Hello,
I had been experiencing low oil pressure, and after double-checking with a mechanical oil pressure gauge I decided it was time to replace the pump. So I pulled the pan off (after much difficulty!) and was examining the inside of the engine when I saw that the timing chain seemed to have an excessive amount of play in it (I didn't measure it, but would guess perhaps 1/2"?).

I'm a relatively new owner (2k-ish miles by me, 125k total), and I have none of the PO's maintenance records (stupid mistake number 1). Is there a timing chain tensioner, and would that have been a routine maintenance item to adjust? Is there a way to adjust the tension to take the slop out of the chain? Finally, could my low oil pressure problems initially have been caused not by the oil pump but rather by too much slack in the timing chain? The car hadn't run rough at all.

Thanks for your help!

-Pete