164 Tensioner Replacement

["Matthew Dooher" <matthew.dooher@domain.elided>]

Well I finally did it. I replaced the hydraulic tensioner with a mechanical
one.....

Last weekend while checking the oil level (No I don't trust idiot lights) I
noticed that my leaking cam seals had finally begun to deposit oil on the
cam belt. I am not in the position to pay for new valves at the moment so I
decided that the time had come to change the belt and fix the leaky seals.

Over the last few months I have been gathering instructions and parts and
making the required tools the do the job. I had also decided to try the
American mechanical tensioner instead of getting my hydraulic one re-kitted.

The first job was to replace the cam hub O-rings. I followed the detailed
instructions provided by Karl Maxon to do this job. I also made use of
detailed pictures and measurements provided by him to create a puller and a
cam pulley holding tool. The job was so very easy. I can't believe I put up
with leaking seals for so long. Leaving the old cam belt on at this stage
and having the engine at TDC meant that I would know if I made any mistakes
or slipped a tooth etc. The only mistake I made was to take off both hubs at
the same time. By doing this when you attempt to undo the other hub nut the
cam belt moves a little and of course the pulley on the first shaft is free
to turn because it is no longer keyed to the shaft. To put it another way,
the free cam shaft stays where it is and the one you are working on rotates
as does the crank shaft.

The replacement of the tensioner did not go quite as smoothly as I would
have hoped. I tapped the block and installed the stud with no problem but
had some difficulty with the adapter stud. I Cleaned out the hole properly
and then attempted to screw the stud in. It was quite tight so I checked out
the thread on the stud. It did not appear properly formed and looked sort of
"square" but figured "oh well I suppose it has to be tight". If you are
doing the job don't do that!. Naturally enough I didn't get the stud all the
way in and the only way it is ever going to come out is with vice grips. I
ended up drilling a bigger hole in the pivot point of the tensioner so I
could get it over the protruding shoulder of the stud. Apart from that
everything went fine.

I have always wondered what type of distributor tool the Americans on the
digest were using to loosen the power steering pump bolt. I have ended up
bending a spanner to fit. Now I know........ The Mechanical tensioner is
only half the size of the old one and I can actually see the bolt now. Easy
job. Used to take about half an hour to get that bolt off.....


Once again, Thanks Karl great advice and thanks to Alfa Bill and IAP for
various bits at half  the price of my local dealers.

Oh, and to Keith Larson. I know you are reading this... Ringing me at 8:30
last night to tell me how you got to sit in a new 166 and play with all the
buttons is not fair.  May your 33 sport wagon get jealous of the 166's
heated windscreen and rain sensitive wipers and refuse to let the windows up
next rainy day :)


Matthew Dooher
1989 164A
Dunedin, New Zealand
Phone	+64 3 479 7968
Fax	+64 3 479 7584
Matthew.dooher@domain.elided

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