Can't compress rebuilt tensioners

[wprater]

I rebuilt my 930 style hydraulic tensioners, but they are so firm I'm not able to compress them to install. Is there some trick, or did I fill them with too much oil?

[Trackrash]

Use a vice to compress them. Go slowly. You should not be able to compress them by hand.

[wprater]

Neglected to mention that I was using a vice.

"slowly" was the key I was looking for (thanks!) I was able to finally get them compressed, but they'll spring right back up after you releas the vice. I was going to test fit them, but I worry I won't be able to get them out either.

Is the solution to vice them slowly and somehow shove the vice in under the idler arm??

[cgarr]

Isn't there a hole for a grenade pin to hole them compressed?

[wprater]

Originally Posted by cgarr

Isn't there a hole for a grenade pin to hole them compressed?

these are not the pressure fed Carrera tensioners. But the turbo style hydraulic ones. They dont have the pin :|

[pond scraper]

This is what worked for me. Not saying its right, just what worked.
You need a bar clamp, vice grips and 2 L brackets with part of one side cut off



Make sure the tensioner pin is not sitting in a screw hole of the L bracket, flat part of bracket only, the side that was cut off. Compress everything together, lock down vice grips, position tensioner in engine, unlock vice grips and gently remove brackets. The (gently remove brackets) part was the hardest as the tensioners are supplying significant force.
I am sure there are better ways but in a pinch...

[john walker's workshop]

Bend up a tool from a strip of steel that looks like a rectangle missing one long side. Put the tensioner in the vise with 1/2 the shaft above the vise and slip the tool over the tensioner.

[mskala]

Originally Posted by john walker's workshop

Bend up a tool from a strip of steel that looks like a rectangle missing one long side. Put the tensioner in the vise with 1/2 the shaft above the vise and slip the tool over the tensioner.

Yes this is what I always did.

[wprater]

thanks for the replies. sounds like everyone is on the same page.

I don't quite understand John's advice of having the shaft half out of the vice.. ?

[TibetanT]

What John is saying is: "put the tensioner in the vise and allow the top of the tensioner (rod-end) to be above the top of the vise by a little bit."

That way you have some of the tensioner (rod) available so you can slip the tensioner tool over it to hold it in place. This allows you the ability to walk over to you car/engine and place the tensioner into its "home" within the Chain Housing and then, remove the piece of steel so the tensioner expands.

Hope this helps and good luck.

[wprater]

Originally Posted by TibetanT

What John is saying is: "put the tensioner in the vise and allow the top of the tensioner (rod-end) to be above the top of the vise by a little bit."

That way you have some of the tensioner (rod) available so you can slip the tensioner tool over it to hold it in place. This allows you the ability to walk over to you car/engine and place the tensioner into its "home" within the Chain Housing and then, remove the piece of steel so the tensioner expands.

Hope this helps and good luck.

Thanks, I get the concept. I just don't see how you can have half a rod extruding past a vice?! Maybe half of it's width could be sticking out?

All this is helpful, thank you all!

[john walker's workshop]

Tensioner laid flat in the vise, each jaw grabbing 1/2 the diameter of the shaft and the body. 1/2 the side of the shaft sticks up from the top of the vise so you can slip the retainer tool over it without opening the vise. Then open the vise.

[john walker's workshop]

Home made tool.

[Emo993]

Very nice John, thanks for a great explanation. Mark

[gereed75]

Use an appropriately sized hose clamp. The clamp will compress the tensioner, hold it compressed, and allow installation in the compressed state. Once installed, the hose clamp can be loosened and then slipped out of the tensioner housing. Voilą

[mb911]

Ok so dumb question as I haven't rebuilt a 911 engine in about 4 or 5 years but with the 930 tensioners or equal to . are people using stops as a failsafe now?

[al lkosmal]

I use John's method for the mechanical tensioners................but I re-purposed a very special tool.




regards,
al