How To Check Timing Chain Slack -EricTheCarGuy

31 thoughts on “How To Check Timing Chain Slack -EricTheCarGuy”

1. My car gives rattle sound on engine start and idle goes away in high gears. But I hear it again while travelling uphil. Secondly engine has a delay from ignition to start. Is it the timing belt issue?

2. So how many miles were on this motor that would be nice to know?

3. Thank you!!!!

4. .

5. Using this procedure it is possible to test if the excess deflection might also be caused by a worn camshaft gear or distributor gear rather than just the chain?

6. Eric, did the Fairmont have a sort of weird vibration as if two cylinders were fighting each other, or a maybe more accurately described as a pulsating of the exhaust note? Because I have changed my distributor, new cap and rotor, ignition coil, plugs and wires, and Duraspark box. No change at all. It only does it from 1800 – 2200 ~ RPMS. From one mechanic to another this has me stumped. Edit: Same 200ci engine in my car.

7. I have a 403 Pontiac engine do the rotor button should be pointed at the number 1 spark plug on the number 1 on the distributor

8. Do chains and sprockets need to have visible signs of wear on order to indicate the need to replace? Like scored/chipped teeth,etc?

9. Do you know any method of checking if the chain timing is off on a Ford 4.6L V8?

10. I'm about to do my first timing chain…I think I can do this your videos I've watched has helped gain confidence… thanks man 👍

11. Dude it was so dark we couldn’t see squat

12. Thanks this was really helpful I appreciate your time.

13. I had taken my A6 to the audi dealership. After getting my car back, it waa less than 12 hours in the morning driving to work around 6AM. During. The drive toward work which is about 10 min or less my engine light starts to flash and my car begins to shake like crazy…. I turn off the car and call Audi and tell them…. This was 2 days before i needed to go to the hospital for my first born. The female audi service lady said it was there fault and gave me a loaner car. 1 days before my first born i get a call from audi telling me prices….. I then had to rush back to audi leaving work insanely early tp get my car to go to the hospital!

    Now im forced to report the dealership and more action will be done, because they broke my car and didnt report any service needed for this outcome they said they dont see how it is their fault and tried to tell me ita becuae the year of the car being 2006…. They said my car is missfiring and the timing jumped so they want mw to pay $8,500 to fix their poor service to my car…….

    Carbon cleaning is needed they never told me that plus ingition coils look bad they didnt care to tell me that aswell. Oh yea my engine oil is black, they denied me service to change my oil……

14. Why does a timing chain skip?
    Can missfire cause this

    Car type
    Audi A6 4.2 Quattro V8 S-Line

15. Thank you Erick

16. If the car ran low on oil and wore out the timing chain would there be a clicking type of sound or clicking at the top of gears?

17. Hello, great video. I have a 3800 series 2 from GM. I don't have a standard distributor. How would you check for slack in my situation.

18. This video is so incredibly helpful! I've used it twice now and diagnosed two timing chains that were seriously slacking. Thanks Eric the Car Guy, you rule!!!

19. Or worn distributor there will be slack there no sure how much is too much.

20. Also ive worked on cars since I was a little boy. Ive never had a issue like this and its the only explanation I can logically think k of is the timing chain being stretched or jumped a tooth after TDC

21. Hi Eric heres a good one for you. I have a 99 astro van 4.3 vortec.
    I suspect timing chain slack and or possibly jumped a tooth.
    I noticed a little more noise like clicking and rattling but very quite though.
    I can't seem to get the distributor on TDC mark 6 on the dist. housing.
    Distributor went bad replaced it had no issue. recently had p0300 random misfire checked ignition timing and noticed the rotor on the dist. was firing after TDC.
    I tried to adjust to back on TDC but could never do it.
    The thing that me me concerned and of all convinced and is when I turn the engine over by socket and wrench its smooth than it gets hard and a lot resistance and for a second it pushes back (like the timing chain is too tight and pulling back).
    Once I put some muscle into it and get past the hard part when rotating the engine it becomes smooth and loose.
    Is this due to a stretched chain causing it to be very tight and loose? And why im experiencing hell trying to install a simple distributor.

22. I love your Elvis clock in the background at time 2:04 what can I get one that's awesome?!!!!!!!!!

23. excellent video sir!…i actually think my timing chain skipped a tooth,, barely runs at all now..was running bad with poor power… also when i removed cap and put on top dead center rotor was off by approx 30degrees

24. Very Helpful, I noticed that all of the engines I've over the years, the timing chain was the issue in a lot of cases, the rest of the engine had good compression and you could still see the hone marks in the cylinders.

25. i gotta check mine now.

26. I have a 2011 Mazda 6 I Sp and just put in shop due to this noise coming from bottom of engine, a weird rattle that can be heard when revving in N. When driving was barely heard. If you have any info or vids related to timing chain and or tensioner on my Mazda please leave me a comment thank you.

27. Eric, the test was useless.  Any engine could pass by your 7 degree test because the slack in a timing chain is on the non drive side. You would rotate your crankshaft in the direction the engine turns when running and THEN watch your rotor as you turned your crank the opposite direction.  Get my point? The side that is pulled down by the grab of the turn will always be flexed tigt even if you has 4 inches side play on the non grab turning side.

28. I have a 1979 ford 460 that stops working all of a sudden once it reaches normal temp. Compression is +/-6 psi on all cylinders, I can see fuel dump into carb and spark at coil and at #1 Plug. Vacuum at idle in park is 17 and bounces rapidly. I did this test and my chain is about 7 degrees like yours. My question is could this be the culprit to my issue?

29. Many mechanics I know have argued with me that this process of checking a timing chain is ridiculous or does not work, I say this is the best process to check the slack in your timing chain, it is common sense to see that this is the correct process. Most times I could tell you if a mechanic is worthless or decent just by seeing him apply a wrench to a bolt or by his ridiculously stupid comments, thank you for your post and explaining the proper process for checking a timing chain. When mechanics tell me that this is not the right way and then they tell me that they have been doing it for 30 years, all I have to say to them is you have been doing it wrong and that is a long time to be doing something wrong and not have figured it out yet, good job Eric.

30. I love the clock on the wall at the end of the video hahaha

31. What are some of the best company's to buy timing chain kits for a 2001 Dodge Dakota 4.7?

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