Because my '97 only has 50K miles on it I was considering changing the tensioners but leaving the chains alone. I'm no longer considering it, if it's possible I am absolutely going to leave the chains alone.

I can use the wire tie method on the secondary chains of course. I assume the primary chain's tensioners can be changed with the chains in place?

 

I've come to believe that the VVT tool is not designed to be used for the final torque.
There is no way those little pins will survive.
Now I just have to get the damn tool to fit.

 

Great news! I have completed the installation of the exhaust and intake sprockets, VVT's, etc.

In the process I learned that the VVT tool is NOT used for the 90 degree second torque, it is only used for the initial 30 foot pound torque.

Two facts prove this to be true.
First, the tool breaks if you try to use it for the second torque because the pins are too small for the job.
Second, after you do the 30 foot pound torque, you can't move anything with the VVT tool, so it's useless. Everything is in place already. Nothing is moving. The 30 foot pound torque keeps the VVT in the proper position.

How I did this is a bit comical, and I think a bit creative. The second tool wasn't engaging the holes in the VVT and I was getting tired of taking metal off it. I was wondering if it was ever going to fit.
It became frustrating.

So I took the first VVT tool with the pins broken and I decided to replace the pins.
I drilled 3/32" holes where the pins used to be (you need a drill press for this) and cut a piece of a wire clothes hanger, slid the wire into the tool and I now had a tool that fit. I used it for the 30 foot pound torque, put it on the workbench, did the final 90 degrees with a big 1/2" breaker bar, and that's it for the day.

Yes, a coat hanger wire fits well into the VVT holes. I checked that before I started modifying the tool. I tapered the ends of the wire pieces just a little to make insertion easier.

This is easy once you have a tool that fits and figure out when to not use it..

I'll even admit to a secret....when I drilled the holes in the VVT tool, they weren't perfectly opposite each other so both coat hanger wires would not line up to engage the holes in the VVT so I removed one of the pins from the tool. I did the job with only one piece of coat hanger wire, basically only one pin engaged it the VVT. It worked. The wire bent a little, but not much. The lesson here is that you only need to drill one hole and insert one piece of wire. And coat hangers are made of decent material. I don't recommend this as a preferred method, but if you're in the situation that I was, this is the way to go.

Tomorrow I begin closing it up. Woohoo!

So now I'm going to celebrate my victory with a cold one. Or three.



This is the setup to torque the right bank exhaust cam sprocket. You can see the tool at the upper left with the 1/2" drive breaker bar in it, and the torque wrench at the lower left. The left bank was much tighter for access for the tool.

 

Well you finally got through the VVT fiasco. What a saga.... buying two tools that both didn’t fit the job and fixing it by grinding off metal ... and use coat hangers.

can’t wait to see engine assembled. Let’s see how she runs...

 

Yeah, I used a freaking coat hanger to make the tool work. Absurd, huh?

I just wish the directions in the manual were more clear so that I wouldn't have broken the first tool. They should have added a note of caution in there.

Now I feel like I can make some progress on this project.

I'm pleased with the results so far and as I get closer to completion, I'll be anxious to fire it up.

I'm gong to change the oil before I start it because the engine was open.

Just in case anything got into the oil, like degreaser or bits of dirt during cleaning, I want it out.

 

Today I closed the front of the engine. My hands were getting numb from 24 little bolts on the timing cover. I've never seen the front of the engine so clean. The serpentine belt tensioner is new.

It's coming together.

Having the upper radiator hose disconnected at the engine made sliding the timing cover into place easier.

I wanted to look into the front of the crankshaft before I put the new bolt in but I couldn't because of the angle so I took a picture and here's what I saw.

Notice the debris at the back of the threads.

I had just purchased a blow gun with a 2 foot extension from Harbor Freight. I didn't know why when I bought it, but that thing came in real handy. Now that the engine is closed up, I could blow the crap out and it won't go into the engine.

 

Dried Loctite

 

Yeah, I had cleaned the threads and that was what came from it.
I'm trying to include lots of pictures for those who haven't done this before so they know what to expect and how I dealt with it, mostly with success.
Last night I got the top of the engine closed up so all that is left is the front.
I was happy that the cam cover seals remained in place as I installed the cam covers. The seals were on the bottom so gravity was not my friend there, but it went well.
The 3/4"' to 1/2" adapter that I purchased on Amazon never arrived, so I should have just bought this weeks ago.

Five dollars at Harbor Freight for this set.

