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Must be. Both tensioners have oil fed to them internally. At this very moment is occurs to me that the oil pressure may not enough to provide adequate tension and the ratchet is constantly needed, even when running, but it may be that the oil pressure provides primarily dampening.
Originally Posted by m_ridzon
How would it have deactivated itself? It's been installed for 80K miles and I'm 110% sure I activated it during installation.
It broke? I had chain noise on a 2008 LS, which had an old-design timing tensioner, and replaced it with the new design. Nothing else. Instant quiet. (I know I’ve mentioned this previously in this thread.) It was activate after installation, btw.
Originally Posted by m_ridzon
That's good information and you are correct, in that I did not do this. At 100K miles I installed the new chain. The tensioner was un-released as I pulled it from the manufacturer's box. After insertion to the engine, I did the required "bump with soft object" to release it, which opened it like it should to tighten the chain. Again, around 150K miles, I had my engine apart for other repairs. At that time, with the proper tools, I reset the tensioner to its un-released position on my workbench. Again, I inserted it to the engine and did the required "bump with soft object" to release it, which opened it like it should to tighten the chain.
UPDATE: Last night, I removed the tensioner from my engine. It was fully released as it should be. I'm ordering a new tensioner to compare the spring tension of the new one versus the old one. I want to see if my old tensioner has lost spring tension. If so, I may just install the new tensioner to buy another 20K miles, which was my original hope. I could be wrong though, and end up replacing the whole set now. *shoulder shrug* I'll see what happens and let you folks know.
I learned that ZZP now sells an allegedly extra strong front guide. Never heard of it so maybe it’s a brand new product?
BUT, alarmingly, they have a video that “recommends” activating the timing tensioner before installation. This is the second video I’ve seen to recommend this. Daft, in my opinion.
Last edited by PulpFriction; Oct 21, 2022 at 12:28 PM.
I talked to to a VERY experience mechanic who says if you need to replace the timing tensioner and you’re not doing a chain job, you can just install the new version and let the slapping chain initiate it, saving taking the valve cover off. Claims it’s never bit him. Reckless or calculated risk? I one thought the latter but now that I’ve Ecotec valve covers off a few time, it seems quick and easy and I think, why take the chance?
And you're changing the tensioner because of rattle. What's causing the rattle is also causing damage to the timing components. So you're taking a risk even by changing only the tensioner.
Unless it's a new timing set and you think it's a defective tensioner.
Do I have to say it again?
There is no "old" and "new" type tensioner. The non-VVT engines had a fully mechanical tensioner, the "old" style. The VVT engines always had the hydraulic tensioner.
Yes, there have been a couple of modifications to the hydraulic tensioner, I'm pretty sure they were part number consolidation.
They both have their limits; if they go too far they don't work and replacing just breaks a perfectly good part.
Again, what I said. The one with the Non hydraulic one was used in the non-VVT 2.2L. the 2.4L always was VVT and used the hydraulic. The hydraulic works in the non-VVT engine, maybe better or it was just a part number consolidation. They both have a spring and ratchet element to them. They both have a upper limit beyond which the chain is toast. Putting a new hydraulic tensioner in to replace a stretched to the limit one might help for a while before the chain lets go, just because it is new. Rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. Bad advice, do it if want to save some money before you blow the engine up.
