I just finished a timing belt/water pump install on my 05 and as I was looking around I found the dust cover for the hydraulic tensioner sitting in my toolbox. Has anyone here made this mistake before? Should I be worried a tensioner failure down the road if I don't take it all apart?
Forgot to install timing belt tensioner cover...
- Thread starter eremoy
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sambishop
New member
It's kind of your call. The safest bet would be to say yes, go back and install it. Now that you've done it all it wont take you every long to get in there and do it. I mean, it's annoying, but better safe than sorry. Personally, I wouldn't want water and dust and crud being able to get up in there.
loner
New member
It's a small pain, but you can put it on without undoing everything else. I'm referring to the #3 timing cover, the one that covers the crank and the timing belt tensioner/pulley. I had mine off a couple weeks ago to check the torque on my tensioner pulley.
I needed to remove the radiator shroud, serpentine belt, and crank pulley. Then there were a few small bolts that hold that cover on. The problem is that two sides of that cover need to fit UNDERNEATH other components. It took me a long time to wiggle it around enough to get it situated correctly, but it can be done. It just takes time and patience.
You used loctite on your tensioner pulley, right?
I needed to remove the radiator shroud, serpentine belt, and crank pulley. Then there were a few small bolts that hold that cover on. The problem is that two sides of that cover need to fit UNDERNEATH other components. It took me a long time to wiggle it around enough to get it situated correctly, but it can be done. It just takes time and patience.
You used loctite on your tensioner pulley, right?
blackoutt
New member
I forgot the little plastic triangle that pops into the water pump once...
Carefully avoided any water or mud for 2 days and tore it half way back down to put it back in. The labor of putting the guard in is less than the labor of doing the job over if there were to be a belt or tensioner issue, or worse a failure. Or it might have no effect, your call.
Carefully avoided any water or mud for 2 days and tore it half way back down to put it back in. The labor of putting the guard in is less than the labor of doing the job over if there were to be a belt or tensioner issue, or worse a failure. Or it might have no effect, your call.
Yup, red loctite... and on the tensioner bolts too, unfortuntely. That's part of the reason I don't want to mess with it lol. I think im just going to put some rtv on the "grenade-pin" hole and call it a day. The timing covers should keep out the big stuff and the tensioners themelves seem to be overbuilt anyway. I can't seem to find any threads discussing failed tensioners on the 2UZ, at least.
