I recently replaced the timing components and head on my 2.2l after the timing chain grenaded. So I followed the manual instructions on making sure that the timing was set correctly and I'm 100% sure that the timing is good and all the marks lined up on the cams and crankshaft. I then activated the tensioner and check the slack between the camshaft gears and it was nice and tight.
After everything was lined up I turned the crank by hand to make sure everything was good. For anyone that has done this you know that the crank goes through a cycle of being easy to turn and then hard to turn based on the crank position. I noticed that right after the crank became easy to turn that there seemed to be slack in the intake side of the chain. I checked the exhaust side of the chain and the tensioner seems to keep that side very tight but there still seems to be slack on the exhaust side between the exhaust camshaft and the crank. Is this normal? If i turn the crank about 1/8th or 1/2 rotation, the slack goes away. I just want to make sure this is normal before starting the car and being back where i started.
It is good to hear that although i don't get why there isn't something to pick up the slack on the exhaust side as well. My worst fear was that i would go to start it up tomorrow only to have it skip and destroy my new head.
Exhaust cam? Why do I get the feeling you're not talking about the LN2?
Go beyond the "bolt-on".