New timing chain stretched to failure in under 1000km. Causes?

[VECom]

Hi,

I replaced my timing chains due to a stretched ones. Unfortunately in less than 1000km the new chains failed as they had stretched that much it would no longer run.

The kit (bottom primary chain gears include) I bought was meant to be a quality kit and I believe a reputable supplier. The supplier is going to make good on parts to fix it.

The engine ran fine while it was running, the chains just stretched very quickly. Everything was as it should be when the engine was stripped down.

I couldn't see anything special for chain lubrication and so assume it just gets oil from what comes off the cam gears or is flicked up from below.

Does anyone know of anything that could cause new chains to fail so quickly?

Any thoughts, even if slim would be appreciated because I don't want to put it back together and find another month later that it wasn't poor chains but some other defect causing it.

Thanks for the assistance,

Greg

 

[blackve76]

Sounds like a lubrication issue.

 

[stick3]

its recommended to do the oil pump too when you do the chains and was there any sludge

 

[greenacc]

Hopefully it was a bad set of chains. What codes came up the second time?
If there's no specific lube supply to the chains I would pour engine oil over them before fitting the timing cover.
Do you replace all the tensioners?

 

[commodore665]

May well have been a build up of sludge inside the engine , that caused them to fail , , whoever installed them should have checked for this , unless they messed up installing them .

 

[Revhigh]

When we do the install, if the motor has any signs of sludge we recommend pulling the engine out/sump off and giving it a thorough clean. You can replace the chains 100 times, but if sludge is blocking the oil galleys the tensioners will have a hard time maintaining tension. In really bad circumstances the heads have to come off as well.
Also, if the cran/idler gears are worn that could also cause them to fail.

We charge $999 to do the install with genuine or cloyes kits in Dandenong South VIC 3175.

 

[VECom]

Hi,

After three weeks of being done the fault code was initially P0018(LH cam/crank) and was intermittent for a week or so i.e. cleared it and might not come back for a few days. Then the car wouldn't run and dropped a couple of cylinders. The fault codes were then P0018, P0300(intermittent/random misfire) and P302 (cyl 2 misfire ) and P0304l (cyl 4 misfire). The car did develop a minor rattle up on start up a couple of days before it stopped running. It suggested a stretched chain but didn't believe it, and I chain everything else for a few days looking for a fault. Why would it be the chains when they've just been replaced. LH chain was about to fall of the cam gear.

The replacement included all the guides, tensioners and lower primary chain gears.

The engine is nice and clean inside and has been regularly serviced.

Work was done properly. I'm a qualified mechanic and a fussy one.

I could replace the oil pump but at only 140 000 km it should really be in good condition.

RevHigh is there anything that lubricates the chain or does it just rely on oil splashing about?