I'm done with hydraulic tensioners

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Might even be the belt thats causing it. If the belt stretches even a little

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If the belt stretches more than a little the teeth won't engage the cogs. When you think about it "belt stretch" is, by and large, a myth. The primary purpose of the "tensioner" is to be a damper, to keep the vibrations caused by the various shafts thumping as the valves open and close from harmonizing and pulling the belt off the sprockets. If all it was there for was tension a simple spring like in the SOHC would be all they needed.

I'm not trying to talk you out of using a solid tensioner but I cringe every time someone mentions "belt stretch"....

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Originally Posted by Steve '92ES

If the belt stretches more than a little the teeth won't engage the cogs. When you think about it "belt stretch" is, by and large, a myth. The primary purpose of the "tensioner" is to be a damper, to keep the vibrations caused by the various shafts thumping as the valves open and close from harmonizing and pulling the belt off the sprockets. If all it was there for was tension a simple spring like in the SOHC would be all they needed.

I'm not trying to talk you out of using a solid tensioner but I cringe every time someone mentions "belt stretch"....

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Belts definitely stretch. I have cut some of my old ones apart from my 4G63 back in the day and one was roughly 1/2in longer.

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Originally Posted by Rocket

I had belt whine the last time I drove my car :( It sounded almost like the whine of a supercharger... then clang clang clickity clickity of the valves striking pistons. The water pump pulley separated from the water pump. I will tear the tensioner apart when I pull the motor in a few days, but I theorize that the tensioner may have failed and not let off when it needed to. I am also going to check the water pump to see if it was OEM too. Belt whine scares me now.

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That is most likely caused by the water pump seizing up. The belt whine I am getting is very faint, it even has it with a hydraulic tensioner.

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Originally Posted by steve68

Water pumps tend to fail after the headgasket. Cooling system gets over pressurised, blows coolant past the seal and into the bearings, then the bearings seize, it's all over.


Steve

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You're an idiot. Water pump failure can happen at any time and has zero to do with head gasket failure other than if you dont pay attention then a bad water pump can cause a bad head gasket.

Do you make this shit up as you go along?

Water pump spins freely. That is what bugged me about the thing. Headgaskets are fine too. The pulley separated from the water pump right out the front of the timing. cover. May have just been a bad pump, the pulley was pressed on and may not have been pressed properly. <shrug>

Its not the first time that has happened. Thats what happens when you buy junk water pumps.

Was on the car when I got it.. I plan on checking it to see if it was OEM or not. <shrug>

I'd better check mine. I bough a complete kit from 3SX 2 years ago but can't remember if it was OEM or cheap aftermarket. I think the only non oem bit I bought was the MLS head gasket though.... hmmm

Its mostly the original pumps that came with the car that fail if they are not replaced before the 100k mark. Ive never had a replacement pump fail. It may just be that they arent old enough yet

While mine is on the engine stand I am seriously thinking about cutting about an inch and a half hole in the timing cover that I can put a rubber plug in. If I position it just right and a little high so it clears the crank pulley it should make a nice little inspection hole for checking the tensioner.

I see no reason why such an inspection hole might not come in handy for monthly checks. Sounds reasonable to me.