Vandit

I did the distributor side last night and swear I put it back in in the orientation that it came out and the piston side of the tensioner was pointing up, toward the cap. I just took out the other side and the cylinder side was pointing towards the cap. Are they suppose to be in different directions or is one side wrong?

Vandit

Pic for reference.

Piston side left, cylinder side right

Vandit

Solved. Impatience got the best of me and I pulled the distributor side again. These pieces are side specific. The oil inlet on the nipple is on opposite sides on each side. The inlet points to the cap where it mates w/ the oil passage on the cap.

sschultze09

Vandit, I need to replace that gasket on the distributor side too. Did you have to pull the distributor to get to it? Or were you able to work around the distributor.
Thanks,

Vandit

You can work around the distributor. I removed the distributor cap to give myself a bit more room to work. I used a long screwdriver w/ a 1/4" bit adapter on the end to get the 10mm socket in there. They're not very tight to begin with.

It's a bit tedious and having small, thin, hands helps since these units are spring loaded and you have to hold the cap down w/ one hand while you place the washers and start threading the nuts.

I put a real thin layer of Hylomar on both sides of the gasket and made sure both surfaces were dry prior to reinstallation. I hope they stay dry. *fingers crossed*

speedbagger

sorry to resurrect this post but i wasn't paying the best of attention when i took these out and am now not sure which way they go in...

anyone have a better picture of the end that seats in the cap? is it different from right to left?

does this mean the piston end seats to the cap (points up) on the left and the cylinder (points down) to the cap on the right?

tia!

Vandit

The tensioners are side specific. Have you mixed them up?

Assuming you haven't mixed them up, look at the ends. The end w/ the nipple (small pinhole at the tip) is the end that points towards the cap.

speedbagger

no, i haven't mixed them left to right. just not sure if they're upside down....i'll take them back out and double check.

i didn't even notice the hole. thanks.

C4inLA

I have an oil leak on my 94 964 C4 and see small puddle of oil 1/2 inch to right of distributor side tensioner? May be the tensioner gasket. Two questions;

A. Just fingers pushing down on cap enough to have it not hit me in the face when loosening?

B. have all tech service manuals for my car and still can't find tightening torque values for the M6 cap nuts? Anybody?

Thx!

J richard

...

C4inLA

Thanks for the visual. Doesn't answer my questions just yet . I can just remove cap and will surely find out question A. Guess I can reverse a torque wrench into current nut tension to get close to spec value..

Vandit

It's the same size hardware as the valve covers, and those torque to 7ft/lbs.

C4inLA

Thanks. Had trusted shop do my last valve adjustment. So, think I will test the theory while calibrating my torque wrench See if VC nuts click around 7 and see what tensioner clicks at? I just thought with outward tension of spring, value might be substantially higher. Let everybody know what I find on my car.