Carrera chain tensioners?

[Zithlord]

I am installing a used set of Carrera chain tensioners(pressure fed) on my 71S engine. It had the original tensioners with safety collars. Following advice from this board and Wayne's book, I primed the CCT in oil to get rid of air inside before installing. I noticed that the old tensioners where impossible to compress by hand, but the CCT I could compress by hand when I primed them in a pan full of oil. Is this normal, that it is possible to compress the CCT by hand using "full" force? Will they get the same resistance as the originals when the oil pressure builds up? Just wanted to check so that I do not ruin anything by the chain skipping on the “toothed wheel” because of low pressure on the chain.

Thanks
John

[Mr9146]

If you submerge them in oil and pump them a few times with channel locks the squishyness you speak of should disappear completely in three to five pumps. At that point you'll need a bench vise to slowly compress the tensioner to re-insert the pin.

[Zithlord]

What is "channel locks"? I just submerged them and pumped them 5-7 times, but I could still compress them some by hand....

John

[Mr9146]

Channel Lock is a type of plier.

They should get rock solid if properly bled...

[Sigurd]

Channel locks is "vannpumpetang"

[Zithlord]

Ok, I removed them again and submerged them in oil and pumped many times, pushing the pistons almost all the way in. They did not become "rock hard" at all. Just "firm" I can still use my hands with all force I can push the pistons about 1 cm down. Could both be broken? In Wayns book he states that he has never heard of a broken pressure fed tensioner....... (the old original tensioners are impossible to push in by hand)

Another thing, I am using the original idler arms with the factory spacer. Even if I push the tenioner all the way in on the mounting bolt and tighten the 13mm nut, there is play in the spacer, about 2,5mm, is this normal? Its not possible to move the tensioner further inn on the bolt because when I look "behind" the tensioner and its metal against metal(when I looked at the inner part where the tensioner slides in on the bolt)

This job is starting to get me pixxed...

John

[Zithlord]

I got this answer over at Pelican, and if I am not missreading Tim, he says its normal that the tensioner dont get "rock hard" after priming but get very hard when the oil pressure builds up when the engine runs.

I had a oil fed tensioner fail, so replaced it with a new tensioner. I tried to prime it, but as much as I tried, it never stiffened up. I installed the new tensioner and and oil line without putting on the tensioner cover, I cranked the engine without starting it to build oil pressure. The tensioner stiffened right up. I buttoned everything up and joy, no chain noise.

I guess mine are failed and that the problem is the check valve in the bottom that are supposed to very slowly let oil seep out when the tensioner are under pressure, for example in a vise?

John

[Tom F.]

John, I think that most would agree that it is just as important to update the tensioner levers to the later style, as to update the tensioners. Just a suggestion, but once you put the motor back in the car, it becomes a chore to change the levers. The clearance you describe is normal, by the way.

[Mr9146]

If you can compress them all the way by hand I'd say you've got problems; you should need to use a vice.

As for the book you're reading, I wouldn't take anything in that book as gospel. I've seen a brand new Carerra tensioner fail.

[larwik]

Marco...wouldn't you agree with Tom F that also changing the Idler-arms to the "Carrera-type" with the wider(better radial support!) bronze "sleeve-bearing" sliding around the steel shaft instead of the possibility of the "Aluminium-to-steel" galling of the standard one, is better ?...I'm interested to know if the failing "Carrera-tensioners", people speak of, had the old style of idler-arms with galling of the shaft as the real culprit.... we wouldn't want our friend, John to have a break down on "Hardangervidda" would we?...
However, it adds a few "Norska Kronor" to the whole operation...but the net result is what matters..../ Lars...