how to prime a timing chain tensioner?
 

I had to redo the timing on my 3.5 swap, and i realized i lost the really really little plastic piece in my tensioner that most likely does nothing. I went to the dealer and blew 50 bucks to get another one. And I have seen lately talk of priming the tensioner ( the big chain one) and was unfimiliar with it. So i asked a tech at the local dealer while i was there about how to do it and he kind of chuckled and said did you see the size of the holes, there pin holes, no way, just plug and play. Well I dont buy that, theres got to be something... I am thinking fill with engine oil as much as i can with the spring still compressable?? How are most of you priming the tenseioner because i think i got a load of B.S. from this guy as he was saying it was going to rattle for awhile....and the last engine swap mine didnt rattle at all on first start after just cranking the engine without fuel for 5 sec intervils

I'd fill it with oil and push the plunger until oil comes out with no bubbles, then refill it again.

I like to think of it as cheap insurance. The less time the tensioner spends bleeding the air out the better, IMO.

That's what Nismo3112 and I did when we put the 3.5 in my car and the chain didn't skip.

Smear oil on the outside of it during assembly, afterwards just crank the engine a few times with the fuel pump fuse removed, that builds some oil pressure and gets it everywhere else as well. Works in the VE, 3.5 VQ cant be that different.

Sorry but cranking a motor doesn't even come close to getting oil everywhere. That doesn't happen until the motor starts. And I don't really see what good smearing a film of oil on the outside of the tensioner would do.

:gotme:

The whole point of priming the tensioner is so it spends as little time bleeding air out as possible. This can only be done by making sure it's full of oil with no bubbles to start with.

Oil pump builds oil pressure, so it fills the tensioner. Smearing oil on the tensioner will let the chain slide along smoothly while you crank.

How do you fill it then… pour oil into a dish, compress, and let it suck up the oil as it sits in the dish and expands? What a mess. No matter what you do the tensioner will not be full of oil after mounting because it has to be compressed to get under the chain, so most of the oil you get in it will squirt out during installation, and air will get in once it expands under the chain.

I guess you can still disagree with this, but my tensioners and chains are quite fine with the way I did it… so it may just come down to a personal preference.

True in theory. But I think you're forgetting how slowly the crank is actually turning while cranking.

Putting oil on the chain guide is a given. Don't really see how this applies to this situation though.

See post #2. You could do it by submersion in oil as well. And I guess our definition of mess differs because compared to other things, that is HARDLY a mess.;)

All that's important is that there's more oil in the tensioner to start with than there would be otherwise if it wasn't primed so the bleeding process is minimized. I never said it would stay full of oil.

How so?

Of course they're gonna be fine. I never said anything would be damaged if the tensioner isn't primed. :confused:

As I said before, it's cheap and easy insurance. Nothing more, nothing less.

I consider a chain jumping teeth a mess, not a little oil on the floor or workbench. Good information to know Nismology when you're part way through a swap.

Man oh man I just cant catch a break on the org lately, everyone is on my ****...

Been there during my rear VTC repair, dealt with it, no problems.

We already came to the conclusion that its a personal choice on how you do it, so theres no need for the smart-*** comments like you're the only one who has ever handled a wrench.

My point was that not priming the tensioner can cause a real inconvenient situation. No smart-*** comment in there. Sorry you took it that way.