Got the engine out of my 95. Doing seals gaskets, timing stuff, all the goodies.

I noticed this when I had it apart to do the head but figured it wasn't worth worrying over then. The tensioner (piston style) appears to be leaking. There is some heavy grey goo around the seal, and it has pooled into about enough to make a single drop down at the bottom.

Is that something that should warrant replacement of the tensioner? I don't guess it's a big deal being on a 95 Ej22. If it fails and the belt jumps, I can just re-time and go. But that probably means it will happen at the worst possible time, leaving me stranded in the middle of the night 40 miles from home in the pouring rain.

Got the engine out of my 95. Doing seals gaskets, timing stuff, all the goodies.

I noticed this when I had it apart to do the head but figured it wasn't worth worrying over then. The tensioner (piston style) appears to be leaking. There is some heavy grey goo around the seal, and it has pooled into about enough to make a single drop down at the bottom.

Is that something that should warrant replacement of the tensioner? I don't guess it's a big deal being on a 95 Ej22. If it fails and the belt jumps, I can just re-time and go. But that probably means it will happen at the worst possible time, leaving me stranded in the middle of the night 40 miles from home in the pouring rain.

 

take a 6" c-clamp in your car.

I had the same car throw the same timing belt at the same place on the same day doing the same thing 1 year later. donuts behind the truck stop in the snow. the same tensioner.

 

you should be ok as long as you are not doing donuts behind the truck stop

If it leaked that much, I'd replace it with a new or good used one.

Got the engine out of my 95. Doing seals gaskets, timing stuff, all the goodies.

I noticed this when I had it apart to do the head but figured it wasn't worth worrying over then. The tensioner (piston style) appears to be leaking. There is some heavy grey goo around the seal, and it has pooled into about enough to make a single drop down at the bottom.

Is that something that should warrant replacement of the tensioner? I don't guess it's a big deal being on a 95 Ej22. If it fails and the belt jumps, I can just re-time and go. But that probably means it will happen at the worst possible time, leaving me stranded in the middle of the night 40 miles from home in the pouring rain.

you forgot "being chased by a pack of dogs":lol:

Got the engine out of my 95. Doing seals gaskets, timing stuff, all the goodies.

I noticed this when I had it apart to do the head but figured it wasn't worth worrying over then. The tensioner (piston style) appears to be leaking. There is some heavy grey goo around the seal, and it has pooled into about enough to make a single drop down at the bottom.

Is that something that should warrant replacement of the tensioner? I don't guess it's a big deal being on a 95 Ej22. If it fails and the belt jumps, I can just re-time and go. But that probably means it will happen at the worst possible time, leaving me stranded in the middle of the night 40 miles from home in the pouring rain.

 

When my belt went I was 80 miles from home in pouring rain at night on my way to a concert with a car full of friends and classes the next day at 7AM.

My mom had to rescue us.

Now I'm really diligent about spending the extra penny and doing timing belt jobs right.

Guess I better just bite the bullet and get a new one. Don't really wan't to spend the money on it right now, but I don't really feel like taking it apart again either.

Thanks guys

if you're already into i'd at least go with a used dry one. "parts wanted forum"? good luck, i feel your pain...these things rarely fail....but that would be really annoying too.

Not an interference engine, so it`s not the end of the world if it goes. You can wait for it to fall off if you want, but I`ve found that they can cause other problems (knocking sound, unprecise timing). Change it if you don`t want to do it again, although a leaking tensioner usually WILL fail

 

That's terrible advise. Why drive a car that you know you half-assed and may break down at any time? I wouldn't trust such a vehicle out of my garage.

if you're already into i'd at least go with a used dry one. "parts wanted forum"? good luck, i feel your pain...these things rarely fail....but that would be really annoying too.

 

ditto, get a used one. i ber scrapdaddytatum has one, he's in c'ville too.

 

ej18s, ej22s and ej25s all used them until 97 / 98, more 98 i think. they should be all over the place.

Dealer had it in stock. $103. Not as bad as I thought it would be. And it's already compressed!

 

 

PO stripped the threads out of the block for the upper starter bolt. I spent half the morning looking for a longer bolt that would reach the threads that were still good. Apparently nobody even makes an M10x1.25x140mm bolt. Three different suppliers in this area, and none of them could even order one that length. Nothing longer than 125mm. So I have to improvise, drill out the block, and use a 3/8 x 6" bolt with a nut on the end. Glad I was taking the engine out, rather than doing a starter change in a parking lot, when I found this out.

^^ I'm glad you don't worry about running around on worn out/iffy timing setup. I've been very, very stranded by it. Whether it can be done in car or not doesn't matter when it's dark and raining and you're on the side of the road 80 miles from home in the middle of nowhere.

 

In regards to bolts stripping out and timing belts. The bolt that holds the tensioner to the bracket on the block. I've had that hole strip twice now on me. I PB blastered one from the back side and let it sit, still stripped. I don't get it... I usually just have the machine shop down the road helicoil it to 3/8th.

Brand new tension idler bearing is screaming like a dieing cat. Gotta call The Import Experts in the morning and tell them they better send me another one.

Other than that the engine runs beautifully, and no more leaks!!!

Well, except for the power steering, but that's for another project.

:-\ Time for a new thread, but the tensioner bearing is not at fault for the noise. This noise just happens to be the most prominent at the mounting bolt for the tensioner bearing.

 

P/S pump is leaking. Not entirely sure where.