TIMING CHAIN TENSIONER

[JustSendIt251AL]

Ok, I've been working on Ecotec's a good bit and have a great understanding of them. My question is, when the timing chain starts to rattle, which is the culprit of these ? (1) Does the slack come from the chain stretching and the tensioner maxing out? (2) Does the slack come from just the tensioner failing ? Reason I am asking is because my wife got home today and I heard her 2016 Equinox and the timing chain is loose. Kinda in a financial hardship right now, and wanted others opinion on, just to get me out of a bind, does anyone think that if I just replaced the timing chain and guide, and took the stock tensioner that I have now apart, clean it and then reset it then put it together if it would buy us enough time to buy a good cloyes kit, or do you think that I should just buy a tensioner instead because that's the failure. I personally believe that if I replaces the chain and the guide and reset the same tensioner that I would be alright for at the least 2 weeks. What's your honest opinion? Thanks.

 

[maxpg]

I think it is all because VVT system. When something is getting wrong in Ecotec, like PCV cloggage in my case, it degrades the oil. VVT then tries to remedy it by playing with actuators. That leads to elongation of the timing chain, that maxing the tensioner and then the chain slamming everything around. A snowball situation that will destroy any brand timing chain. The tensioner on my Ecotec just fell in pieces.

So, I would say, it depends on how long your Ecotec has been under that condition. On early stages you may buy some time even with just a new any brand timing chain and reset tensioner.

Make sure your PCV is not clogged, oil color and consistency normal and there are no other things like bucking.

 

[Fabiliz_5]

Personally I feel like that's a lot of work to change the chain twice. You can find the AC Delco set for less than $100 on Amazon that includes the tensioner.

Amazon.com

 

[Tico007]

Have you resolved the blocked PCV orifice issue? If you pull out your fresh air PCV tube on the air intake box is it full of water?

 

[PoManNox]

In terms of the chains, the only failure mode I've ever seen on these is chain stretch. The chain elongates until the tensioner(s) can no longer take up the slack, then you get metal on metal noise, metallic bits in the oil.. and it's all bad from there if you don't fix it ASAP.