The big events today are the crankshaft damper and bolt, and reinstalling the fans shroud,

 

Another mystery solved.
I just torqued the crankshaft bolt. I was looking to position the crankshaft locking tool on the driver's side, but there were air conditioning lines in the way. I found a place on the passenger side which was just a little lower than where I had it for removal of the crankshaft bolt. I tucked the tool under the swaybar.
To get the tool installed, I marked the front of the damper with a Sharpie so I'd know where the bolt holes were. I installed the damper and bolt on the crankshaft, then slid the tool into position. I tightened the crankshaft bolt some, to get the damper in place, but not so much that I couldn't rotate the damper by hand. I rotated the damper until the Sharpie marks were lined up with the bolt holes in the tool and installed the bolts. A little Vaseline on the tool bolt threads made this easier. I used a Tekton 24350 torque wrench with a range of 50-300 foot pounds that I bought on Amazon for $76.00. It worked fine.


The crankshaft locking tool goes behind, and under, the swaybar. You can see the Sharpie mark on the damper.

This was the only place I could find for the crankshaft locking tool, and it worked fine.

 

I'm going to treat myself to a nice cold IPA.
I finished this afternoon and with a bit of anticipation I turned the key. The engine came to life and sounds pretty sweet.
I took a video of it and as soon as I can figure out how to get it from my phone to here, I'll share it.
I had a check engine light on the initial start which gave me some concern but on the third start, the check engine light was out.
That may have been from the fuel system being depressurized from when I did the compression check or some other transient condition.
I am declaring this project complete and a success.
And none too soon, as trout season opens on Saturday.

 

Stu- success! And I bet you were nervous turning over the engine the first time after closing the job.

Quick summary of things to look for
1. Bonnet in vertical service position is fine for access
2. Need purpose made crank tool, crankshaft timing locking,
3. In the bell housing, finding the oval window in gearbox flywheel takes multiple attempts to put locking pin in
4. VVT locking tool doesn’t fit and pins break on second 90 deg torque
5. Need to take VVT unit off to put on primary chains
6. Check contact between guides and chains- no gaps

Any other advice?

if a workshop garage charged for this - how many hours does it take?

 

I'm going to estimate this job took about 25 hours. Could I lower that number if I did it again? Probably. I wasn't rushing and I wasn't looking to cut corners. I was determined to have this done right. I wanted to document this job for those doing this for the first time and as a historical reference for myself.
In my career I've been involved in enough jobs on airplanes to know the recipe for success.
This is my first time doing this (and probably last) so my advice to first timers is to give yourself sufficient space, time, and money. Use them wisely and don't try to get by with less than is necessary. Off the top of my head I'll estimate that this job cost about 7 hundred dollars, but I did acquire some new tools in the process. If you add labor I can see a shop charging $3000 or more.
Organization is so important, especially in the beginning. Label everything. Bag hardware and label it. Put masking tape with notes everywhere. When you pick anything up a week into this, you should know exactly where it came from, and don't rely on memory. Our memories suck. Buy or rent the tools you need. There are resources. Ask.
For reference, this is the biggest engine job I've done since I rebuilt the 350 small block in my 1974 Camaro. That was in the 90's, so it's been a while. In hindsight, it was fun.
This was too. At the time, it's work. But afterwards you get to enjoy it. It's nice to have an engine apart, then hear it run afterwards. It makes you feel like you might actually know what you are doing. LOL Wait, let me rephrase that. It makes it easier to convince other people that you just might know what you are doing.
This is very, very important, seriously. Print the manual instructions for everything you will be doing. Punch holes in it. Put it in a three ring binder. Then review this thread start to finish and make notes in the printed instructions where necessary (where I struggled or discovered how to get through it when the manual was less than explicit). How to set up and use the tools, for example. If I had that resource, I could have saved myself time and money. Save yourself time and money and follow this advice.
I'd say that the most difficult part was the damn VVT tool issue. A tool that doesn't fit and instructions that are insufficient. Coat hangars to the rescue!
The fans shroud installation was no fun. It's a tight fit. You need to look at the left side, the right side, and the bottom to see why it isn't dropping in. I did this entire job alone so I was moving around a lot. And cursing a lot.
The most critical steps are doing everything you can to get the tension side of the primary chains tight. That's when you install them, and when you torque the exhaust cam gear and the VVT bolt. And use the proper tools properly. This alone makes steps easy that many people fret over.
I dipped the timing chains in oil before I installed them just to make sure they had some lubrication. I took no chances.
And make damn sure everything is perfect before you install the timing cover. Put the crankshaft bolt in and turn the engine. Watch everything move. If it isn't perfect, fix it now.
Don't try to cut corners. The secret is not to go backwards, which I did a little bit a couple of times but it was small stuff.
Patience is surely required. You will get tired but that just means it's break time.
And never, never, never throw anything away until the job is done, and I mean driving down the highway with a satisfied smile done. Yes, you can throw away dirty rags, but that's all.
You never know what you will need, maybe just for reference.
I wanted to get this done by the end of March. I thought I would make it with time to spare. I got it done on April 3rd. So what? I lost a couple weeks waiting for a tool that I ultimately didn't even use. That's not important.
The only thing that matters is the end result and anyone can do this. Ya gotta wanna. That's Jersey lingo for "you have to want to". There are many people on this forum who will help you succeed.
I want to thank those that gave me advice to help me through this.
I hope I can help others in the future.
If anyone has any questions, just ask. And if the question is about the IPA, it's Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA.

