Re: V6 cam belt tensioner

[George Graves <gmgraves@domain.elided>]

My mechanic feels very strongly on this issue. After having to do a 
couple of top-end rebuilds on call-backs after he changed the belt but 
not the tensioner, he now insists that the customer replace the 
tensioner EVERY TIME the belt is changed. If they refuse, he puts a new 
one in anyway, and eats the cost. He says that its cheaper than a 
rebuild at his expense, or a day in small claims court trying to 
convince the judge that the customer initialed the note on the invoice 
acknowledging that he understood that he was taking a risk by not 
having a new tensioner installed. He calls it cheap insurance.


George Graves


On Sunday, September 15, 2002, at 02:27  PM, alfa-digest wrote:


> Date: Sun, 15 Sep 2002 12:01:40 -0700 (PDT)
> From: ethan schartman <eschartman@domain.elided>
> Subject: Re: V6 cam belt tensioner
>
> i've gone through 3 mech belt tensioners - the first
> went of it's own accord on a cold january day, before
> i knew anything about my engine.
>
> the 2nd broke on installation (i "over-torqued" it).
>
> the 3rd broke while resetting the timing at 6k from
> valve replacement (while trying to diagnose a sluggish
> response problem i noticed it had skipped a tooth).
> this one broke because i let it snap back from the
> retracted position.
>
> IAP claims the manufacturer had a bad run and that
> they're okay now. IIRC, they said that you could tell
> if you got a bum one by noting something about how the
> pointer lines up (or fails to) with the mark on the
> body. i didn't pay too much attention 'cause i've
> decided that a zat style is less ugly than mangled
> valves. even if i have to replace the timing belt at
> every oil change i'd be coming out under the cost of
> replacing valves.
>
> i reckon you could convert back to hydraulic, but
> you'd probably need a machinist's help (if you aren't
> one yourself).
>
> regards,
> ethan schartman
> '87 milano gold (ring job nearly complete!)
> princeton, NJ
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