tensioner wont hold tension, need help please

[leggomieggo10]

alright, im trying to get this damn car ready for the meet on sunday, just when i thought i had it i was wrong.. i bought a 60k for a 92 3000 sl, got a GOOD 3sx tensioner not a shitty advance tensioner.

when i time the car it holds fine, even when i spin the crank by hand it holds fine, but when i start the car the tensioner i guess you could say loses tension. i figured i got a bad tensioner so put the old back one, that was holding perfect tension, an it did the same exact thing.

i was lucky, no bent valves. im not doing anything any differently than the dozens of 60k ive done before.

I dont know what it could be, i need help if i want to make it to the meet.

thanks guys

heres a pic of what the tensioner looks like after the cars been started an ran for about 30 sec.

[$$$PIT]

I can't see the tensioner rod at all. Is it the pic or is it all the way in?

[SpdDmnVR4]

I just had to replace mine with a New OEM one. I had a OEM one on it that failed last weekend with only 9000 miles on it. They do go bad. All I can say is that you either have the tension on the belt too tight and it's pushing the plunger back in, or you have two failed tensioners on your hands.

[GTwizard]

bad tensioners. It happens. Only had 1 bad tensioner from mitsu. Most all other brand tensioners I have ever used failed. That beck arnley crap don't last 3 months. Mitsu only.

[Deathstrike]

Just replied to your post on 3sofflorida. Take a look. Tensioner pulley looks a bit past the 12 o'clock point in addition to no plunger

[leggomieggo10]

i would go with two bad tensioners except the fact that the old one was holding tension before i did the 60k, so its a good tensioner. an the plunger is pushed back into the tensioner.

[green-lantern]

It compresses while it’s running?

[SpdDmnVR4]

You are describing the exact same symptoms as me. I tried turning the car over by hand and it would hold tension. The minute you started the car, the plunger would push back inside until you turned the car off and rotated the crank by hand again. And somehow, your old tensioner failed while sitting in your garage.

I recommend getting a new OEM mitsu tensioner. They are more expensive, but I have heard nothing but bad about Beck/arnley and other knockoffs

[leggomieggo10]

yes, its compressing when i start the car.

and ill say it again, this is NOT a shitty tensioner from advance, both of my tensioners are from 3sx.

[$$$PIT]

Well, wherever they came from "They no good".