it sounds like the tensioner is not pushing on the chain guide?
when you rotate the engine clock wise or anti clockwise the tensioner should take up the slack in the chain.

once you set the tensioner it should take up the slack as soon as the engine is rotated.

ok when i turn the engine clockwise the chain is tight, and the tensioner is about 10mm sticking out of the timing cover.

But the moment i turn the engine anticlockwise, the tensioner backs off about 4mm, hence the reason its going slack

to me it sounds like you havnt un locked the tensioner from its compresed position..

or there is something wrong with the tensioner...

does the middle plug and filter have anything to do with the tension, cause i noticed yesterday when i removed the middle plug, the tension went slack before i even locked it up?

I don't know if it plays a role, but if it had slack as soon as you removed the plug with filter, then I say it does. From what someone else has said, the tensioner uses pressure to adjust the tension.

I am guessing your filter might need new O-rings but that's just me.

phong =P~

its all f**k, the fukin thing wont lock up, wont semi tighten..... nothing.

Car is not drivable like this so i cant take to the mechanics, i cant get the fukin retainer off because he has used some sort of permanent loctite, and i dont have the prong tool i need.

ok calm down mate

done this a hundred times, the tensioner isnt unlocking that why ur getting chain slap, it always worse with a bigger cam

you need to pull the tensioner out completely to sort it out ok?

undo the retainer both of them, the inner and outer part, u know wot i mean? inner is the bolt lookin thing bout 10mm diam and the outer is the bigger hollow part around it, has two holes in the face of it, kind of like the locking nut on an angle grinder

get them both out the way then u will hav a clear view of the tensioner and the bore it runs in

ive found the best way to get them out is with ya fingers

push ya thumb down inside the bore til u can feel the back of the tensioner then push against the spring a bit, move it bout 3mm in towards the timing chain
then rotate ur thumb and hopefuly the inner part of the tensioner counterclockwise until the whole thing comes apart

it will kinda go off like a hand grenade so ul know wen uve got is lol

slowly bring ya thumb out and most of it will follow
u will end up with the the inner piston part and about half the spring poking out of the bore

drag the spring out slowly keeping the inner end slightly higher to prevent the bullet looking part falling out the end

once u hav this out stick ur finger back down the bore and into the inside of the last piece of the tensioner, u will feel 2 small lugs inside it right at the closest end to u

hook your finger around one and pull it out

jobs done, either reassemble it and clean it then reinstall it or replace it with a new tensioner

these intructions will make much mor sense when your actualy doin it

hope this helps

cheers, some good advice there.

But the retainer isnt budging at all, ive tried hammering a screwdriver against the holes and its just leaving an indent into the retainer.

The mechanic has used some sort of permanent loctite. Hes going to come to my house on Monday at my expense to look at it, but if you got any ideas till then to remove this retainer then im all ears ...or eyes

i made a tool to remove it

u need a bit off steel bout 20mm x 4mm x 300mm or so

find a drill bit the same size as the holes
bout 4mm from memory and cut the shank into 2 pieces about 10mm long

then drill 2 holes in the piece of steel the right distance apart then tap them in

bingo instant retainer tool

cheers 3.9 hell finally got the retainer out

made a bodgy tool from a metal pipe and two screws hanging out the side. After a few snapped screws the retainer moved. Then used vice grips to move it out bit by bit..... fukin hell it was tight nearly all the way

I now know how it all works, and am itching to put it back together, but i assume i need another o-ring for the retainer and Ford isnt open weekends

I'll tell you whats f**k about the design and the reason why i wasnt doing it properly....the only part of the sleeve that is visible behind the retainer hole is the points of the crimped sides. I was going wrong like troyman suggested and only pushing on the allen key bit. Ive now gotta go find some tubing that is EXACTLY the same width of the retainer hole in order to contact the sleeve at all to push it in.

And a caution to anyone looking to only remove the middle plug to release and refit the tension for cam swaps etc...... make sure you get some tubing that is exactly the same size as the retainer hole at the end, cause your gonna need it to push the sleeve properly

PIC SHOWING SIZE OF RETAINER HOLE, SLEEVE BARELY SHOWS

awsome

good work mate

there a prick of a design

Got the o ring from Ford today luckily, and locked the tensioner and fitted it with the retainer, then carefully released it, but the chain was still slack until i turn the crank by hand then it went tight?

Started the car up and no chain slap can be heard with my head under the bonnet, but again just like last time, theres a 'fluttering' noise when i go past buildings like chain slap.

I done everything right this time and theres still noise whilst driving. Im hoping it hasnt got something to do with the vernier gear i installed at the same time. Is it possible for the bottom guide to drop into the sump with the timing cover on?

When i did up the 6 bolts on the vernier gear, i did them one by one, as tight as i could..... could this have put the gear on an angle? Or shouldve i done them all semi tight THEN tightened up all the bolts one by one?

yeah i know its a bit old...

but did u solve the chain rattle?

Hmmm this may be a bit off-topic, but I recently discovered that if you can't use an allen key with a tube on it to set the timing, because you can't find the right size tube, then just get some tape and tape the end of the allen key to the desired thickness...worked a charm for me

phong =P~

yeah it went away over a few days, seemed to adjust itself.

actually yesterday i had to re-set the tension cause the last cam swap i did, the chain seemed to overtighten and i thought i'd get away without mucking around with the tensioner.

But after reading about the stories with seized aux shafts etc........

Geez not much of the cam sleeve shows to push on it...... im thinking about permantely fixing a washer onto the end of the cam sleeve next time its out, should make it alot easier to lock up and release