Resolved Solid Timing belt tensioner

[CoopsCoupe]

Anyone ever think of the advantages to a solid timing belt tensioner? I kinda don't agree with them but I had a friend ask me about them and I asked a few people. They see them as a good idea, but Would a solid tensioner be the way to go these days???

 

[snowborder714]

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/newbie-forum/245642-solid-tensioner.html

I wouldn't recommend it for anything other than a full race car as you'll have to check the tension very often.

 

[CoopsCoupe]

YEA, as I thought. The same for solid lifters. Have to trust the old hydralic tens... Thanks. More replies and Comments are welcome....

 

[Freerevving]

most cars have a solid timing belt tensioner... it doesn't hurt anything, but you have to start the timing belt off a little tighter

 

[blcknspo0ln]

most cars have a solid timing belt tensioner... it doesn't hurt anything, but you have to start the timing belt off a little tighter

Sure, but our cars don't. Why mess with an already good (and proven) thing?

 

[Defiant]

most cars have a solid timing belt tensioner... it doesn't hurt anything, but you have to start the timing belt off a little tighter

What? Oil-pressured tensioners are the usual.

 

[Freerevving]

What? Oil-pressured tensioners are the usual.

Yeah on a DSM... but I meant non-mitsubishi's. I know other cars have them too, but most that I've seen made around 1990 have either a timing chain or a solid timing tensioner.

 

[6bolt2gdsm]

What would be the problem with a solid tensioner? The hydraulic one on my 1g seemed to leak off when the car set for more than a day but after starting the car and running it, it was fine. Wouldn't a solid tensioner solve this problem and be better because it wouldnt leak off.

 

[slipstream808]

The belt is a long one. It will flex over time through use. So the tensioner is used to take up this slack over time. As well when it is rotating the belt will stretch somewhat, especially if you floor it and there is more torque. It's not much but again, the tensioner keeps things in check.

A solid one would require readjustment. When? I don't know that much, but unless it were on a racecar where I'd do it regularly and be working on it regularly, I wouldn't want to do it.

Hope that helps.

 

[6bolt2gdsm]

Thanks man that makes sense, so i pretty much just need to replace my tensioner.

 

[foxsdesignz]

ok,, i found it ones and now i cant find it,, it replaces the old hydraulic tensioners with one that is bolted in and you adjust it yourself,, i haven't heard or cant find any thing about them,, if they are worth the hassle,, because ive had problems with the hydraulic ones,,,,

 

[blcknspo0ln]

those are solid tensioners. The most common one seen here is the BLE tensioner. If you want my .02, a solid timing belt tensioner is not worth the potential aggravation because the OEM one works just fine.

 

[boosted86]

I'm going to have to disagree (to some extent), the hydraulic tensioner works, but fails with time (guaranteed). Sooner or later you will have to replace it. Granted the hydraulic tensioner takes up space that the belt sustains while it is stretched, but how much can a belt really be stretched?

I'm willing to bet my last penny that there have been more belt tension failures with the hydraulic unit then there have been with this BLE unit (comparing on the date when the BLE unit was presented to the market). I agree the downside to this BLE unit is you might have to adjust the tension on the belt with the solid tensioner, once say every 8 or 9 months, but at least you have a solid piece of mind that it will not fail.

I went with this BLE unit after my hydraulic tensioner failed on me (the infamous tensioner tick) and so far so good. And I have yet to hear of any negative feedback from the unit, other than the people that have not used it. my .02

 

[donniekak]

Best method is to use the factor tensioner with a washer welded to the body so that if it fails the tensioner arm can't go completly slack.
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k252/lnmccoy/ForumPics/tensioner1.jpg

 

[GST2012GSX]

Best method is to use the factor tensioner with a washer welded to the body so that if it fails the tensioner arm can't go completly slack.
http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k252/lnmccoy/ForumPics/tensioner1.jpg

I know this is very old, but that washer on the body of the tensioner actually removes the benefit of the tensioner taking the belt slack. I recently switched to BLE because the oem tensioner didn’t work out for me. Why do you ask? Well, the tensioner wasn’t able to keep up with the pressure of the valve springs so both cams were moving towards each other when the car wasn’t running and to be honest I didn’t like the belt having like one inch of slack on top in between the cam gears it look bad. My car is not a race car, but the brand new oem tensioner didn’t work for me because I was getting trigger errors every time the car started and because of the slack the timing belt had prior to start the car. Just wasn’t comfortable always thinking when are the valve are going to hit the pistons I might be over reacting but I couldn’t let go down the toilet 2k on work head and parts because of the oem tensioner.

