Hey everyone i drive a 95 TS with 126,000 on the clock, recently on start up it has been making a wonderful noise from the timing cover. I have done an engine flush and oil change with still no progress in fixing the problem, i have been told that more than often it is most likely the balance chain that needs adjusting i was wondering if anyone could give me any hints on how i can adjust it?

I assume you have a 2.6 lol

Hint 1: look at the manual.

Hint 2 (in case hint 1 fails) Locate cover, remove 2 10mm bolts, back off bolt, 10 mm, push down lever (Thumb pressure only) , tighten bolt, replace cover. Tighten 2 bolts gently, easy to stip as they are in alloy.

TS has a ratchet device in the hydraulic cam chain tensioner but when these fail it can rattle too, so the above may not work.

says not to adjust but worth a try

the chains both have self adjusters

the cap to undo is on the timing cover below the alternator


http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh59/magnabuff/tr_chain_tension_1_101.jpg

if the chain adjustment doesnt work you need

to replace the timing chains ,cogs and guides

you can buy the kit of ebay or repco

some can do the chains with the motor in
others prefer the motor out

If the noise is there all the time, and not just at startup, then you have a problem.
Only the cam chain has an automatic tensioner. (EDIT: oops! thinking of the TR, the balance chain in the TS does have a tensioner - see pic below) The balance shaft chain is adjusted as above, but it is a small chain with short runs and rarely gets noisy even if never adjusted. The earlier 2.6L engines used to rattle at startup because the tensioner needed to move out under oil pressure to take up any slack in the cam chain. In the TS there is a ratchet device on the oil pump that keeps the tensioner in the right place even with the engine off. Rattles in the TS are caused by the tensioner ratchet device failing, or the chains wearing down to beyond adjustable limits, the guides wearing down to the metal, or one of the guides failing at its mounting on the block. At 126,000 Km it is probably failure of the ratchet device, or the failure of a guide mount. I have seen these guides, for the balance chain, break in half or shear the mounting bolt at the block. My TS 2.6 is at 220,000 Km and the chains are quiet at startup, but I know how fragile the chain setup can be from previous experience with Sigmas and I rarely rev it past 3,000 rpm. Mitsu now uses belt drives in all its engines.

If adjusting the balance chain makes no difference, then as stated above, its a strip and replace job, best done with the engine out, partially, if you have big hands like me. If you find everything is worn out, and not covered in oil, check the oiler jet that is supposed to spray oil onto the chains at the bottom cog.

whats behind the timing cover

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh59/magnabuff/chain_layout_1_171.jpg

http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh59/magnabuff/tr_oil_pump_176.jpg

Thanks guys that was a big help ill try and adjust it and see what i find :)

Thanks for the pic Magna buff - nostalgia stuff lol Mitsu finally got the design silent,if not reliable, just before they gave up on chains.

Adjusted the balance chain but with no luck still making the nosie, looks like im up for some money to get it fixed :(

Adjusted the balance chain but with no luck still making the nosie, looks like im up for some money to get it fixed :(

Sorry to hear, but I didn't hold out much hope. A few years ago my son complained about the same thing. Stripped the motor and found the upper balance shaft had spun its rear bearing and had taken out the longest of the 3 chain guides on the balance shaft chain. Oil level was low, this bearing is probably the last to get oil pressure in the whole motor. Clean oil is essential for the chains to have a long life. The weakest part of the system is chain guide B in the above picture, can break in half at the slightest excuse.

Iv been told to use thicker oil and it might fix it at the moment im using 25-50W Castrol GTX2 oil could you recommend something better i might give that ago cause i dont really have the money to spend on getting it fixed at the moment.

If the noise is there only at startup, a thicker oil might help, but 25W-50 is a pretty thick oil to start with. The TS chain setup is usually dead quiet, if it making noises there is something wrong with it. If the noise is there all the time can I suggest you stop driving the car before you do any more damage to it?

Its only on start up i think ill just have to spend the money before it gets worse, i spose what it cost's me now is better than a new motor later on