Hydraulic timing belt tensioner question

johnnyfd · Post by **johnnyfd** » 19 Apr 2025, 14:16

I purchased an Aisin hydraulic timing belt tensioner for my 850 turbo from ipd recently and have not installed it yet.
I have always heard that the criterion for the decision to replace this part when doing the timing belt was one or two timing belt intervals or if any oil was seen on the tensioner that had escaped from its hydraulics.
Of course me being paranoid about timing belt system components, they had to ship me a tensioner with a little bit of oil right where the tensioner pin is! So frustrating! Now I feel compelled to bother myself and people here to question whether or not I should be concerned about this, return it and use the old one if it seems fine and there is no oil present (old one has about 80,000 miles and 13 years on it) or maybe use some other method to determine whether or not the new tensioner is 100%.
Has anyone else bought one of these, especially a reliable

brand like Asian or Volvo and had a little bit of oil sitting on top out of the box?
I'll try to include a picture if I'm able.
Thanks in advance for responses. I really do appreciate it.

johnnyfd · Post by **johnnyfd** » 19 Apr 2025, 14:39

I don't know if anyone can tell if this looks like the type of oil that is contained in the tensioner, having seen one that had released some of its hydraulic oil. Or does it look like some other kind of lubricant that is part of the assembly process?

Post by **scot850** » 19 Apr 2025, 16:41

If you don't need it immediately, clean the fluid off. It is most likely excess from manufacturing or possibly transit or assembly residue.

Clean it and let is sit for 24 hours and see if it gets wet again.

Neil.

johnnyfd · Post by **johnnyfd** » 19 Apr 2025, 17:17

Have you ever heard of someone experiencing this with a new tensioner before? Maybe they wouldn't even bother to mention it.

Post by **scot850** » 20 Apr 2025, 02:13

I've not had that issue personally, or heard of it. Doesn't mean it can't happen.

Neil.

Post by **jreed** » 20 Apr 2025, 05:59

I also haven't seen oil on the top plate of a new tensioner, but have only seen two new tensioners, both Aisin.

454cid · Post by **454cid** » 20 Apr 2025, 10:43

I used the Aisin kit, but I don't recall looking that closely at the new tensioner.