im replacing my waterpump timing belt, all seals on my h22a1 etc. and i ordered all of my parts. on that list was a new auto tensioner.

ive read stories about how terrible they are for over two years now, but im just curious if i should put it in or if i should get a h23 manual tensioner kit and put it on my h22.

i know how stories can get convoluted when one person says their auto tensioner went bad and then everyone starts saying they are garbage.

from my understanding, i shouldnt need to replace the auto with a manual unless im going to be producing more power than stock correct?

 

All I know is that I did not believe the auto tensioner would fail, but it did.

I am glad I caught it in time. Do the H23 manual conversion and have peace of mind.

It is to important of a item to take a chance on.

 

Aftermarket valvetrains (specifically stiffer springs) seem to be the common cause of tensioner failure. On a stock or bolt-on only car a replacement auto tensioner should be fine. There were problems I believe with the original tensioners, but they were revised by Honda I think in '99 or '00, so any replacement part should be fine. However, for peace of mind you can always do the manual tensioner swap, or Kaizenspeed has a new direct replacement manual tensioner that is shaped like the auto tensioner so it's a simple swap without all the parts of the h23 tensioner conversion.

 

If the motor is stock leave it if its built the head then you mine as well change it to be on the safe side..

 

http://www.preludepower.com/forums/s...d.php?t=355010
mine was replaced with a new one when the bluetop was dropped in. it let go with only a few hundred miles on it. yes the tensioner was brand new from Honda. get the KS tuned and save your motor.

 

Odd to see this post today, i just ordered my 11mm washer and a couple parts from honda to do my conversion! My advice, do it while you are there, this is my second auto tensioner to go, not 2 times on one car, this is a different car but both of my hswaps i will have had to change to a manual tensioner cause have have failed!

 

i had the H23 manual one on my last motor but i didnt like how tight the belt was. I think teh kstuned is the best way to go.

 

KS tuned solid or H23 ... don't put a stock tensioner back in period, I did it once and had bad timing belt slap, it was just waiting to jump on me ...

 

KS tuned for sure, it won't be tight at all when putting the t-belt back on like the H23 manual tensioner. I'll go K tuned when I get my next H motor.

 

I heard a lot that the reason it fails is 'cause when people do the belt they let oil leak out and fail to replace it to spec so then the proper quantity isn't in there.

 

^That's usually the case, most long time Honda tech's I've asked said they never got Preludes in there with tensioner failure, though they have caught a couple before they did that were leaking oil at the time of belt change but that's normal even on newer cars.

See it even on newer Honda V6 engines but it's easy to catch before it causes any damage, the noise is very noticeable and even if there isn't people who properly maintain the car by doing the timing belt on time catch it then.

 

If mine weren't already H23 converted I would get the KS tuned one.

 

i prefer the H23 tensioner over the original Auto tensioner.. i usually always swap it out, just makes it easier to take off the belt and i can do it without having to have the tool with me to hold the tensioner when putting it back on.

If anyone needs one i have 2 complete H23 tensioners complete for sale.

pm me if anyone needs one.

 

I put the H22 Kaizenspeed manual tensioner on my stock H22. I didn't want to take the risk of it going bad. As I can't afford my engine to go bad.

 

hmmmmmm...... well i have a long time certified mechanic helping me put **** back in. i told him abou how the auto tensioners are supposedly garbage and he said hes never seen a problem with them so im just putting a NON-oem auto tensioner in. and if it does blow out then at least ill have a valid excuse to get an upgraded valve train and new pistons haha

 

The problem with the auto-tensioner is it relies on the oil pressure. If that thing ever goes south, especially with H22 have problems with oil leaks. That thing can just go any day, even a day after putting in a new OEM or non-OEM. I wouldn't trust that, especially non-OEM tensioners on something so critical like that. Heck, the manual tensioners is close to the price of a new auto tensioner.

 

Get the kaizenspeed tensioner!

 

How does an engine oil leak play into the tensioner leaking? It's a self contained unit that isn't fed oil from the engine.

The issues with the auto tensioner are:

Its a PITA to put in, without the bracket tool
If the oil level in the tensioner is low it won't provide the right tension and the belt will slap against the timing cover.
If the oil level is high, the seals will blow and leak all the oil out, letting the tension out of the belt ... letting the belt slap against the timing cover [at best], or letting the belt go far enough for pistons to hit the valves [at worst].

The mechanical tensioner doesn't have these issues. It just works and its rare that anyone complains about anything other than how tight the belt is going on.

 

Are you serious?



The auto-tensioners are NOT hyped up. It is not a question of if it fail. It's a question of when. All you're doing is setting yourself up for a bill to rebuild your head.

Do yourself a favor, get the Kaisenspeed tensioner.

 

Not tryin to play devil's advocate, but he may not mean exactly oil pressure in the conventional sense, but he may mean the pressure of adequate oil in the tensioner.

 

I guess I mixed up the oil pressure with oil level. My bad.