2G Proper timing tensioner

[spyderdrifter]

Can someone please show me a picture of the proper timing tensioner I'm supposed to have for my '97 GST? According to ExtremePSI's website, at this link: EXTREME PSI : Your #1 Source for In Stock Performance Parts , my car has the early '95 tensioner. I'm intending to buy a new tensioner, but want to get the right one. Thanks.

 

[spyderdrifter]

That's pretty cool, is she on the forums?

Doubtful, she was mostly oblivious to DSM specific questions I asked her.

 

[DSM1G90]

No, the month isn't in the VIN, but production year started in July and with an avg of 12000 units per month, a wild guess puts the build month either Sept or October.

Now, on the chassis sticker that is in the door pillar, there is a code that show when the car was build by a "MDH" (Month, Day, Hour) in the lower left hand of the sticker.

Mine was build in June of 1989, thus my "MDH" is 060912

 

[92 GSR-4]

Mitsu must have added the VIN to the 7 bolt blocks, for there is no VIN on my 6 bolt block when looking at the same position of the block where the one above is mentioned.

It's there on my original 6-bolt block in my 92 GSX. I've seen it on several other 6-bolts as well. That's usually the first thing I look for when checking out a car/motor, indicates whether the car has been messed with or not because you can see if the VIN matches.

 

[NHerron]

Or if his block VIN was a Mitsubishi number, you could put the VIN in the ASA/CAPS program, and it will tell you the week it was made.

My car was made in 1997 January, 2nd week

6bolt block was made 1990 December, 1st week

 

[DSM1G90]

Where do you find this 'ASA/CAPS' program? thx

 

[NHerron]

I went to http://mitsubishilinks.com/ and downloaded "mmc-asa_usa.exe" under the "ASA / CAPS Parts Programs" heading. About 174MB though

Works quite nicely to get me diagrams and other dealership type things

No problem

 

[spyderdrifter]

That's some handy info to have

 

[NHerron]

Had it since I owned this DSM. It's really a great program to be able to punch in my VIN, call up the dealer and already have the P/N ready

 

[spyderdrifter]

I think I'm gonna be doing that now.

 

[bryanwheat]

I don't think the bolt spacing is the same.

They use the same oil pump so the space between the bolts has to be the same since the tensioner bolts go thru the oil pump housing.

 

[pauleyman]

Well there goes my senior moment. Well I know this much. I've changed 95 tbelts and 97 up and the tensioners are totally different.

 

[spyderdrifter]

So since I know the tensioner arm between 6 bolt and 7 bolt engines are different, I know this from my last eclipse, and the front case/oil pump are the same between the two engines, is the mount bolt holes that holds the arms to the block in slightly different locations or would that be the same too? If that hole is in the same spot, why the difference in tensionrrs and tensioner arms? Everything else aside from the engine mount bracket is the same right? I never noticed any other difference between the two.

 

[bryanwheat]

Well there goes my senior moment. Well I know this much. I've changed 95 tbelts and 97 up and the tensioners are totally different.

You are right, they are totally different. The early 95 tensioner looks like a 1g 7 bolt tensioner, and the later 2g tensioner is just a tube with mounting tabs on it. The bolt spacing is the same, but they are angled slightly differently.

This is the 95 tensioner

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This is the 96+ tensioner

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[WES_393]

For what it's worth, I'm using the 96+ tensioner on my early 95 engine. It was sent to me by mistake from a vendor and I figured I'd give it a shot. I never had any alignment issues with the tensioner arm and it fits perfect. Like the pictures Bryan posted, the only difference is the (what looks to be) freeze plug on the side for 95 tensioners. I'm not sure why it would matter anyhow considering the front case for all 7-bolts are the same, right?

 

[spyderdrifter]

Well I did order the 'tube with tabs' style tensioner since it's supposed to be the one on my engine anyway. Also because I want to try that one out. The tensioner on there now, in my opinion, seems like its on its way to being unserviseable anyway. I lost count of how many times I had to reset it, and in the end, I still think it was off. The piston was definitely sunken in too far when I removed the cover and checked it yesterday.

 

[92AWDHX40]

Glad you got that resolved.