Replace timing chain tensioner without ripping apart timing cover?

[foama]

Update on this car:
Car just showed up here for an oil change. It sounds completely different now. It still has a hint of clack but nothing like before. I took it for a drive around the block and the clack/knock under load is hardly noticeable now. I guess before changing engines going forward I'll give molasses(15w40) a try...

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A family member has an old Corsa 3cylinder GM car, that a previous owner ran with a totally wornout timing chain. The chain was so loose, it rasped a lot of cast aluminium away and produced handfuls of aluminium shavings that circulated in the engine. At least a handfull was removed from the dropped oil pan and shavings were all around the inside of the timing chain cover, camshaft cover, etc. The bearings look badly scarred. Instead of Dexos style 5W30 it now runs with 20W50 oil, and uses half a pint od that every 1000km, but at least it runs and doesn't even smoke.

[andriu33m]

@Eggman @foama I meant transmission oil/fluid leak (Updated the post to avoid confusion).

@foama @Fummins The GSP and FEBEST part numbers provided have been very useful to find the joints online in the UK. I was struggling a lot to find new entire aftermarket driveshafts compatible with the part numbers supplied by the dealer (3815A427 and 3815A428). I have found a few new aftermarket ones compatibles with 3815A423 and 3815A424 but according with mitsubishipartswarehouse.com these are for automatic and 427 and 428 ones are for manual. I wander what would be the difference between the manual ones and the automatic ones



Just yesterday I managed to find an online shop that have 427 in stock but not 428. So now I'm deciding between going for the outher cv joint for the driver side driveshaft or await stock/keep searching for a compatible with 428 one.

https://www.jandrcvjoints.co.uk/mits...ive-shafts-509

From the dealer may buy the Fill/Drain plugs, washers and driveshaft seals as I couldn't find them anywhere else by those part numbers.

Maybe does anybody knows any aftermarket compatible part numbers for those?

[foama]

The difference between driveshafts for MT and CVT-automatic is, the wrong sort will definitely not fit! Manual car? Manual driveshaft!

A hundred quid for a complete driveshaft seems quite reasonable, much better than the brothel prices you quoted for OEM parts previously! Of course you could just swap the outer and maybe the inner joint if needed, but if you do need both on a single shaft, a complete new aftermarket driveshaft would probably be cheaper and save labour time. Should you only need the outer joint, replaceing just that would be cheaper than replacing the entire shaft.

Fill/drain plugs are made of steel and bolted onto the softer aluminium gearbox. There should be no reason to replace them. The washer however should be replaced if not in perfect order, but it usually survives multiple oil changes. The washer is of aluminium or copper, has a 14mm hole, and is 2mm thick. I routinely put some thread sealant (not silicone) around the thread before putting it back in, just to be safe. A small tube of good thread sealant costs maybe five pounds and is readily available.

If you wanted to double check what original partnumber a certain part should be the equivalent of, you could simply enter the VIN into the Mitsubishi ASA software.

If you like, send me a PM with the VIN together with a list of the parts needed, I can send you the OEM part numbers back. That way, the correct driveshaft seals, being the ones on the gearbox can be identified and found. Saves pounds.

[andriu33m]

The difference between driveshafts for MT and CVT-automatic is, the wrong sort will definitely not fit! Manual car? Manual driveshaft!

I was so curious about the actual difference and after comparing specs I realised that
inner joints for CVT-automatic drive shafts (3815A423 and 3815A424) have "External Toothing differential side" = 25,
while inner joints for manual drive shafts (3815A427 and 3815A428) have "External Toothing differential side" = 23.

The reason why I may need a filler transmission fluid plug it's because the one it's currently fitted, doesn't seems that may last long:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvnmRE1FVPQ (0:35)

If you wanted to double check what original partnumber a certain part should be the equivalent of, you could simply enter the VIN into the Mitsubishi ASA software.

If you like, send me a PM with the VIN together with a list of the parts needed, I can send you the OEM part numbers back. That way, the correct driveshaft seals, being the ones on the gearbox can be identified and found. Saves pounds.

I wasn't aware of that software, thanks for that!

[foama]

The CVT driveshafts are probably also of different length. In short, they will certainly not fit a manual car.

Me thinks with the OEM part numbers from the ASA software you will have the correct OEM part numbers. You can search with exactly those numbers to find a part. Often if you search for a certain part for your car, you will not find anything, but searching for exactly that part number finds it. If you do find some part for your car, the OEM part number may be listed and thus confirm it fits.

In the video the seal is bad going worse. It shows both fill and drain plug, but no reason to replace plugs. Btw, fil and drain plug are identical. If you fear it might leak, use a good non-setting thread sealant such as Hylomar Blue (not a threadlocker, not silicone!) to coat the thread of the plug and for the sake of a good night's sleep, use a new washer! Never overtighten, the thread is in aluminium and can be stripped if too tight.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...acat=0&_sop=15

[Wallythacker]

A family member has an old Corsa 3cylinder GM car, that a previous owner ran with a totally wornout timing chain. The chain was so loose, it rasped a lot of cast aluminium away and produced handfuls of aluminium shavings that circulated in the engine. At least a handfull was removed from the dropped oil pan and shavings were all around the inside of the timing chain cover, camshaft cover, etc. The bearings look badly scarred. Instead of Dexos style 5W30 it now runs with 20W50 oil, and uses half a pint od that every 1000km, but at least it runs and doesn't even smoke.

I take it you do not have emissions testing in Germany. I really doubt any car using 1 qt. every 2km would pass. But they, stranger things have happened.

[foama]

I take it you do not have emissions testing in Germany. I really doubt any car using 1 qt. every 2km would pass. But they, stranger things have happened.

Half a pint every 1000km = 1Litre / 4000km
It doesn't smoke, is driven only long distances, so the Cat stays clean enough. A Litre of acetone in the tank before emissions testing and all is OK.