22r timing chain problems....

[London Gentleman]

My older bro is finally putting his motor together and he got as far as putting the timing chain and the cam gear on. The only way he got it on is when he took the tensioner and the rounded guide off. The chain is now super tight and we cant get the guide and tensioner back on. Its an older 22r block with a newer rebuilt head on it but we are wondering if we have to put a later 22re chain on it but dont know. Any advice would help. Thanks.

 

[JThompson]

I do know there is a height difference in the older block/heads.

If anybody has a GOOD used timing chain out there that my younger brother can use, at least to fit, please let us know.


Thanks!

 

[datsunon40s]

Ill see what I can dig up.......im in snohomish Ill PM you tomorrow

 

[NotMatt]

You've got a mismatched head and block.

The early heads are taller by about 1/4", and there is a slight (think millimeters) difference in deck height on blocks... later blocks are a smell shorter than the early blocks.

Early heads have round exhaust ports, late heads have pear shaped exhaust ports. Late blocks have a "keyhole" type casting on the side, where the oil return for the turbo would go on a turbo model, early blocks do not.

We ran into this problem with a late block, early head, late timing chain... basically it was just too tight to get it together when the tensioner was installed. Not good. The previous owner had used an "early" timing chain, which is a couple links longer, but because of the difference in deck heights on the block, the cam timing is off and it ran very poorly. And yes, it actually did run... right up from Milton-Freewater, OR through the tri cities, through yakima, up the manashtash ridge, almost to Ellensburg, before spinning a rod bearing on a long climb... heh.

So, you need to identify what block and head you have.

 

[London Gentleman]

The thing is, is that the original and the replacement head both have the pear shaped exhaust ports and look exactly the same. We tried fitting 3 chains (the original, an 85 block with 87 head, and one Boonie Buster's dad supplied) they all seemed like they needed 2 extra links. The replacement head isnt an re so. Like I said we are just at a loss with a wheeling trip coming up and dont know what to do.

How can I figure out what year everything is?

 

[NotMatt]

The thing is, is that the original and the replacement head both have the pear shaped exhaust ports and look exactly the same. We tried fitting 3 chains (the original, an 85 block with 87 head, and one Boonie Buster's dad supplied) they all seemed like they needed 2 extra links. The replacement head isnt an re so. Like I said we are just at a loss with a wheeling trip coming up and dont know what to do.

I would double check what block you have then, since it sounds like you have an early block maybe and are trying to put a late head on it, which would cause that same problem.

Look at the block and see if you can find this keyhole shaped casting:

This is looking down at the side of the block from the driver's side. It should be near the motor mounts on the driver's side of the block.

If you have that, then you have a late lazer block, and it sounds like a late head as well, and in that case I'm not sure what the problem is... but if you can't find it, then you have an early block... and it sounds like a late head, from your description of the pear shaped exhaust ports.

 

[London Gentleman]

I have that saturn key hole thing. I just measured the original head and it was 3 13/16" from the mating surface to where the valve cover sits and the one I am puting on is 4 1/8". So this sounds a lil newbish but what could we do about this.

 

[NotMatt]

I have that saturn key hole thing. I just measured the original head and it was 3 13/16" from the mating surface to where the valve cover sits and the one I am puting on is 4 1/8". So this sounds a lil newbish but what could we do about this.

Sounds like you'll have to get a different head then... they don't interchange. You've got an early head, and a late/lazer block. It's a little wierd that it has pear shaped exhaust ports, but anything's possible, especially in the transition years from the earlier head and block to the later head and lazer block. Throw in the differences in the head when EFI or carb was an option, and you're bound to get some oddball stuff here and there.

 

[London Gentleman]

I also have a motor that I got so I could rob bolts off of it and it's a laser block with the Saturn deal and it is an 85 and the head on it also has the pear shaped ports and its an 87.The head measures the same as my original but the guy I bought the motor from said he rebuilt it about 5 times total and he said it just didnt sound like it was running on all 4 cylinders each time. What would cause the motor to run like that? Would it be a valve problem or something with the rings?