replacing timing chain

I'm trying to find out what is wrong with a jeep I bought (73 258). The previous owner described as a sudden problem. Ran fine, his wife drove it to the grocery store and suddenly it didn't want to run worth a crap. (we've all seen this scenario before... wink, wink, nudge, nudge )

In a short period of time it went from barely running to only backfiring loudly while attempting to start it. The motor now wants to start but it won't. My assumption is that it is a timing problem. I'm gonna start by checking the distributor gear and changing the timing chain, as these seem like the most likely cause of problems.

So my questions are:

1.) Before I get wrench-happy is there an obvious explaination I have overlooked and/or a common problem with 258's that can cause this? BTW I rebuilt the carb thinking that it might be part of the problem-it didn't help or hinder the problem. I suspect that when I fix the problem I will have wished I'd left the carter alone-my carb rebuilds always seem to help very little.

2.) I bought a chain but it came with no gaskets. What gaskets will I need or is this just an RTV job? Is there any tricks or tips to this project that may help?

Thanks in advance...

Matt

 

Oh yeah one more thing...

I did check the timing by setting the distributor to top dead center on #1 cylinder. This did not affect the motor.

Thanks again,

Matt

 

Can't hurt to change the timing gears. When I did my 304 on my '75, I just got a set of gaskets for doing the timing set and it was fairly cheap. I would use gaskets rather than RTV. Much cleaner and less hassle in the long run. Good luck.

 

Sounds like it jumped time. If you take the timing cover off, you'll need a gasket, the crankshaft seal, and a puller for the vibration damper.

The TSM (technical service manual) shows all this stuff. There's a '72 TSM online at c104.net - download the 6 cyl engine chapter. If you're gong to keep this car, I suggest you buy the TSM - it'll help a lot.

 

Check fuel filter and fuel flow, clogged can give similar symptoms.
Check that wires to coil are secure.
If you have factory tach, make sure those connections are secure... before tearing into that fun job that is the timing chain.

 

Thanks guys. I already checked fuel stuff and it seemed ok. I'm gonna try to on this pver the weekend. any other suggestions?

Thanks again,

Matt