I Know it's been said..but! Change those tensioners!!
#21
02-01-2012, 10:59 AM
Senior Member
If I remember correctly, the changeover to the third type of tensioner happened in the late spring or summer of 2001. So the tail end of the 2001 cars should be good, and then 2002 and after. (Unless for some reason a mid-year 2001 engine got put into a 2002 car) So you should be all set. Of course, it is possible that the third type will eventually wear out, if the mileage is high enough. If you search around, there is also a more exact answer based on engine serial number.
#22
02-01-2012, 12:38 PM
Veteran Member
I don't have the build date on my car right now, but it is a 2001 and it had the (I guess) second generation (red) tensioners. I replaced them using the zip tie method and all went swimmingly. They were both split though and one fell apart as I was taking it out. The cam had not jumped time yet though. Fortunately, nothing fell down in the front cover. I don't want to start another debate on this, but I used no special tools. I did not loosen the bolt on the exhaust cam. I just zip tied the chain where it was on the exhaust cam sprocket, removed the cam saddles, lifted the cam up from the rear and removed old and replaced new tensioner with correct length bolts. Of course you have to be very careful loosening and tightening the cam saddles, keeping them in order, etc., etc. No timing worries. Smooth sailing. If you just need to do the secondary tensioners, this is not a tough job. I figured I'd do it while I was changing the plugs and cam cover/plug seal gaskets.
#23
02-01-2012, 01:48 PM
Veteran Member
#25
02-02-2012, 06:26 PM
Veteran Member
Our 2001 XJ8 built in Aug 2001 had broken tensioners
Boomer
Our 2001 XJ8 build date was late August 2001 and both sides of the Secondary and Primary tensioners were split and broken. The driver side chain skipped 1 tooth and put on the Restricted Performance Alert (along with only half of the engine running).
Not a happy time, but a very expensive one. Cost was high, but would have been higher at the Jaguar dealership service parts and labor rates.
Jim Lombardi
Our 2001 XJ8 build date was late August 2001 and both sides of the Secondary and Primary tensioners were split and broken. The driver side chain skipped 1 tooth and put on the Restricted Performance Alert (along with only half of the engine running).
Not a happy time, but a very expensive one. Cost was high, but would have been higher at the Jaguar dealership service parts and labor rates.
Jim Lombardi
#26
02-02-2012, 07:16 PM
Senior Member
Jim, was your Aug 2001 car originally fitted with the type 2 tensioners? I vaguely remember somewhere in a past thread (re nikasil vs sleeved engines) that sometimes earlier engines occasionally were put in cars a bit later than they "should have been." Maybe something like that happened with tensioners. Hard to know how Jaguar did their production scheduling.
BTW, I wonder if anyone has any war stories about the type 3 all-metal tensioners wearing out? Eventually, the chains have to wear grooves into the tensioners, and something will have to fail.
BTW, I wonder if anyone has any war stories about the type 3 all-metal tensioners wearing out? Eventually, the chains have to wear grooves into the tensioners, and something will have to fail.
#27
02-05-2012, 03:07 PM
Member
Tensioners
Ok...I know the trail is cold, but thought I would weigh in. I have a '98 XJ8, purchased last fall, & I love it. So...how do I know what tensioners I have in my engine, whether they have been replaced or not. I have 133k miles & it runs so nice & quiet! Great car...& it's been many decades since I last owned a Jag. So glad to be back!! Bob
#28
02-05-2012, 03:35 PM
Senior Member
#30
02-28-2012, 11:54 PM
Here is one informative response to the "when were the upgraded tensioners factory installed" question by "Testpoint"
To add a note to what Sean posted, my 2002 was built in June '01 and had the plastic tensioners, since replaced. I don't know about the XJ series but my XK has a label on the driver door 'B' column with the manufacturer date. As Sean said, if it is after August there is an excellent, but not guaranteed, chance that the tensioners are the later metal ones. If it shows August or you want to be certain you need to ask a Jaguar dealer to determine the engine serial number from the VIN. The serial number encodes the manufacture date of the engine. August 13, 2001 is the conversion date you are looking for. That would produce a serial number of 010813xxxx (YYMMDDHHMM) or later.
