The other night my engine started leaking oil. I looked in the engine and saw it leaking from the t-junction where my oil sending unit is located for my oil press. gauge. My mechanic came to me in the morning and we fixed it, but he had to take out the timing chain tensioner to get access to the broken fitting. He had some trouble putting the tensioner back in but finally got it. Anyways, he drove my car back to the shop(about 15miles) and it was fine. They cleaned my engine bay of all the oil and sent me on my way. As I was pulling into the street the engine stalls while my foot is still on the clutch!? I left the car with them and they called me to tell me the timing chain broke and that they would have to find another. Nopi is tomorrow and I have a spot under the ACT tent. Can someone explain what happened to my car. He said that once he installs the new chain we have to hope there is no valve damage too. Im scared. Put me at ease.
Jonathan

 

well, exactly like he said you better HOPE there is no vavle damage...but there probably is if the timing CHAIN BROKE! Basically that is unheard of. But, I'm sure that if you install the tensioner the wrong way it'll do it.

our engine is an interference engine, so if that breaks its likely valves will smack the pistons

 

Shit.

 

What the hell did the guy do it when he put it back in? I've never heard of a timing chain breaking...

 

He compressed the spring I guess and put it in the hole. Then he tightened it down with the two bolts that hold it in place. He put the bolts in slowly turning each one a couple threads at a time to make sure it went in evenly. Im not too engine savvy so I just watched, but that is what I saw him doing.

 

You can't just torque the tensioner back in! Read the helms. You need to reset the tensioner before removal so it can be reinstalled correctly!

 

well...maybe you can get an Alaniz head out of this? that'd compensate for you having to miss Nopi on his fault

 

100% correct.

THAT GUY broke your engine plain and simple.

The tensioner must be retracted and pinned before re-installating.

The tensioner WILL NOT retract by tightening down the mounting bolts. If he did, then he put tremendous load on the chain. it makes perfect sense that it broke.

I have changed close to 15 chain tensioners on the S2000. Feel free to print this post and bring it to him.

 

Well guys, he put in a new chain and luckily the car fired right up. The cold compression results were b/t 165 and 170 for all 4 cylinders. Hopefully no problems will rear their heads soon. Thanks for the advice and concern. Just dropped my car at NOPI in the ACT booth. Check it out if you are coming!
Jonathan

 

I can't believe the broken chain was the only damage....time will tell....