Started to get a rattling sound, so I went to change the tensioner. I could not remove the actual tensioner. The only thing that came out was a little bit of oil and the black piece the actual tensioner feels lodged in the block... any ideas are welcome.

 

It is vert tight, as there is oil pressure there, that will leak, if it is not tight. I use a socket, short extension and a long swivel head ratchet and remove it from the tp. I have done many this way. It will come out. Many say to take it out from the bottom, but I can not fathom why?
If you do replace it, make sure you buy a tested chain tensioner, as there are many crap ones out ther, that are worse than nothing!

 

Hi. Not to hijack this thread but could you please clarify what is meant by a 'tested' tensioner? I just changed mine, the death rattle didn't go away, so I figured it was the guides and/or possibly the chain in need of replacement, and so I'm presently gearing up for that repair job. Other than push the piston in all the way before inserting it into the block I haven't done anything else to the tensioner to test it. Should I have?

 

Because so many tensioners are defective (due to poor machining practices) They usually fail soon after installation, so when you purchse one, make sure it says it has been physically tested! this is no joke, unless you are not minding possible engine failure, due to the tensioner, not tensioning the came chain.

 

REDSKY455

....did you install it with the tensioner in the retracted position? or fully open? You need to install it in the full open position if you are just doing it from the back of the engine. The tensioner will remain locked in retracted position unless it is activated. You can only do this if you have the timing cover removed and you push the guide rail into the tensioner to activate it and fully extend it.

 

Joseph jauregui
Watch this video at 4:02 you will see the 2 piece design of the tensioner.

You should be able to remove the second part with a strong magnet installed in the hole...might take a few tries with a really good magnet. If not you will need to remove the timing cover to push it out from the front of the engine( Big job).

BTW THIS VIDEO IS HOW NOT TO INSTALLTHE NEW TENSIONER...IT NEEDS TO LOOK JUST LIKE TO OLD ONE CAME OUT....DO NOT INSTALL IT IN THE RETRACTED POSITION...OIL PRESSURE WILL NOT OPEN IT. It is like a touch latch on a cabinet AND NEEDS TO BE COMPRESSED AGAIN TO OPEN IT FULLY. You can play with your old or new one and see how it works.
You will see in the comments how he later reports that the chain rattle WAS NOT SOLVED...wonder why with the tensioner retracted.

 

Thanks guys. Will re-install, this time extended, and hope it works this time.

 

That's what threw me. Mod Mini installs his the same way - retracted as you see here at 4:01 and the problem cleared up:

 

Here is the Bentley Manual for installing the tensioner (while changing the timing chain)...You will see in the red rectangle to retract the tensioner and in the Green rectangle to use a pry bar to activate/open the tensioner.

 

If anyone stumbles on this in the future. A simple magnet pulls out the tensioner.

 

I bought a "tested" tensioner for my R52s.....it came retracted....I installed it and didn't have any issues

Bryan

 

I looked at a couple of my go to parts suppliers and didn't see anything about tested tensioners. What are the sources for tested tensioners?

 

I got mine from Pelican Parts.....cost around $50 a few years ago....came with this piece of paper....and it came collapsed so it's easier installed into the engine

Bryan

 

For anyone wondering what they mean by saying it needs to be installed in the extended position.. when you get your part the tensioner is closed and inside of itself, to fix that you take the black plastic piece off, and grab it between your thumb and fore finger and squeeze it into itself gently. it might take a couple tries, but eventually you'll hear a "pop" and it'll open right up. Now it's ready to be installed and you don't need to go pressing against your chain guides with pry Bars or take anything else apart. Simply undo the 19mm bolt, slide the old tensioner out, put the new tensioner into the bolt with the black plastic piece, and slide it back into the engine. Torque it down to 45 ft/lbs. Clean up any spilled oil and maybe add some, but you should only lose a few drops. And you're good to go

 

Wait, your supposed to have it extended like in the pic? All the videos I've seen show it retracted when being installed.

I installed mine today to help with a noise and it's much worse now. $25 part off Amazon made in china. Going to get a $40 Bilstein one and see if it improves. Ugh, I hate working on this car!

 

Installed mine retracted per the ModMINI video and the Bentley manual. No issues.


Installing the timing chain and cover, Bentley, p. 117-20

Installing the timing chain and cover, Bentley, p. 117-21

 

Okay so what's the final ( proper way ) here:


Install "RETRACTED" ( compressed )

or

Install "EXTENDED" ?

or it does not matter?

 

In my experience: retracted.

