83 Chrysler with 2.6 mitsubishi engine- chain noise

I have a 83 chrysler T&C with 2.6 Mitsubishi engine. I bought the car
new, exported the car to Europe 5 years later and used it ever since
(as a second car). The car has driven more than 150.000 miles without
problem, until a few days ago. First a small rattling noise (timing
chain??), the next day engine warning light on (after cold start
indicating probably oil pump failure?)
This car, although common in the US, is a one of a kind in Europe.
Hence my attempt to keep it running for another 20+ years. No dealer
or repair shop in Belgium has ever seen an engine like this. So I'm
on my own to repair this myself (with the help of a friend of mine).
I have a Chilton repair manual (not very helpful for this), but no
detailed factory repair manual.
Can anyone help me with more detailed info on the timing chain or oil
pump chain? How to replace it? Would replacement of chain guides
only be sufficient? How to get access? Are there some shortcuts or
pitfalls? Pictures? Schematics?
I've been trying to locate a factory service manual on ebay, but this
would take 2-3 weeks to receive it in Belgium.
Can anyone help me with a digital copy of relevant pages of factory
manual on timing chain and oil pump change?
If anyone could help me with this, I would really appreciate this.
Thanks

 

Go to www.alldata.com and purchase a years subscription to, among other
things, the procedures and pictures right out of the factory service
manual. Your subscription will also include the full TSB's applicable
to your vehicle.

Your subscription and subsequent access to the on-line information will
be immediate. Additional vehicles and/or renewals of the subscription
are $15.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

IF the chains are worn and the guides shot, the chains, tensioners,
and chainnguides must all be changed.
Sometimes the engines get noisy all of a sudden if the tensioners
stick.
Try a flush and change to 20W50 oil and see if it quiets down. If not,
you've a lot of work ahead of you.
The countershaft bearings also can get "tight" causing the oil pump
chain to break or the sprocket to strip.

 

The chain case can be removed from this engine without dropping it out
of the van. I have done it myself to replace broken guides. The trick
is to undo the front centre mount and support the engine with a jack.
Remove the passenger front wheel and inner fender cover to engine.
Then jack engine up a bit to remove the upper chaincase bolts, then
lower it a bit to remove the lower bolts.

 

It's been a lot of years, but my Dad had one. His oil pump chain came off
while he was out in the desert, so it wasn't very convenient. I don't really
remember why it failed.. The chain guides rub all the time, so they'd
naturally be worn out badly on yours. I would think you'd want to replace
the chain as well. If for no other reason than it runs the oil pump.

 

I had an 87 that had that engine or at least it was a Mitsubishi 2.6.
As I recall, there was a port on the front of the chain cover to
adjust the tension on the counterbalance chain. Had an access hole
with a cover in the front wheel well. supposed to be done every 30K
miles. However, chrysler corp failed to list the adjustment in the
owners manual along with all the other periodic maintainance.

It got loose and went everywhere. I do remember being able to replace
the chain without taking the engine out.

I complained to chrysler about the failure to warn. There answer was
they would have paid for it if I had taken it to an authorized dealer
and not done it myself. Easy to say after the fact.

You might look to adjust, see if that stops the noise.

 

i can have the motor and trans laying on the ground in about 2 hrs and the
car up in the air and i find this a lot easier to then deal with