cam chain question

[eddieace]

hi people

i've been asked to have a look / service a micra k11 i think it is, with the cg10 engine, now i haven't got any worries about servicing this car not having worked on a micra it doesn't like any trouble at all, except for the matter of the cam chain.

i'm familier with chains with owning several chain driven motors, and this one does sound as if there is a rattle to it, i have yet to confirm it by listening to the engine without auxiliaries, but i'll be suprised if it isn't the chain. plus the added fact that the engine oil looks well overdue, so not suprised at the chain now having a complaint.

i've had a word with the owner and expressed my concerns of the reliability of the engine in it's current state and she is happy to just do the service and hope for the best, after telling her a new cam chain fitted could be 2 or 300 upwards for it. i've been informed they are a non-interference engine, could anyone confirm this, and has anyone had a chain go on them? and did it cause any additional damage.

any info would be gratefully received plus any other pitfalls i should know about before servicing it.

many thanks

eddie

 

[frank]

eddie

the cg is an interference engine and has an upper and lower chain
my super s had a link that was holding on by a thread at 100000mls, the lower one was still ok at 132000
the chains are about £80, and its a sump off job iirc

 

[eddieace]

yeah had read somewhere that the chain was about 80ish, and i've read a link on a how to change it.

i dont think she wants the expense of changing it tho.

so i'd like a second opinion on her chances of it staying alive, the rattle isn't that bad but it is noticeable, at end of the day i have no gripes about servicing the car but i think i'll have to explain to her again that if the chain goes it'll mean expensive repair / another lump.

with her attitude towards my warnings i'm hoping the fresh oil will help the poor little car along

 

[ollie240585]

I have known of K11s to have a chain rattle for 10s of thousands of miles and not snap, in fact I have never heard of a chain snapping on a K11 here, I've heard of the K12 ones stretching and causing sensor errors.

But the K11 ones I have yet heard of one snapping, they are superb little engines!!!

 

[frank]

eddie

its a 5 minute job to take the cam cover off an check the top chain (hydraulic tensioner btw), and you can pick up 1.0 engines for £50 anyway

 

[eddieace]

I have known of K11s to have a chain rattle for 10s of thousands of miles and not snap, in fact I have never heard of a chain snapping on a K11 here, I've heard of the K12 ones stretching and causing sensor errors.

But the K11 ones I have yet heard of one snapping, they are superb little engines!!!

thats quite reassuring might not be all that bad then!

eddie

its a 5 minute job to take the cam cover off an check the top chain (hydraulic tensioner btw), and you can pick up 1.0 engines for £50 anyway

with the cover off is it just a matter of inspecting the chain and making sure it's fairly tight?


i know of a oil feed problem on some vectra 2.2 petrol engines causing snapped chains.

how is the micra's chain oil supplied? any chance of this blocking or anything? this oil in it does look a fair old age!

 

[frank]

eddie

its just splash fed, i would give the engine a couple of turns and check the links, it should be tight while there is still pressure in the tensioner (as long as you turn it clockwise, the tensioner wont retract)

 

[eddieace]

ok cheers lads, i'll post back what i find.

(Y)