douche tensioner

i know i SHOULD replace the tensioner when doing my timing belt, but can i consider it "good" if when i get everything back together and run the car for, say 15 minutes, and the tensioner is within spec, .15 - .18 in.? i swear i saw that damn thing at SBR for like $35 and then i go look at it again and its $77...

another question while you are reading...are the 1990 headbolts torque to yeild? if they are not, is it safe to re-use them? i'm still going to replace them but they haynes manual says nothing about changing them. it said to change them in my 94 tracer about 10 times...just wondering...

Not replacing the auto tensioner is a chance you have to decide whether or not to take. It's like not replacing the water pump when you do a timing belt job--you may have to go take everything apart in two weeks if it fails. The downside with the auto tensioner is that you can jump timing if the auto tensioner slacks up.

If this is regularly scheduled maintenance, replace it IMO. If this is just an additional timing belt job or replacing the water pump or something between scheduled maintenance, I would reuse it personally. Also, when compressing the auto tensioner you are supposed to do so very slowly--like one turn of the vice/C-clamp per minute (or so).

Not sure about the head bolts.

funny you should mention compressing it, i just did it and turned the vice very slow, so slow that i couldn't even tell it was moving. it just sucks to pay $78 to a simple looking object. but i guess for what you would save in the long run i guess its worth it, and the peace of mind.

thanks for the input!
now does anybody know about the head bolts?

t just sucks to pay $78 to a simple looking object. but i guess for what you would save in the long run i guess its worth it, and the peace of mind.


Better than bending valves and needing a new head ;)

If you absulutely must drive the car it can wait, but I would not skimp on that tensioner. You can change it later without having to redo the tension (unless the pressures from the two tensioners are vastly different), just dont touch the bolt on the tensioner pulley.

I'm not sure if the switch to torque to yeild bolts was when they went to 7 bolt blocks in 92/3 or when they came out with 2Gs. But 90 head bolts are definitely not torque to yeild ("stretchy bolts"). You can reuse them if they havent started to stretch. I measure my ARPs before and after install, if they stretch more than .001" they need to be replaced. I dont you'll have that info for the stockers though. Shoudl be ok to reuse them. I Think new ones are like 65 bucks. For that price you might as well get ARPs for 90 and be done with it. :