jiggity76 Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 12 hours ago, j_train5344 said: Where do you get the hydraulic tensioner? I've looked everywhere for this and no one seems to carry them NOS ones to my knowledge are no longer available. You'll have to either reuse your old one if it's still good, or the used route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_train5344 Posted February 23 Report Share Posted February 23 Well damn. That sucks! Seen this thing? It's listed on eBay as the tensioner. Looks like it replaces the plate that holds the hydraulic guy in place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55trucker Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 As I stated previously the tensioner is not hydraulic, it's just a mechanical ratchet action sprung loaded device. That image you've provided is not the tensioner pulley at all, the belt may be the proper item....... the proper tensioner pulley is this........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_train5344 Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 I understand that completely. The picture I shared is of a kit. Items listed are 1 belt, 2 idler pulleys, and 1 tensioner. Picture shows the belt and what they're calling the tensioner. Wether it's a hydraulic actuator or a mechanical ratchet spring loaded device doesn't change the fact that they're apparently not available new. I was just wondering if anyone had seen this thing. Has anyone bought and tried it? Does it work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
55trucker Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 As Jiggity stated those tensioners are now made of *unobtanium*, you would have to service yours & reuse it. jiggity76 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_train5344 Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 Double damn. If I could pick you brain a bit...How do you go about servicing that part for reuse? Or is there a separate thread for that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiggity76 Posted February 24 Report Share Posted February 24 1 hour ago, j_train5344 said: Double damn. If I could pick you brain a bit...How do you go about servicing that part for reuse? Or is there a separate thread for that? This is a great overall video of not only the tensioner but anything having to do with servicing these wonderful motors. Like in the video, motor oil is used to top off the tensioner. There is a rubber plug that gives access to filling it. The video explains what is acceptable for the tensioner to be at as far as specs to be considered reusable. You'll have to skip forward a bit to find the appropriate sections of information. Hope this helps! 55trucker, pwmin and Amanita 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiggity76 Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 On 2/23/2024 at 5:32 PM, j_train5344 said: Well damn. That sucks! Seen this thing? It's listed on eBay as the tensioner. Looks like it replaces the plate that holds the hydraulic guy in place. Going from memory here but that pulley bracket doesn't look right to me. Not saying it won't work, just doesn't look OEM to me. I know you probably have seen this already but here's my motor when I was balls deep into it. I'm not sure where that bracket would live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jiggity76 Posted February 25 Report Share Posted February 25 On 2/23/2024 at 5:32 PM, j_train5344 said: Well damn. That sucks! Seen this thing? It's listed on eBay as the tensioner. Looks like it replaces the plate that holds the hydraulic guy in place. A better pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_train5344 Posted February 26 Report Share Posted February 26 Fantastic!! I've never seen this video. Thank you so much for sharing! There's a mountain of info in that video. Thank you so much for sharing! Also jiggity, that motor of yours is beautiful! I'm sure to reference those pics several times if I can get the Cutlass I'm looking at jiggity76 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 (edited) On 2/24/2024 at 4:00 PM, j_train5344 said: How do you go about servicing that part for reuse? Or is there a separate thread for that? The process is well-described in the service manual. I haven't done this in probably ten years. Going from memory... Remove tensioner from the engine. There's a rubber plug on the tensioner body. You remove the rubber plug, drain the old oil out of it, then refill with fresh synthetic oil of the proper viscosity--might be 5W-30, I don't remember for sure. The plug either has a tiny hole in it, or you PUT a tiny hole in it. The tensioner plunger is wound back into the main body with a wrench. You hold the plunger in place while cramming a wire into the main body through the rubber plug which locks the plunger--otherwise it just unwinds again under spring tension. When the belt is back on, tensioner reinstalled--you pull the wire out, which releases the plunger and tensions the belt. Confirm with the actual service manual. Point is, it's not hard at all to reset the oil-filled (but not "hydraulic") tensioner. Edited February 27 by Schurkey jiggity76, rich_e777, White93z34 and 1 other 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted February 27 Report Share Posted February 27 Schurkey is almost completely right but you need a small flatblade screwdriver to wind it back in is all. My main concern is once I need one next its going to be figuring out how to rebuild one or adapt something to fit as I've had more then a few fail in my time. Just a point of interest not that this anything to do with anything but I've done more LQ1 timing belts then most people and NOT ONCE have I actually gotten oil out of a tensioner. when I serviced the belt. I always put some back in... just thought it an interesting thing to point