Let's get back to a previous poster...why buy the lock-down tools if a witness mark (scratch awl) will insure you're in position again?

I used to do this all the time with VW engines, and never had a problem.

 

one reason is that there is no good place to get to both the cam and the sprocket-

 

Got to Love the Jaguar

 

A video of my tensioner change. https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=22797

 

You Desere a tall cold one for that !!!

 

I started the XJ8 today and it idled a little rough. It felt like a misfire so I plugged in the OBDII Scanner and got 3 codes.

After reading another post about a bunch of ignition codes ending up being Tensioners, I decided to take a look.

I pulled the valve cover tonight just to take a look at the tensioners.

Off came the first Cover and I was happy to see a metal bodied Secondary Tensioner.



Then I looked down at the Primary Tensioner tops and saw they were plastic. First I thought maybe they were replaced before the change over to metal and I may not have to do them.



I kept poking around with my light and started to find bits. I extracted them and confirmed they are Primary Tensioner bits.



Looks like I did get lucky. I got to these before they self destructed.

 

Sinister, someone probably replaced the secondary tensioners previously, which is an easy job. I recently replaced all 4 tensioners, chains and guides, as one of the secondary chains had stretched. If I were you, I would not risk running the engine much more. If you plan to fix it yourself, you may wish to drain the oil and pull the oil pan cover off. I found all kinds of tensioner bits lying under the oil pick up tube and inside the lip on the pickup tube. The pan cover and the pickup come off easily. Rather than leaving all that junk in the sump, an extra hour or so may be worth the time. I suspect the oil flow could be restricted when the plastic bits get sucked up against the screen. (Mine was bad with enough debris to cover a good portion of the screen) Probably not a good long term situation. I did not have to replace the seal as the old one held up fine. In fact I checked it again after running some cheap oil for a couple of days, then changed it again. I got only a tiny amount the second time. It sounds like you may be able to use your existing secondary tensioners, assuming they are replacement units. You will be able to tell if they have much wear once you get them out. If you want any on-line help with the job, it is still pretty fresh in my mind, so would be happy to offer my experience. I am not a mechanic mind you! Good luck with it.

 

Actually I plan on doing all of it. I'll also tackle the waterpump and thermostat while everything is opened up.

Thanks for the offer to help.

Right now, I need to locate a set of tools that I can rent in the Detroit area.

 

Great post I am thinking I might do the primary chains at the same time. I looking into how to do it. Does any one have any info?

 

There's a ton of info in this thread. I believe there is even a link to a 50 page PDF that details step by step how to do it.

You will need special tools to do the job. They can be bought or borrowed but are an absolute necessity.

I borrowed mine from a friend at a Ford Dealer. They were part of a Kit numbered TKIT-2002-F/FM. The tools are 303-530, 303-352 and 303-645.

The parts are a crossover to the 3.9 liter engine used in the Lincoln LS and the Ford T-bird.

 

Forgot to mention, that my Primary Chain Guides were only cracked and the Primary Tensioners were perfect. Good thing is, at least I know I won't have to do this repair in the future.

 

I had upper tensioners changed and I still have this same sound as I did 8,000 miles ago before the upper tensioners were replaced with new steel ones at 34,500 miles. Is this still a timing chain sound that is heard or could this be some thing else like a VVT that takes a second to get oil.

Video & sound link of the uper right side by the VVT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLWGZVF4OrM

 

Just bought a 2001 Vanden Plas last week and the lady who owned it had all tensioners, primary and seconday, done.. 3,000 US in May of 07 with 65k miles on it.

Glad I can bypass this one! Nice work!

Tom
New owner of
2001 VP Anthicite cat 97k

 

Someone please tell me something. I just took off my driver side valve cover on my 98 xj8 and there was no orange plastic tensioner. Between the sprockets that the chain was riding on a metal cylinder. It had to be a metal tensioner. The chain was very tight. Now, is it possible there is a metal replacement tensioner and someone has already done this job on my car?
The car has 110k miles and runs fantastic. Have no history at one known dealership it had been repaired at.
Any thoughts or am I blind?
If this is so, should the metal chain be riding on a metal tensioner? I was told metal to metal shouldn't be.

 

No they should not be riding on the metal. If you look down in the head you may find the plastic bits that they once rode on.

Does the "top" of the chain tensioner look like this?


In my case (with 98,000 miles) the plastic had total disentigrated (I found pieces of it in the head) and the chain was riding on the metal - to the point of grinding grooves in it.

It is a simple job but you will need 2 special tools.... Cam lock and chain tensioner tool. Someone on this forum was kind enough to lend me theirs.

 

Just curious, can only find driver side tensioners. Are they the same as the passenger side tensioners? If not, where did you find your passenger side tensioners? Thanks! Mike U.S.A.

 

Right/left sides are different tensioners/part numbers. The '00-'03 Lincoln LS V8 used the Jaguar engine and the Ford parts are considerably less expensive than the Jaguar boxed parts.

Following are the Lincoln/Ford part numbers:

 

For some reason I cannot get the page to open with the part numbers. Would you email me the page to my email address? It's knottsalyssa@yahoo.com This is my wifes email address. I would really appreciate it. Thanks! Mike99XJ8

 

I have a private Jag shop that will do change the complete tensioner package (both) for $1600.00. The dealer wanted $2300 for just one. They told me most people do not change both because of the cost, I found that odd. I am not a mechanic, but when I do mine on my 2003 XJ8, I will do the works unless some of you guys suggest one is enough. Great job replacing them, I wish I had the time to learn the mechanical stuff.

 

I have a 1999 XJ8.

I replaced my secondary tensioners as the ones in the motor were cracked and one top slide was broken. I also replaced the primary tensioners. Those looked like they were in really good shape - no cracks or anything and I might not have changed them out but for the fact that I had already purchased the metal ones. The chain guides/slides were still in good shape without cracks. I believe the car has about 188k miles on it.

When I tightened everything up, I turned the motor over by hand with a socket wrench and I checked the tautness of the chains. Seems like they were tightening and loosening in an alternating fashion. If it weren't for the VVT components, I might think that the chains were stretched in places, but the tightening/loosening seemed to be too regular on both chains to have random stretching, so can anybody tell me if good chains would act that way?