sameoldmacho

so I have a 2004 acura tsx with about 165k on it I love the car dearly but recently ive been hearing a rattling noised from under the hood, checked it out turns out to be its the Auto belt tensioner.... now my question is do I also replace the belt even if there isn't any signs of wear and tear ?.... another thing some guy I was talking to told me if the tensioner wasn't replaced in time that it can do damage to the valves even bent them ?.... to me it makes no sense cause the belt tensioner is not connected to the valves or the cams... anyone out there think otherwise ?

V-dub-R

The rattling noise could be the belt tensioner, but it also could be the sign of your timing chain becoming loose. Have it checked out by your mechanic.
Someone posted the video how to replace it on Honda Civic with 2.0L i-VTEC engine (K20A2). I assume the whole procedure for K24 engine is basically the same. Can someone confirm this?

V-dub-R

Yes, whoever told you this he was right. But he was referring to your timing chain tensioner not the belt tensioner. Don't confuse these two, as they are 2 different things. When your chain skips or snaps, you'll have pretty expensive problem to deal with. Don't wait til last moment, have it checked out by a professional and if it happens to be the rattling chain, invest in upgraded tensioner (Toda, Skunk2) and have it replaced soon. It is not a quick fix, it takes around 10-12 hrs to do this job, but still lot cheaper than replacing dead engine.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=k24+timing+chain+tensioner+images

http://www.hondatuningmagazine.com/t...r/viewall.html

V-dub-R

The only time timing chains have issues, are due to poor oil changes, poor oil quality and running low on oil.
In nearly every case, the timing chain issue is due to oil starvation. The important part is making sure you don't run a drop low on oil.


Option 1. Timing chain kit replacement $600-700 in labor + parts.
Option 2. Rebuild engine $7500 or more
Option 3. Used engine replacement $2500-3500 plus the labor.

Periodic inspection of the tensioner could prevent really expensive repair.

https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-tsx-problems-fixes-128/timing-chain-stretch-minor-engine-damage-700308/

mrgold35

I had a bad serpentine belt tensioner and I had them replace the belt also. I had 6 yrs and +95,000 miles on the car and I figured it was time.

cris_crozz

please confirm... drive belt or timing chain?

SeaJay

Timing chain, from what I read of above.


You can see the Serpentine Belt tensioner by the Water Pump and see if it is out of spec. But this won't hurt your engine internals if it goes bad, the rubber belt. This is a replaceable item.

V-dub-R

Read some good reviews on Hybrid Racing tensioners.

http://www.inlinefour.com/hr-timing-...tensioner.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/20328365/T...-Install-Guide


Apparently TODA is just an overpriced stock tensioner with the upgraded spring.

http://www.k20a.org/forum/showthread.php?t=28038

cris_crozz

the OP mentioned an Auto Belt tensioner which is sometimes called "idler pulley" so I am confused because the replies he was getting were all referring to Timing Chain when he could be askign a question about the drive belt.

Can the OP say if it's drive belt or timing chain?

sameoldmacho

thanks a lot guys ! turns out that it was the auto belt tensioner, its spring loaded so I guess after 9 years the spring lost its power lol..

V-dub-R

Keep in mind that one extra click (shown in the video) is for a car driven on the track with high lift cam.
If your engine runs standard cams, no pry bar required. You only need to make sure you install it correctly with tensioner properly tensioned. The service manual is for a car driven on the road. If high lift cams are used, you need one extra click with pry bar.