Timing CainTighten and Pop when rotating crank

Asked by Kris Dec 15, 2017 at 11:13 AM about the 2002 Dodge RAM 1500

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

Got a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 with a 4.7L engine.  Replaced the head gasket which required disassembling the timing.  Trying to get the timing chains set, but somewhere in the middle of rotating it the chain started tightening when the crank turned and adding a lot of tension to the turning, and then popping and allowing a lot of slack to tighten back up and well, rinse and repeat.  

What should I be looking for?

2 Answers

101,755

The only suggestion I can make is that you have an incorrectly indexed timing chain, camshaft sprocket, or crankshaft sprocket. If you don't have a repair manual pick one up and follow it exactly for replacing the chains. I'll assume you didn't remove the crank sprocket and chain, and only removed the two cam chains. You'll have to index those correctly. You should, if you haven't already, also replace the plastic bull**** tensioner/guides this engine uses, biggest failure rate in this design.

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