Tensioner failure or not

Va914 · 11-04-2005, 02:18 PM

I have a 2.2T that has non-feed tensioners. I do have the collars installed. The tensioner have been replaced by the PO with updated (but non-feed type) that need the spacer.

I was getting a slight noise (I could only hear it when blip'n the throttle by hand) when I came off fast revs. I traced it to the timing chain housing on the123 side of the engine.

I just pulled the cover and things look fine????

The collar is not touching the tensioner body and there is still room on top of the tension wheel.

One thing that may have a part in things is I do not think I bleed the tensioner when I reinstalled it. Since the tensioner is sealed does the oil act as a dampener? Maybe this is causing my noise.

911pcars · 11-04-2005, 04:28 PM

The tensioner should be completely filled with engine oil. If there's air inside, the tensioner will have reduced travel, or at least not able to take up all the chain slack. When I installed self-contained tensioners, I would submerge it in a quart can of oil and exercise the plunger until all air bubbles were gone before installation.

Sherwood

Va914 · 11-04-2005, 04:33 PM

Thanks..I will be doing that tomorrow.

Can I assume as long as the chain doesn't skip a tooth the cam timing will be okay?

If the chain gets slack but doesn't move on the cam shouldn't things bee okay?

I plan on ZIP tying the chain to keep tension but you know how it will go

I will have some slackness at some point.. I will mark the chain and cam with some white-out to make sure they stay indexed.

Sound good????

911pcars · 11-04-2005, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Va914
Thanks..I will be doing that tomorrow.

Can I assume as long as the chain doesn't skip a tooth the cam timing will be okay?

If the chain gets slack but doesn't move on the cam shouldn't things bee okay?

I plan on ZIP tying the chain to keep tension but you know how it will go I will have some slackness at some point.. I will mark the chain and cam with some white-out to make sure they stay indexed.

Sound good????

As long as the chain doesn't skip, the engine will be healthy. It won't be if it skips.

A floppy chain puts stress on the drive parts, especially the chain guides. It'll be okay until the chain hops a tooth.

I assume the zip ties are for the R&R procedure. The archives have other methods of maintaining the cam timing while the tensioner is removed/replaced.

Take care of this promptly.

Sherwood

aigel · aigel's Garage

Just sitting there is a different ballgame than running the engine. Use a large screwdriver and press the piston in the tensioner down. Unless it is VERY hard to compress, your tensioner is out.

The tensioner is basically a shock absorber. You can't look at your shocks while the car sits there and see if they are worn or not. You start rocking the car = different story!

Hope this helps,

George

PS: I recommend you go with the wider idler arms at the least and if you can, bite the bullet and install the oil fed tensioners. The narrow idler arms have no bushings and tend to get cocked and seize easier on the shaft.

bbh03 · 11-04-2005, 09:42 PM

Chain tensioners are too important to take chances with. Why not replace it and perform the oil fed upgrade while you have the housing open?

The old style are spring tensioned only, as I understand it, and they are sealed so there is no bleeding to be done with them. The oil fed ones must be purged of air before being installed.

Va914 · 11-05-2005, 08:27 AM

Open the bleed screw and NO oil came out.

I added oil and proceeded to bleed the tensioner by pumping the piston un a container of clean oil.

How hard should the rod be to push down? It has sopem tension but I can do it by hand. It pushed back up every time..I would think it would fall into the body it it failed, which is why the collar would be needed.

THe tensioner has the 930 part number so I think it was repaced by the PO with teh 1980+ tensioner, just not the oil feed type.

THanks

RetroSC · 11-05-2005, 09:02 AM

I'm no expert, but when I rebuilt mine there was no way you could compress it by hand... not even close. I had to use a magnum pair of channel locks to compress them.

aigel · aigel's Garage

RetroSC is correct. You can not compress it by hand. With a lever like a large screw driver, with a valve spring compressor or with a vice, but never truly by hand.

Your tensioners are shot and you have the wrong idler arms. No offense, but it is time to step up and put some new tensioners and idler arms in your engine. I am all for saving money, but tensioners are the worst area to save!

George