Or you could pull a valve cover and visually verify that the metal ones are there.
Lucky for me, my engine was made 8-15-2001 so I think I'm OK??
To add a note to what Sean posted, my 2002 was built in June '01 and had the plastic tensioners, since replaced. I don't know about the XJ series but my XK has a label on the driver door 'B' column with the manufacturer date. As Sean said, if it is after August there is an excellent, but not guaranteed, chance that the tensioners are the later metal ones. If it shows August or you want to be certain you need to ask a Jaguar dealer to determine the engine serial number from the VIN. The serial number encodes the manufacture date of the engine. August 13, 2001 is the conversion date you are looking for. That would produce a serial number of 010813xxxx (YYMMDDHHMM) or later.
Or you could pull a valve cover and visually verify that the metal ones are there.
Lucky for me, my engine was made 8-15-2001 so I think I'm OK??
Last edited by Newby; 02-28-2012 at 11:57 PM.
#31
03-06-2012, 12:30 PM
Just to throw another into the mix. My XK8 was made (according to sticker in the door) in April 2001. I had the second gen tensioners (secondary tensioners) and changed them out at 59,000miles. Each side had a very small crack. BEWARE that while the old ones were still on the motor they looked fine. You can't always see the cracks until they are off.
#32
03-11-2021, 11:54 AM
Senior Member
daddyo007,
The cams have to be locked down so you can loosen the bolt to the cam sprocket and not effect there position and timing. The sprocket it self has no index I noticed for replacing on the cam. When you remove the bolt,which is long by the way,the sprocket with chain can then be moved forward. I used a large screw driver working the top and side of the sprocket to move it forward off the cam as the chain is tight. Once off the cam you can hold the sprocket easy enough in one hand while putting the new tensioner in with the other. I used a zip tie in one of the holes,not used by the sprocket tool, to secure the chain and sprocket together just to make sure nothing would move or fall while working with the tensioner in the other hand. I also recommend taking a clean rag and stuffing it in the area under where the pins will be that you have to pull out of the tensioners to help insure if they fall they won't disappear in your engine. Total time for me was 6 hours start to finish,but I probably wasted 45 minutes to an hour of that detailing my engine, replacing hoses,washing out the airbox etc.. so it could be done in 5 hours I feel. To answer your one question,once everything is out of the way,it's only 10 minutes to change the tensioner it self. I have a 2001 and did the job without a service manual. Just read the write up by one of the other members. The one part that took the longest to get out of the way on my car was the oil dipstick which is double nutted with one of the valve cover bolts. Took a little time to work the bracket attached to it out of the way safely so I could remove the valve cover nut behind it.
The cams have to be locked down so you can loosen the bolt to the cam sprocket and not effect there position and timing. The sprocket it self has no index I noticed for replacing on the cam. When you remove the bolt,which is long by the way,the sprocket with chain can then be moved forward. I used a large screw driver working the top and side of the sprocket to move it forward off the cam as the chain is tight. Once off the cam you can hold the sprocket easy enough in one hand while putting the new tensioner in with the other. I used a zip tie in one of the holes,not used by the sprocket tool, to secure the chain and sprocket together just to make sure nothing would move or fall while working with the tensioner in the other hand. I also recommend taking a clean rag and stuffing it in the area under where the pins will be that you have to pull out of the tensioners to help insure if they fall they won't disappear in your engine. Total time for me was 6 hours start to finish,but I probably wasted 45 minutes to an hour of that detailing my engine, replacing hoses,washing out the airbox etc.. so it could be done in 5 hours I feel. To answer your one question,once everything is out of the way,it's only 10 minutes to change the tensioner it self. I have a 2001 and did the job without a service manual. Just read the write up by one of the other members. The one part that took the longest to get out of the way on my car was the oil dipstick which is double nutted with one of the valve cover bolts. Took a little time to work the bracket attached to it out of the way safely so I could remove the valve cover nut behind it.
#34
03-18-2021, 06:09 PM
#35
03-18-2021, 08:21 PM
Veteran Member
As an example, 0105151050 = 01(year) 05(month) 15(day) 1050(time) So that particular engine number would indicate 2001, May, 15th at 10:50am.
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