Hi Guys,
I am helping a friend to do a cyl head gasket on his 2.6 magna. The manifolds are off and the camshaft sprocket is removed and the shaft and rockers removed. We have removed the head bolts and the head is now loose but we can't get the head over the sprocket !! Is there some trick to remove the sprocket from the timing chain ?? Other than removing the timing chain cover on the side I can't see a way of doing this. Is this a design oversight?

Front of the head has 2 12mm bolts holding it to the timing case. Have you taken those out? Don't remove the sprocket, the chain tensioner will pop out of the oil pump and you will need to take the case off to get it back in again. The sprocket with chain on rests on a support, the head just lifts up and off the block.

Stop and read the manual, you are not just working blind, are you?
note - if the head gasket has "gone", there is usually a good reason for it - like corrosion, cracked/warped head. Don't just replace the head gasket and assume everything is ok.

i found this provlem when i did a cam swap on mine ill never beable to get the cam gear back on the cam under thention, ull have to take off the sump and there ia a relice levier on the chain tentioner on the pump this will alow u to put it back, ull never get the timing cover off while its in the car even if tilt the hole engine

i found this provlem when i did a cam swap on mine ill never beable to get the cam gear back on the cam under thention, ull have to take off the sump and there ia a relice levier on the chain tentioner on the pump this will alow u to put it back, ull never get the timing cover off while its in the car even if tilt the hole engine

Later 2.6 engines have a lever on the tensioner foot to keep it extended so the chain doesn't rattle at startup, and you need to probe from the top to release the lever, so the tensioner can retract into the oil pump body, but this is only needed when you try to lift the cam cog back onto the end of the camshaft, not when you take the head off. It's in the manual. No need to take sump or cover off.

Thank everyone for your quick reply.
Madmax - Yes we are working blind (no manual) not my idea !! The gasket blew because the water pump went and the engine overheated.
I got the 2 12mm bolts out and the whole cylinder head is loose but there is no way that the sprocket with the chain in place is going to fit thru the hole in the cylinder head!! that's what has stumped me.

the sprocket and chain will fit through eazily the dizy gear does come off as well, i never knew i could reach the leaver from top bummer whish i tried harder lol

The gasket blew because the water pump went and the engine overheated.

The gasket went because the head overheated and warped due to the overheating. Get the head surface checked for straightness before you bolt it together.

I've done a number of 4 cylinder Mitsu engine rebuilds and I always get the head checked for straightness and hardness. The early heads used to soften and the head bolts would recede into the alloy, best check the head's mating surfaces under the large washers on the headbolts for any signs of dishing inwards.
I've had one engine suffer from overheating to the point that there was a noticeable gap between the block and head at one side. (Welsh plug popped out, son decided to keep driving 13 km on to get home.)

Distributor definitely needs to come out before the head can come off.

Manual states that the lever on the tensioner can be released from the top with a long thin rod, like a welding rod or a really long screwdriver. Or perhaps a length of timber dowling.

I'd hate to do work on any Mitsu engine without the manual, too many things to stuff up if you don't do some study first. Just getting the distributor back on right on the 2.6 is a major hurdle without the manual.

welcome to amc check this link http://www.aussiemagna.com/forums/showthread.php?t=95385
it has a gen2 pdf in karj sig .it may help you with the head as there the same motor.

Hi there folks, I am having real problems releasing the cam chain tensioner on a 4 cylinder 1991 TR magna. I am trying to get the cam shaft sproket back on to the camshaft. It came off easily but getting the head back on which I thought would be easy has turned out not to be so. The workshop manual shows a clear diagram using a 6mm dia rod pushing down onto the tensioner lever.
The statement in the manual "Getting cam sprocket back on while releasing tensioner, will be of considerable difficulty" has be quite worried. I tried using the metal rod method but I could not seem to get anywhere. Any helpful hints on this issue. I feel I may have to take the engine out.

Cheers Alan

Only the later TS 2.6L has that release lever on the oil pump, no point probing for it as a 1991 TR doesn't have one!

If you rested the cam cog with chain on it on the little support, then it should be just a matter of lifting the cam cog up to fit it back on the camshaft end. Takes a bit of force.

If you find it impossible, it's most likely that the slipper foot cam chain tensioner has popped right out of the oil pump, seeing it is spring loaded and will just pop out if the cam chain is too slack. Shine a torch down there and look. Fixing that requires removal of the front cover, which may mean the engine has to be lifted partly out of the car.

The tensioner on my TM popped out as my car didn't have the rest for the cog to sit on. I got a bit of 32x12 hardwood about 600mm long and cut a wedge say 75 x 15 off one end, then used the long piece to lever the tensioner back in. Took less than a minute once I had cut the timber.

Tools

I vaguely remember using a similar piece of wood wedged down into the chain gap from above to make sure the tensioner didn't move when I took the cog off the cam, as the rest was missing on that particular Sigma engine. I just hate people who go into an engine and delete bits. lol