what is going on with timing tensioner roller quality ?

Post by **cn90** » 13 Oct 2014, 22:51

I think you will be fine. The Volvo Blue Box TB and 2 rollers should easily last some 100K miles.
So don't worry about it.

BTW, post some photos of what you refer to. Maybe it is normal after all...

PS: You need to distinguish bearing noise (from the 2 rollers) vs the hydraulic tensioner noise!
Volvo hydraulic tensioner lasts more than 180K (how many miles in your car?).
I don't have the video for Volvo, but 2005-2010 Honda Odyssey tensioner (also made by Aisin) is known to leak after 50K-60K, and this is what it sounds like...

NOTE: "Before" and "After"
- noise level
- tensioner pin movement is minimal after repair.

johnnyfd · Post by **johnnyfd** » 13 Oct 2014, 22:56

What do you think about the few small streaks of grease that were on the original roller ? The new one that the shop put in now has a lot more grease on the outside of it . I've seen a lot of them in pictures that appear to have spun out a little bit of grease . I've always heard this is unacceptable and requires replacement but could it be that a very small about of grease leaving the bearing is acceptable or is it the case that once a little comes out it's all going to come out and make the rules are susceptible to seizure ?

johnnyfd · Post by **johnnyfd** » 13 Oct 2014, 23:05

I'm pretty sure I've never had any roller bearing noise . Like I said in my original posts( I know its a lot to read) the noises I have heard are from the belt vibration pulsing in making a funny noise . The tensioner roller bearings( 1 the shop took out and current one) probably haven't had enough time to get noisy because some of the grease just recently split out . I am trying to avoid getting to the point where the bearings are noisy because I know this is the time of a lot of risk .

johnnyfd · Post by **johnnyfd** » 13 Oct 2014, 23:23

Now that I think about it I noticed the tensioner pulley does not appear to pivot at all on its smaller end pivot bearing that has the famous t45 Torx bolt going through it . The tensioner roller arm definitely isn't bouncing around . It almost looks like it's locked in its position but it doesn't appear to be binding on the rear timing belt cover although it is touching it .

johnnyfd · Post by **johnnyfd** » 13 Oct 2014, 23:35

Is this just the strong tension from the hydraulic tensioner and the tight belt holding the pulley and its arm firmly in place ? I went to the junkyard today so I could get a look at other cars rollers and I could not move any of the tensioner roller pivot arms even with as much force as I could generate with my hand squeezed down in the gap . This was the case on several 850 s . I thought I'd at least be able to move them a little bit even though they are under a lot of tension . Does it sound right for the tension on the arm to make it virtually unmovable by hand ?

johnnyfd · Post by **johnnyfd** » 14 Oct 2014, 02:58

exactly a year ago .

johnnyfd · Post by **johnnyfd** » 14 Oct 2014, 03:03

[img]/home/john/Downloads/2014-10-14_02-11-42_48.jpg[/img]

johnnyfd · Post by **johnnyfd** » 14 Oct 2014, 03:23

: blue box roller installed by shop exactly one year ago

Post by **rspi** » 14 Oct 2014, 06:16

If the belt is installed, you should not be able to move the tensioner roller at all.

Back in the good old days of replace the rollers every other belt change, the idler roller looked like the tensioner roller. My rule of thumb is to have all parts on deck and replace what is warn. I'm doing my own belt changes so there is no $$$ cost for me to go back in there if something g fails. The tensioner rollers usually last 2 belt cycles. If I have it in my hand and it is 1. Silent and 2. Doesn't spin a full revolution after my hand releases it, it gets another cycle. I usually check the belts on the cars in the junk yard for newer parts and pull them for spares if found to be newish. Those are a hell of a lot cheaper than new part (been out of the work force for about 5 years now). If I hear cold start noise I get concerned. If I hear other noise that doesn't change during the day, I really don't worry about it.

I really would not worry about a new roller lasting 70,000 miles. That would be like worrying about a tree falling on the car while I'm driving down the road. I'd check it at the next change and call it a day.

Post by **mecheng** » 14 Oct 2014, 06:40

johnnyfd wrote:The old and the current roller both have Slovakia stamped on them .

This is the OEM part made by INA; they moved production from Germany to Slovakia.

My INA German made, mechanical tensioner started making noise when the engine was cold. It felt perfectly fine, but I replaced it with the OEM INA tensioner and all is well.

You can save quite a bit of money if you find a parts place that sells the OEM brand, which is the same as the Volvo Blue Box. Personally, I'm not completely surprised that you had an early failure, German bearings can be hit or miss sometimes and I am talking from testing experience.

what is going on with timing tensioner roller quality ?

Re: what is going on with timing tensioner roller quality ?