pattern.  By this stage the shoe is well past its use-by date and no doubt the chain is suffering too.  Visual inspection should be possible after removing the water pump, which exposes part of the timing chain chest.

Hopefully this answers part of your question, but possibly not it all?

Regards - Roddy   

In my own experience the chain stretches a lot before there is large wear of the tensioner shoe. One easy test for chain wear is to see if the static ignition timing is the same for cylinder #1 and 4, Andrea

On a 1600 a worn stretched timing chain can jump resulting in valves and pistons making each other's acquaintance.
Chris

That's a neat piece of information. I will look at my 1600s in next few weeks in this regard.

To check timing chain wear on a twin cam, press down on the chain between the cams, and if there is any slack it will show. If it remains taught, all should be fine.

Thanks for all the replies.....very much appreciated.

The chain is nice and tight between the cams, so that's a good start. Hopefully will find time tomorrow, whilst it raining, to investigate a little further.