treff-7

Hi everybody!
I would like to share my experience with the AC Delco timing chain tensioner I bought from Amazon a month or two ago. I used it to replace the one that my car came with from the factory which was the latest design. I had weird noises coming from the engine and I suspected the tensioner. When I installed it and activated it by pushing on the top of the guide it did not click and didn't give me any positive feedback that it was engaged. I ended up pulling it back out to see if it was activated and it was so I did the whole procedure again. After that every time I started the engine it sounded like a diesel engine for a second or two and then it would quiet down. Last weekend I replaced all the chains, sprockets, guides and installed a new tensioner that came with the Cloyes kit. It looked identical to the AC Delco unit but came in a bubble wrap so I couldn't tell who made it (if it wasn't Cloyes). When I activated it I could clearly feel that the spring was pushing on the guide. The AC Delco unit had a very weak spring that is too weak to overcome the resistance of the oil trapped inside it. When I held it in my hand after pulling it out I could push the cylinder in easily and it would stay stuck until I worked all the oil out of it. Now the engine makes no weird sounds and starts up quiet. You could say that I must have got a bad tensioner from AC Delco but I also have a 2011 Equinox I bought new and it does the same thing at start up from day one. I will replace the tensioner on that one as well and see if it gets better.
If you had a different experience, please, let me know!
Thanks!