hi rewmer,
if you remove the oil filler cap you will be able to see the timing chain, you can reach it with your fingers and check if it is loose (the chain will be easy to move up and down on the gear) if it does require a strip down I would invest in a workshop manual and read up on what is required before you tackle it I believe you can get a CD rom off ebay for about a fiver you can then print off the relevant pages and if you cover them in oil you can print off some more!!