Wild Bill

I polished up the original tensioner pivot and it looks new, straight, no worries... but when I go to put install the tensioner arm, I have to tap it on with a mallet. Once installed it takes quite a bit of effort to get it to pivot. This doesn't seem right at all. I installed new, lubed bushings which seemed to fit the OD of the arm just fine, but the ID is a tight squeeze for the pivot. Do I have the wrong bushings or what?

TIA,
Bill

borland

It should be a snug fit.

Did you scrap the paint off the pivot arm? Apply moly grease to the pivot arm and bushing?

Wild Bill

No paint to be found, but properly lubed. This is the original pivot and in good shape. It polished up nicely with a fine crocus cloth.

Bushings were supplied by Vertex, PN = 928-105-613-04.

Thanks,
Bill

ErnestSw

It should pivot freely. There's something wrong.

Imo000

yes, there si somethign wrong. it shoud be an exact fit but nto tight like you mentioned. What color are the bushings? white or black? the 16V bushings are thin walled white and the 32V bushings are thicker walled black in color.

Wild Bill

The bushings I have are sort of a tan or dark beige color... distinctly not black or white.

I'm going to check part numbers from other sources to see if there might be some different S4 bushings...

Wild Bill

Checked PET, 928 Specialist and International... they all list the same part number, although Int'l shows a black bushing in their catalog and Specialist shows a tan one like mine.

Guess I better check the pivot again to make absolutely sure it is straight. If it checks out good, one would have to assume the bushings are wrong or bad.

Tempted to take some rubbing compound and lap the two components into a good fit. Hmmm...

the flyin' scotsman

Shouldn't be that tight. Look like this?

Wild Bill

Yep, thats what they look like...

SharkSkin

The rubbing compound will leave grit embedded in the plastic -- DON'T DO IT! You may have a "clone" part that's not quite right. Also check for anything in the bore that the bushing rides in that may be reducing the diameter.

Wild Bill

Good point Dave... nix that idea.

The original bushings were black in color. They were brittle and stuck in place, so they came out in pieces. Thought I checked the bore in the tensioner arm pretty thoroughly... Don't remember seeing rust or anything left behind, but it did take a good amount of force to drive the new ones in. Wonder if I may have mushroomed the front face a bit driving them in with a socket and hammer.

If I try to take 'em out to inspect the bore, they will certainly be ruined... AND the darn things are $17 something each... and more delay waiting on parts.

With the strong possibility of icy weather keeping us shut in, I was hoping to get the beast buttoned back up. Oh well, guess this is a job you want to make certain you have everything spot on... Time for a beer & a break!

ErnestSw

Bummer, but NOT a good place in the process to take any chances.

Bill Ball

Maybe it was the hammering, although the new bushings are brittle as well and will usually fracture before deforming. USE A C-CLAMP OR VICE NEXT TIME to push them in. They are very snug in the arm, requiring force, as you found to install them. The fit on the shaft should be just snug, without play, and not as tight as you are describing. Usually, paint on the rebuilt water pump is the cause of tightness on the shaft, but you dealt with that.

If you cannot get the arm off the shaft w/o ruining the bushings, then ruin the bushings. I'll bet you can get it off with them intact. Then look at the shaft again and maybe use a little emery paper on it. Look at the bushing edges for burrs from your hammering and chamfer the edges with a round file or the emery paper to make sure there are no burrs.

Imo000

My old bushings were brittel too. If you think $17 is a lot? My local Porsche dealer wanted almost $50/each. No wonder I ordered it from one of the big 3. The 2 bushings, 2 hoods shocks, shipping and customs were still well under what the bushings alone would have cost here.

Next time use a vise to squeez both bushings in at the same time. Hammering them can work but it leaves you with very little control.

Wild Bill

Yeah, the more I think about it the more I think I boogered 'em up a bit. Hind sight is 20/20... I thought the bushings would just tap in. When I found they would not, I whomped 'em on in instead of re-thinking the process. Often better to use brains instead of brawn... or xtra dollars for that matter.

For example, I manage to find replacement bearings for the idler rollers and PRESSED those into place with no problems. Saved me some scratch and they spin real fine now. Ya win some, ya lose some...