Re: alfa-digest V8 #346

["Teruhiko Higashi" <Teruhiko_Higashi@domain.elided>]

alfa@domain.elided writes:
>Date: Sun, 6 Jan 2002 17:30:29 -0500
>From: Joe Elliott <jee@domain.elided>
>Subject: hydraulic tensioner
>
>My goodness, what a busy Sunday this has been for the Alfa Digest.
>
>Anyway, I'm in the process of rebuilding an old hydraulic tensioner 
>(thanks, Obie) to put on my GTV6 (the Zat unit on there now is just 
>too scary), and I have a couple of questions.  Have any of you ever 
>rebuilt one of these things with the kit from AR Ricambi before? 
>Where do all the dang o-rings go?  Also, before I trust my valves to 
>one of these things again, I'd like to know how exactly it works. 
>How can oil pressure be related to the thermal expansion of the 
>engine?  I know it gets thinner as it gets warmer, but pressure also 
>drops when revs drop.  So does this thing tighten the belt when I rev 
>the engine?  And what keeps the belt from falling off on cold starts? 
>I believe you all when you say it's more reliable than the mechanical 
>unit, but I'd really like to know why it works in the first place.
>
>Thanks,
>Joe Elliott

When you remove the cover, be aware that there is a spring underneath that
will pop the cover off.  I think I used strapping tape the second time I
did it to keep the cover in place.   I was lucky to find the spring and
hex screw the first time everything went flying.  The unit will still leak
after a short while.  Maybe Ricambi has better o-rings now.   I finally
went over to Sperry's unit. He has an o-ring with a coiled spring around
it. That one too is starting to leak now but it lasted 100K without a
leak.  Unfortunately, I do not think he is converting those tensioners any
longer.  I think there is a problem in getting the seals now.  

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