• Welcome to the Contour Enthusiasts Group, the best resource for the Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique.

    You can register to join the community.

timing chain tensioners

S

SVT#4967

CEG'er
Joined
Sep 12, 2007
Messages
322
Location
Michigan
I just removed my timing components and was wondering what your thoughts are on replacing the timing chain tensioners at this time?

Would you recommend replacing as a preventative maintenance thing or should I just keep the ones that were in there?

Is there something I should look for on the current ones to indicate wear and that I should replace them, or something I should do to test to see if they are still functioning correctly?

I don't want to spend more money if I dont have to but I would also hate to have them go bad 10,000 miles down the road and have to go through much of this work again, or even worse cause more damage.

Mine appear to be fine, and working properly but I'm just asking to see what others thoughts are. Maybe you've been in this situation and didn't replace it but later they went and you wished you had?

My car is a 1998 SVT with ~130,000 miles on the original motor. Bought from the original owner and he didn't say anything about major service being done on these parts/areas.
 
BrApple said:
you can replace them if you want but it isn't often that the tensioners go bad ...
Click to expand...

I agree but for $85 or so it can't hurt. I replaced all the cam chain guides and chain tensioer arms. I feel I wasted my money there because my 107,000 mile old ones looked perfect. I only replaced one tensioner because as I was trying to set it up with the pin to retract the piston, it flew apart. When I reinstalled it I could never get it to work properly.

When I start my car now, I am get noise from my timming components more often than before the rebuild.

It also didn't help that I tipped the block over and about six of the HLA's fell onto the bench. I'm doubtfull now if I got all of them back to their original positions. LOL
 
exactly, for 80-90 do I really want to chance it. I mean they seem fine but this is my first time working with this type of tensioner, I'm used to manual ones. I just dont want to get it all back together and end up with a problem and have to tear it back apart again. But I don't want to waste money either, I've spent enough so far on this...

My guides and that look fine I would assume, not all scared up or anything.

Any tips for when I am resetting the tensioners? Like I said, I've never worked these before and the manual says you can damage them if you let something go before doing something else (don't have my manual in front of me right now, sorry).

And since you mentioned them, the hydraulic lash adjusters... How do I inspect them to make sure they are working properly. The manual just says to inspect them but fails to include how. I pulled them all out and put them in order along with the cam caps and roller finger followers, so I know exactly where they all go.
 
yeah, same as the manual states. Just wondering if you had any other tips besides whats stated in there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top