Nissan Primera Timing chain tensioner

On my dads p10 egt it has the common timing chain rattle on startup but this one is really bad just wanted to know if he replaces the tensioner will this stop the rattle, also why does it go quetier once run for a few seconds because the tensioner doesn't seem to be hydraulic, and does anybody know how much they are new and is it as simple as old one out and new one in. Thanks

well my engine is in bits all around the garage at the moment, and whilst it is in bits we decided that we would replace the chain and tensioner and allsorts.

the kit from nissan costs over £300

this kit for a p11 below cost me £130 from a local motorfactors. imported from chicago and here the next day.

but as g says if it is only there for a few seconds then it isnt worth doing it is a bitch of a job. and it costs a lot more than just the £130 pound stated above in just man hours. i.e. the sump has to come off to get the timing casing off. so you have to buy gasket maker on top of that (there are no gaskets on the bottom half of the engine) the only reason we are doing mine is because it was all in bits anyway

sorry yer if your replacing just the tensioner it aint too hard but chances are if its wound all the way out then the chain aint too good. so if your replacing the chain aswell then its a huge job, 

The tensioner is hydraulic. As Colin pointed out above there are different tensioners. The early ones have coarse teeth and a small oil feed hole, slightly later ones have a larger oil feed hole but still the coarse teeth. The latest ones have the large oil feed hole and fine teeth.

The significance of the finer teeth is that if the tensioner isn't quite out to the next tooth on the coarse one then it drops back in with no oil pressure and only goes further out when there is oil pressure. If the chain stretched a little or the guides wore a little then it would go onto the next tooth and probably stop rattling as much. With the finer teeth the chain doesn't go as slack when the oil pressure isn't present.

The upper chain guide ( K. in sams pic ) can be removed if its fitted. This can cause a rattle on some engines and isn`t detremental to remove it.