Hello floks.......

Time for me to replace the chain tensioners

Is it an easy DIY job
I am an average skill
How long it usually take to perform the replacement
someone can give me the step by step
Thanks

Robert
2000 C4 3,4lt engine

 

Well, at the risk of opening a can of worms, what makes you believe the chain tensioners need replacement?

 

The official way to change them is to lock the cams when you change them. I changed mine by just locking the crank pulley and replacing them one at a time. Be sure you get the updated tensioners, the new ones have a spring change.

By the way, if you are doing this to get rid of clatter on start up, I changed mine and there was no difference.

 

Thanks for the info...

And yes the reason why i was looking to replace the tensioners was to illiminate the clatter on start up..so if you said after replacing them there was no difference i will let them as they are
Thanks again

Robert

 

San, did you replace your 4-6 bank tensioner? It's the hard-to-get-to one blocked by the A/C compressor. It's pointing down - that's why it leaks out overnight and cause slap noises. The new style is a 14MM allen head instead of a bolt head. I did the 1-3 and IMS tensioners and did not notice a change. I have the 4-6 but have not done it yet.

FYI... After sitting for a while I pull my fuel pump fuse (C4) and spin is over until I see the oil pressure gauge needle move. It aways cranks quitely after that.

 

Thanks DMW996

Let me know when yoiu changed your last tensioner.....i would really like to know if it makes any difference

 

Yes, it will crank quieter but you run the engine at cranking speed and the pump is not as efficient so the bearings get to run with residual oil longer than they would if you'd just let the engine crank and fire.

To start the engine with quiet chains means you are probably sacrificing bearing life.

 

No, I just did the 1-3 bank and the IMSB tensioners. I did, at one point, start the car while listening to the 4-6tensioner with a stethoscope and I couldn't hear any noise. At that point I gave up, after trying all kinds of oil viscosities and changing the tensioners, I figured it's probably valve train noise, and I'm not going to change all the valve lifters to check my theory.

I can live with half a second of clatter at start up.

 

Raby on here one time mentioned that the 4-6 tensioner is upside down compared to the others and loses its prime quicker and therefore the clatter on startup. The new design 4-6 tensioner is supposed to address this, but again I've not got mine installed yet to find out.

For the record mine 2001 has 69K miles and I use Motul 5W40 and have never found anything suspicious in the oil filter.

As an experiment I tried the fuel pump fuse removal just to see if it was tensioner related and sure enough it cranks as quiet as it should. Now I'm a little taken back that spinning the motor at a slower RPM diminishes the oil pumps efficiency and could harm the bearings?

What do you all think? Also as anybody out there repalced the 4-6 tensioner withthe new style and observed improved results?

 

Where did you come up with this invention? Priming the engine after long period of sitting is a very good idea.

 

Sigh. Priming the engine oiling system by running the oil pump -- without running the engine (which is doable for some engines) -- or by some other method feeding high pressure oil to the engine oil galleys is a very good idea, one I used more than once when finishing an engine rebuild

Cranking the engine using the starter motor to prime the oil system is not a good idea for the reasons I gave.

There is a reason why every automaker I know that when any engine fires up it spins up to over 1K rpms even if it then quickly settles down to its hot idle speed. This spin up does two things: It helps develop and sustain the hydrodynamic bearing (oil film) at the bearings and spins the gear oil pump up to produce oil flow and pressure to ensure that the bearing interfaces have sufficient oil.

 

Well I personally remove my plugs and squirt 90% Marvel Mystery Oil with 10% Zmax mixture into the holes if the car has been sitting more than 2 weeks. I've had to get a new garden mist sprayer though due to the boxer configuration. No rattles/noise/ or slow starting of any kind.

 

you are kidding right ? please tell me you are kidding

 

No, he's serious. Especially the part about using a garden sprayer. That's totally legit. 100%. No bull.

 

just when ya thought ya heard it all...another one pops up.