Below is a FAQ for timing chain tensioner replacement. Many 2.2’s have a problem with the tensioner wearing out and causing an embarrassing ticking sound. The cause of this is nylon on the tensioner being worn off by friction from rubbing on the timing chain. Symptoms of this are a ticking noise that changes with the RPM’s and the ticking growing louder as the oil is heated up. The noise should be coming from the timing cover on the passenger side of the car by the wheel. Use your best judgement to determine if that is what is causing the noise.
You should be able to do this job yourself for about $100-$130. Shops will charge from $500-$700. It is rated as a 7 hour job by most shops. I spent about 8 hours doing it myself(from beginning to end).
Parts Available:
You have several different choices for manufactures of the “timing set”(the set is the chain and both sprockets). You will also need to buy the tensioner. I would stick to the same manufacture of the timing set for the tensioner.
•Melling- a well known quality brand (don’t know who sells them)
•Cloyes- another quality brand (sold at Carquest)
•AE Clevite- another quality brand, has to be special ordered (sold by Parts America, Advance Discount, and other parts america conglomerates)
•SA Gear- not familiar with them, cheap (sold by Parts America, Advance Discount)
•HI-Tech – not familiar with them, expensive (sold by Autozone)
•Dyna Gear- not familiar with them(sold by Autozone)
Other parts your going to need:
5 quarts of oil
Oil filter
Permatex RTV hi-temp silicone gasket
Timing Cover Gasket Set (contains a front engine seal as well)
Water Pump Gasket (should you pull your water pump)
Impact wrench
Special tools: *the pullers can be borrowed from Autozone I believe
A 3 armed pulley puller for removing crank sprocket (don’t know specific name off hand)
A bolt style pulley puller for removing crank pulley (don’t know specific name off hand)
A #5 torx socket for removing studs on timing cover (this is a FEMALE socket)
Impact wrench
Removal:
Disconnect battery.
Drain oil and engine coolant.
Disconnect lower coolant hose (the one big one by the overflow tank that goes to the thermostat)
Secure front of car on jack stands (both driver and passenger sides)
Remove the serpentine belt.
Remove the alternator.
Remove the water pump. (optional, but I did it to make it easier to see down there)
Disconnect the power steering pump(leave lines connected though) and position it out of the way.
Remove the belt tensioner assembly.
Remove passenger wheel.
Remove both black wheel well covers.
Place a jack underneath the lower engine mount bracket and remove the two engine mount bolts that connect the upper mount to the engine (not the ones on the mount itself). Remove the bracket that bolts to the head and connected to the engine mount. Lower the engine down as far as safely possible.
Remove black crank pulley.
Using the bolt style pulley puller, remove the crank pulley mount (the thing behind the black pulley)
Remove the timing cover—use the #5 torx socket to remove the studs that go through the oil pan. You may try to double nut them, but there are very few threads to work with. I’ve heard a 4mm socket may work.
Align the single hole on the cam sprocket with the timing mark on the crank sprocket (they should be facing towards each other).
Place a pin in the tensioner to remove tension.
Remove the tensioner bolts.
Using the impact wrench, remove the cam sprocket (24 mm socket I believe.) The chain and tensioner should come off after this.
Using the three armed pulley puller, remove the crank sprocket.
Remove all the silicone from the oil pan.
Installation:
Oil the shaft that the crank sprocket will slide onto, and install the crank sprocket.
Install the cam sprocket, chain and tensioner at the same time. Be careful not to mess up alignment.
Bolt down the cam sprocket.
Bolt down the tensioner.
Remove the pin in the tensioner.
Remove the old front seal.
Oil up the rubber on the new seal and place into the timing cover.
Insert the new gasket into the timing cover.
Using the silicone, create a good bead around the oil pan where the timing cover will sit.
Insert timing cover.
Insert timing cover bolts (go over them several times, but do not over tighten them)
Install the crank pulley mount and pulley
Install all the accessories you removed and connect the motor back to the motor mount.
Connect radiator hose back.
Fill with coolant.
Install new oil filter and make sure the oil pan plug is installed.
Fill engine with oil.
Reconnect the battery.
Test it out and awe at the lack of embarrassing engine noises. If were lucky, it will make a sticky so we don't have to answer any more: "my engine is ticking" "how much does it cost to replace the tensioner and all the parts?" etc... on the 2.2
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