What about your Cam Chain Tensioner?

As I took it off the engine I noted that there was no oil in the tensioner, nor was there any oil in the supply tube which incorporates a check valve. At the very least the empty supply tube would mean that there may be a delay in the support that the oil could apply during cold starts.

This is exactly what my friends Tenere was doing. At start up, clacking until oil pressure kicked in. He replaced it with some kind of manual, not APE.

Almost seems that line needs a check valve to always keep oil pressure on the tensioner?

dcarver220b wrote:

Almost seems that line needs a check valve to always keep oil pressure on the tensioner?

AS previously mentioned by KQZ - 
I pulled the stock tensioner off of my Voyager. It's just a locking ball ring with an oil pressure backup. As I took it off the engine I noted that there was no oil in the tensioner, nor was there any oil in the supply tube which incorporates a check valve. At the very least the empty supply tube would mean that there may be a delay in the support that the oil could apply during cold starts.
This was probably caused by a blocked check valve - another possible tensioner failure mode with catastrophic consequences . This can only happen when debris gets in the oil system. (That could be a whole other topic)

 

Part # 16087 is a banjo fitting with a check valve to keep oil in the tensioner when the oil system is not pressurized. (see small insert diagram)

Part # 16087 is a banjo fitting with a check valve to keep oil in the tensioner when the oil system is not pressurized. (see small insert diagram)

Learn something new everyday! Didn't know such a CV existed... in the form of a banjo bolt. Thanks KB, well done.

Hi Guys,
I pulled the short hose off of the check valve/banjo bolt and using an air nozzle confirmed that the check valve works. 
Still, I'm sure that the whole affair was empty when I first disassembled it. 
When I took it apart it'd been four or five days since it'd been run so the oil had time to drain into the engine, if that's what happened. The check valve allows flow toward the tensioner and blocks it from backing up into the engine.
I'm counting this as a problem because it will take a moment for the oil pressure to backup the tensioner on cold starts.
Bill