But I had reinstalled an used one and it would not extend upon startup so I took it out and installed it extended. Which cost me about 30min as it is near impossible to supply enough force and thread it in at the same time.

 

So you are saying your used tensioner is failing because it did not extend? Or the oil pressure no matter how high it is, it will not EXTEND? ( like one guy here said it will not OPENn by pressure alone ).

If that's the case these --- videos from some youtube DIYERs are wrong. Bentley and the guys here ( that says "install in extended position" ) are correct.

 

Check this video at 0:40, this guy actually did the Bentley way., Installed retracted then opened the timing chain cover to extend it. ( he switched it by using a lever\some kind of rubber covered bar )

Here's my question what's the issue installing it in Extended position? So I don't have to open the timing chain cover.?





Tensioner & Chain

 

From the retracted position, there's plenty of chain slack no wonder the guy clamped the chain to the sprocket.

In short installing it retracted is nothing but disaster. The tensioner\guide\chain combo needs to be tensioned right away, even without the oil pressure.

Man these guys need to be corrected.



R53 Tensioner & Timing chain - Retracted Install

 

I can only relay my experience but yes, it did not extend by oil pressure that one time when I reused the tensioner. The three times I installed a new timing chain and new tensioner it did extend with oil pressure. Only takes like 3-4 seconds upon startup.

So in my experience pushing it back by hand is not the same as when it comes retracted out of the factory.

 

Geez - all this discussion about "retracted" vs "extended" is scaring the c**p out of me.
I'm not experiencing any timing chain noise/issues at the moment - but...My timing chain cover is slightly leaking.
Timing chain was "serviced" at the dealer @50k miles. I am now @125k...
I do all the work to my Mini myself since 2015/70k mi - in parking lots....
Gotta admit, I'm a bit aprehensive on this one.

Great discussion nonetheless.

 

Okay I went deeper as to how this tensioner really operates.

Based on this assembly and also my simple analysis, ( looks like ) TENSIONER is not activated by oil.

It's riding on its internal spring, the oil is only there for the Tensioner's lubrication.

So when people say the tensioner is sticking, does not extend... it's due to a broken SPRING not oil, clogged dirty. It could be broken in half, or maybe part of it, which is still works but not as when it was in original state, the required tension is no longer pushing the chain guide --- not enough force.

Check this assembly below. I got this from you tube.




Tensioner assembly


Okay some may argue..... "Dude you're high again" ---- It's the oil that's pushing the tension!!!!

Here's another image.

You see the boundaries for maximum stop for retracted and extended? That's full mechanical stop you can't go pass that, even that big SPRING can't go beyond that, it is held by the "spring clip" it stops there.
As for the oil??? We all know fluids like air and liquids, they always go for short distances, they want to flow to less restrictive areas and the tensioner is designed to have oil holes\passages to exit out... it's like your brake caliper which is sealed, pushing the brake pads to clamp the rotor., but put a leak on the caliper or open the bleed nut, it's guaranteed it will NOT push the pads, brake fluid will just flow out., same what is happening on this Tensioner, they designed it like this. It's not the oil giving the tension, it's the SPRING. Or maybe some small oil pressure to reset the position, did you notice the notches?



For the question how the tensioner go bad?

I think the tensioner goes bad when we put to much stress on to it by revving past 4,500 rpm and beyond.

At these engine speeds the chain goes straight, pushing guides back, which is then compress the TENSIONER's spring ( retracted ) oil flows out more out of the tensioner,--- of course it will not go bad right away.

So say we keep hovering around 5000 rpm and up most of the time, due to stress one day that spring will snap. This reminds me of that bypass valve spring the one that creates yoyo...on early R53s most of them got broken spring. BMW updated it with beefy springs.

As for notches., I think they put that there for the spring clip to glide in to and stay there for a certain RPM speed, it's like a transmission for the tensioner. So if you go 5000 rpm and above the tensioner is on retracted position and when at idle speed say 650-800 rpms it's on extended. then 1,500, 2500, 3500 rpms those are the for notches in between.

It's that one big spring is the one doing the most of the JOB, the oil is only a cushion to prevent premature wear, cool it down, and again maybe some oil pressure like to cushion the spring back and forth action of the guide, like the struts\shocks? so the car is not jumping when it hits a bump.


Here's my question, the current Tensioners from MINI\BMW are these updated? Maybe they updated it with a stronger springs?






here's the video:

 

I want to do it too, but since I saw this video I will leave it for now. I don't have any rattles just normal R53 engine sound.