Cambelt Tensioner.....

[one-lady-owner 1]

When did they change from the spring loaded tensioner to the eccentric one?

 

I have a K-reg CAT 8v 1.9 (as per my sig) and have finally gotten round to start the HG change, whipped off the cambelt covers and have found a spring-loaded tensioner??? I have an eccentric tensioner so I'm gonna need to take it back and get a spring-tensioner, just thought it was very odd! I thought all later engines had the eccentric one..... should I be confused or were they using the spring tensioners that late?

[Anthony 1,003]

I've seen L reg cars with the earlier spring-loaded tensioner before now, but generally speaking it's around a K plate that they changed from what I've seen. Maybe yours was made earlier in 1992 and sat around for a while before being registered?

 

Remember that the cambelt itself is different along with the tensioner - 113 tooth (sprung tensioner) vs 114 tooth (escentric tensioner)

[one-lady-owner 1]

Ah, good to know! Thank you muchly! I'll get the right kit then! Saying that my car was registered in Dec 1992, so a very early K!

 

Just a bit of a shock as I would have assumed earlier engines stopping when they moved to motronic!

Edited May 13, 2010 by one-lady-owner

[welshpug 1,657]

0816 67 TIMING BELT 113 DENTS - UNTIL DATE 1992 01 15

 

0816 71 114 DENTS - SINCE DATE 1992 01 15

 

so maybe the engine was put together in January

[Anthony 1,003]

Just a bit of a shock as I would have assumed earlier engines stopping when they moved to motronic!

Remember that CAT's and Motronic were an option on Phase 2 cars, so could still be an earlier car that's sat around for a while.

 

After all, there's plenty of K reg 1.6 GTi's out there, and 1.6's never had CAT's fitted.

[Anthony 1,003]

0816 67 TIMING BELT 113 DENTS - UNTIL DATE 1992 01 15

 

0816 71 114 DENTS - SINCE DATE 1992 01 15

 

so maybe the engine was put together in January

Interesting that it changed so early, as I don't think I've ever seen a J plate car with the later setup and have seen several K plates without - they must have been building the engines well in advance of fitting them into the cars, or the late cars sat around for a long time before being registered (depending whether that date is the engine or car manufacturing date) as that's a 6-12 month gap!

[welshpug 1,657]

indeed, my goodwood was registered in 93, 5 door Goodwoods don't show in the listings for 1993 when you check the dropdown lists for the model when you do an online insurance quote!

 

and there's the cases of R registered Phase 1 306 gti6's, and P registered Phase 2's, so could be a combination of cars not being built that quickly, as well as sitting around at dealerships or storage compounds unregistered.

[one-lady-owner 1]

After a quick conversation with my local motor factors they said all the info they have states that the cars pre jan 1992 were spring tensioners and after jan 1992 they were all eccentric. I'm guessing my engine was sat around for at least 11 months before it was in a registered car!

 

Of course what they did tell me was that the cambelt kit I actually need is a good tenner more expensive..... sods law I suppose!

[Anthony 1,003]

indeed, my goodwood was registered in 93, 5 door Goodwoods don't show in the listings for 1993 when you check the dropdown lists for the model when you do an online insurance quote!

As far as I know with regards Goodwood's, they were all made on what would have been a J plate, but because they were so slow selling, many sat around for many months and ended up being registered on K and L plate. Hence the reason that they're non-CAT's even though they were registered well past the cut-off date when CAT's became mandatory.