out. j_train5344, rich_e777 and jiggity76 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich_e777 Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 I have this task on the to do list that never seems to get any shorter. Thanks for the info dudes! jiggity76 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted February 28 Report Share Posted February 28 12 hours ago, White93z34 said: Schurkey is almost completely right but you need a small flatblade screwdriver to wind it back in is all. NOT ONCE have I actually gotten oil out of a tensioner. when I serviced the belt. I always put some back in... just thought it an interesting thing to point out. I'll accept the flat-blade vs. wrench. Truth is, I don't remember how I did it all those years ago. I have drained oil out of, and refilled the tensioners on the few belt replacements I've done--four, perhaps. Bake82 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_train5344 Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 Wonderful info guys! Truly...thank you! I just bought a 93 olds Cutlass with 108k mi. Confirmed for sure needs a timing belt. All of your info will come in handy guaranteed. Also doing plugs, wires, valve cover gaskets, upper and lower intake gaskets, and whatever else comes up in the process. Again, thank you all so much! Pics to come White93z34 and jiggity76 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 Great, For your first time set aside a LOT of time. have you tracked down the tools to service it? j_train5344 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_train5344 Posted March 9 Report Share Posted March 9 1 hour ago, White93z34 said: Great, For your first time set aside a LOT of time. have you tracked down the tools to service it? If you're talking the Kent moore kit, no i haven't. Admittedly, I haven't looked yet. I ordered parts and bought a car cover. I don't have a garage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted March 10 Report Share Posted March 10 (edited) My first timing belt replacement, I did not use any of the "special tools" from the Kent-Moore kit. With all the parts removed to access the timing belt but tensioner still installed, I used a "paint pen" to mark the belt and the toothed sprockets before the old belt came off. Then I counted the number of teeth between each painted mark on the old belt, and transferred paint marks to the new belt. The new belt then went onto the engine with the paint marks on the belt exactly lined-up with the paint marks on the toothed sprockets. Install tensioner, and allow it to take up the slack. Reinstall all the rest of the stuff removed for belt access. Done. Since then, I've used the various special tools, which does make the job go faster and allow for "perfect" OEM-spec cam timing, or adjusting the intake and exhaust cams differently if a person cared, and was exceedingly careful. I'm re-using the tensioner, and re-using the corregated bushing thingies that go between sprocket and cam on the earlier engines. (Later engines use a different system, but none of my belt jobs have been on the later-version engines.) Edited March 10 by Schurkey White93z34 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted March 15 Report Share Posted March 15 ^ What he said. If you wanna go the extra mile line up the timing mark on the harmonic balancer and check the flats on the cams, one bank should be up one should be down depending on the stroke Being a 94' If you wanted to do it "by the books" you absolutely could make your own cam hold down tools, you need but a piece of flatbar stock and a couple metric bolt(the size and pitch escapes me at the moment) to hold the cam flats down. But beware despite 94-97 LQ1s having the improved cam cogs I've still seen them get stuck on real good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BFB Posted July 30 Report Share Posted July 30 On 3/10/2024 at 4:23 PM, Schurkey said: My first timing belt replacement, I did not use any of the "special tools" from the Kent-Moore kit. With all the parts removed to access the timing belt but tensioner still installed, I used a "paint pen" to mark the belt and the toothed sprockets before the old belt came off. Then I counted the number of teeth between each painted mark on the old belt, and transferred paint marks to the new belt. The new belt then went onto the engine with the paint marks on the belt exactly lined-up with the paint marks on the toothed sprockets. Install tensioner, and allow it to take up the slack. Reinstall all the rest of the stuff removed for belt access. Done. Since then, I've used the various special tools, which does make the job go faster and allow for "perfect" OEM-spec cam timing, or adjusting the intake and exhaust cams differently if a person cared, and was exceedingly careful. I'm re-using the tensioner, and re-using the corregated bushing thingies that go between sprocket and cam on the earlier engines. (Later engines use a different system, but none of my belt jobs have been on the later-version engines.) Hey there, I’m new here and finding lots of great information in these forums. Though i’m in the same situation of not having the special tools and there’s been one big concern I’m worried about doing my timing belt myself. Do I need cam hold downs when just marking timing belt like you mentioned doing your first two times replacing a timing belt. I’m worried the cams will roll and self center when that timing belt pops off. I have seen videos of someone doing a timing belt without cam hold downs on a pre 94 lq1 and the cams didn’t move, though I have a 96 and not sure if that’s something to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schurkey Posted July 30 Report Share Posted July 30 Cams didn't move when I did the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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