 

[donniekak]

I know this is very old, but that washer on the body of the tensioner actually removes the benefit of the tensioner taking the belt slack. I recently switched to BLE because the oem tensioner didn’t work out for me. Why do you ask? Well, the tensioner wasn’t able to keep up with the pressure of the valve springs so both cams were moving towards each other when the car wasn’t running and to be honest I didn’t like the belt having like one inch of slack on top in between the cam gears it look bad. My car is not a race car, but the brand new oem tensioner didn’t work for me because I was getting trigger errors every time the car started and because of the slack the timing belt had prior to start the car. Just wasn’t comfortable always thinking when are the valve are going to hit the pistons I might be over reacting but I couldn’t let go down the toilet 2k on work head and parts because of the oem tensioner.

It doesn’t stop the damper from moving, it just keeps it from completely bottoming out if it fails.


You’re doing something wrong. We ran stock tensioners with kelford 294’s and kiggly race springs shimmed for over 140# of seat pressure. Zero timing issues ever.

 

[GST2012GSX]

It doesn’t stop the damper from moving, it just keeps it from completely bottoming out if it fails.


You’re doing something wrong. We ran stock tensioners with kelford 294’s and kiggly race springs shimmed for over 140# of seat pressure. Zero timing issues ever.

I went over and over about this problem, I'm not going to lie but I have done way too many timing belt jobs and this is the first time I have encountered this problem. I put the solid BLE tensioner and problem solved.

It doesn’t stop the damper from moving, it just keeps it from completely bottoming out if it fails.


You’re doing something wrong. We ran stock tensioners with kelford 294’s and kiggly race springs shimmed for over 140# of seat pressure. Zero timing issues ever.

The problem I had was the tensioner was completely bottomed out after a 20min or so and this was giving the timing belt enough slack to go completely loose up top like you could almost take the timing belt from the cam gears by hand. But maybe that washer could have done the job by not lettIng the tensioners close all the way. Maybe the tensioner I got from extremepsi was defective because it did the job at least for a week or so.

 

[donniekak]

I went over and over about this problem, I'm not going to lie but I have done way too many timing belt jobs and this is the first time I have encountered this problem. I put the solid BLE tensioner and problem solved.


The problem I had was the tensioner was completely bottomed out after a 20min or so and this was giving the timing belt enough slack to go completely loose up top like you could almost take the timing belt from the cam gears by hand. But maybe that washer could have done the job by not lettIng the tensioners close all the way. Maybe the tensioner I got from extremepsi was defective because it did the job at least for a week or so.

That’s a bad tensioner or improper setup. With the car running only the oil pump gear sees tension from the valve train. The tensioner just takes up slack as the crank gear throws slack belt at the exhaust cam gear. Tension starts at the front cam gear, more is added by the intake cam, and a little more to drive the pump. All this tension ends at the crankshaft.

 

[GST2012GSX]

That’s a bad tensioner or improper setup. With the car running only the oil pump gear sees tension from the valve train. The tensioner just takes up slack as the crank gear throws slack belt at the exhaust cam gear. Tension starts at the front cam gear, more is added by the intake cam, and a little more to drive the pump. All this tension ends at the crankshaft.

Thanks, I will be contacting extremepsi.

 

[EC17PSE]

Just to jump in and say the same thing. If the tensioner has bottomed out then you have a leaky tensioner and is faulty so needs to be swapped for a good one. Its rare to find a leaky or non sealing tensioner but it happens once in many.

Swap it out and will be all good again