did you change the chain while you had everything off??
how much slack was or is in it???

How are the engine oil cooler lines from the rad to the filter housing? I had a bad engine oil leak which I thought might have been the front cover. After power spraying the engine and checking for leaks again I found that it was actually the hoses that were leaking. Seeing that yours is the same age as mine it may be worth a check. The wind blows the oil back over the engine making it difficult to pinpoint...I thought I was gushing from everywhere....phew!

I don't think it was the cooler lines. I've had them off, and so has the dealership, with no change in leakage. Right now, I think it was mainly the front oil seal and the front cover. When I got the balancer off, there was oil sitting on the inside (I tried to take a pic of it). The exsisting front cover gasket has a few areas missing (aka, not stuck to block), with no trace of the missing pieces stuck to cover or broken off when I removed it.

The timing chain, as you can see, has quite a bit of slack taken up by the tensioner, and the other side has about 1/4 inch or so sideways play in it. The FSM says no more than one inch, does that mean with or without the tensioner taking some up?

Two questions:
What is this little ring? I found itnear wear I was working. It is a little bigger in diameter than the oil pressure check valve (pictured). I don't know if it even belongs with the car, because I can't find any indication of it in the FSM, nor did I see it before I found it on the ground. I just need to know before I put everything back together.

Should the center gear of the oil pump be movable from side to side? From looking at things, I think it should, but I'm not sure. I took a pic with it to the side.

If noone knows, I'm just gonna forget about it and put everything back together.

My timing cover mounted cam sensor has some scoring on it from the magnet. The magnet itself had filings stuck to it. I cleaned both off. I haven't run the car yet. Would the condition of either be a problem?

Anyone know about timing chain slack?

Anyone know what that ring is?

haha....i just realized those are your knees..