 

Thanks for documenting your journey. I raise my EVO Lot No. 6 Double IPA to you!

 

Thanks, Ron.
I hope this thread helps anyone who tackles this project.
I tried to fill it with all the information that's not in the manual.
I have one correction to make. The crankshaft sensor is fastened with a T25 Torx bolt. Not an Allen bolt.
I discovered that today as I was cleaning the workbench.
It still comes out with visegrips if you choose to do that.
I replaced it with a regular hex bolt.

 

Stu good thread. Too late now but the tools you had were not factory spec tools. Looks like you needed 303 532 and 303 654. JCNA has loaned these tools many times and they still look like new. In typical fashion the tools are made from tool steel and not cast. If you need any more special tools in the future I am sure we have them.

 

George,
Good information for the guys about to tackle this.
I would have to agree that the tools I got were not what they used at the factory. If they were, the guys in the factory would have gone through a hell of a lot of coat hangers. The uniform company would have been wondering where they were going.

 

Until today I had only run the engine in the garage after the tensioners project. Today is the first time it's been on the road. The weather was great so I washed the car and took it for a couple trips. I put about a hundred miles on it, much of that on the highway. The engine performed very well. Smooth and quiet. I got one compliment.
A lady in the Tractor Supply parking lot said that it was pretty. Now, she looked more like Mutt Lange than Shania Twain, but this is South Jersey, and a compliment is a compliment.
Back to the car... all indications were normal and it starts and runs like new. I'll drive it around locally for a while before I take any long trips, but everything is looking positive.
For those about to undertake this project, I'd say that this is the result you want. Don't try to find creative ways to sabotage your results.
Do it right with the proper tools and you will know how I feel today.

 

Well done, keep us posted....

 

Well done and good to hear that the test drive went well.

Self satisfaction and no risk of the dreaded chain rattle... for another 100,000 miles.

There will be other compliments too .... but probably from 50yearolds+

 

Ah, she was every bit of 50....and then some. Or she's had a particularly hard life. Or both. LOL
Here's why I'm posting some followups to this project:
After reading many posts and threads about ways to take shortcuts or somehow avoid parts of the job that seem daunting, I want to let everyone know that having done this, it's not worth the efforts to find creative ways to, for lack of a better term, screw it up. The anxiety is not justified. The thinking has been done for you. Just obtain the parts and tools, and do the work.
Changing just the secondary tensioners makes no sense because if the primaries fail after you change the secondaries, what have you accomplished? Nothing. You wasted your time.
And quite honestly, once the cam covers are off, the hardest part is over. And they're not hard except the lower aft bolts are the hardest to access. No big deal.
The crankshaft bolt is easy with the right tools. The timing cover is just a couple dozen little bolts.
The fans shroud, while tight, is not too bad. A little patience is needed here.
Just use a few tools properly and this project is manageable. You do need the special tools, there is no way around it.
I documented all the challenges I had and how I got through them. Read and print the entire manual and add notes from this thread to the steps as needed before you start.
Anything I encountered that's not in the manual, write it in the manual. You shouldn't have any surprises.
I am guessing that I put about 25 hours into this but I wasn't rushing and I had to solve some problems along the way. With what I learned and documented in this thread, I could probably get it down to 20 hours. But who really cares? It's about the final result, not saving a few hours.
You want to save time? Here's a tip...don't drop any hardware and don't break or damage anything. Protect the radiator with a piece of cardboard.
Budget up to $1,000 dollars for this project and you will have money left over.
When I read what I'm writing I ask myself if it sounds like I'm bragging. Well, I am proud of the results so maybe a little, but I also don't want anyone to have less success than I had.
When that engine pulled hard, smooth, and quiet up to 80 MPH on the highway yesterday, it was pretty damn satisfying. For anyone about to do this job, let that be you.
No part of this is too difficult for anyone who wants to do it. Don't look for the fastest way to perform any step, look for the BEST way and you will be fine.
My message is to set yourself up for success, not failure. If you enjoy working on your Jag and want the pride and satisfaction of doing this job and having it turn out well, just follow the steps and you will get there. Avoid the temptation to give in to impatience. That is your enemy.
If you have any questions or problems, ask the people on this forum. We are your friends.
If anyone tackles this project in the future, please keep us posted.