Alright, i got all the 3.0 stuff on the 3.0 tightened down and properly lined up but the timing chain tensioner is causing me problems. It seems like the chain tensioner closes at a certain point when im turning the crank and then allows slack in the chain until i turn it some more and the tensioner pushes the little piston out and applies tension to the chain again. Is this normal? It completely pushes in..its weird.
are the tensioners always applying pressure when there is oil and everyhting is sealed up?
i have turned the crank probably over half a dozen times and im trying to get the colored links to line up but its taking forever, they do eventually line up again, right? im not going crazy am i?
im ready to put this thing together!

 

ok you're making good progress, dont give you, you almost there.

OK, from what I experienced, there are times that the vavle springs themselves will (at some given cam angles) apply pressure to the cams to spin in a certain direction. When you have the rear bank cams pulling up on the chain, and the crank at the bottom is pulling it towards the water pump, it puts ALOT of pressure on the chain, against the tensioner.

Did you make sure to prime the tensioner enough? Becuase even when ^^ was happening to me, it never fully compressed like you say its happening with you. Are you sure you put the spring inside back in?

 

The tensioner going in and out as you turn the crank normal. That's what the oil pressure prevents.

The links won't line back up for a while, but that doesn't mean the timing is off. As long as it didn't jump teeth while turning it over you're good to go.

 

i just played with it some more and your right, the chain is putting alot of pressure on the tensioner and its making it go in. When this happens the chain between the cam sprockets is REALLY LOOSE. that cant be normal can it?
i appreciate the help guys.
how do you prime the tensioner? it slides in and out okay, i took it off and took the piston and spring out and put it back together.

chain is tight everywhere except between the sprockets for that portion of the turn, its weird.

i see what your saying about how its applying the pressure in both directions, but how do i keep it from doing that. or does it not matter when its all spinning real fast

 

okay i got the timing case on and everything. but there was a problem when installing it, the left "guide pin" would not go in because the hole wasnt deep enough it was almost like there was something stuck in the rear timing case, but i wasnt about to take it off AGAIN to find out,so i just tapped that thing on there and the pin started popping out the back of the timing case because it was bottoming out...wtf. i think its on there fine though.
now i have questions about the oil pan. there is that coolant line coming out the back of the block, can i use the oil cooler from the 3.5 or whats up with that set up?

 

anyone know if i can run the oil cooler on the 3.0 pan?