355 front of engine rattle

So the tensioner gets its oil pressure from the engine oil pressure?

 

Hallelujah!

I don't think people realize that the critical dimension between the crankshaft axis and the cam sprockets "grows" so much because of thermal expansion of the block and head material. These are not "tensioners," they're "de-tensioners."

I'm satisfied that the rattle is not the tensioner, in this case. It was my judgement call and I'm comfortable with that. I understand not only the theory, but the practice. Than you, Brian, for the explanation.

-Peter

 

No, unlike the Alfa V6 travesty it's self contained.

 

So then the oil is pressurized by spring pressure on a plunger?

 

By belt tension and engine heat causing thermal expansion.

 

So that explains the rattle going away after warm-up on some of these "rattling" cars.

 

Yes, that is why I suggested it as a possibility. Interestingly I have never experienced it on a 360 so I have to assume somewhere between 95 and 99 they were improved.

 

It really does do both when the need arises.

I was just describing it for those that have not seen it because there was some confusion what it did and how. It really is a good piece of engineering just some of them had problems. Another one of those subcontractor things.

I mentioned proper setting and being able to judge their condition because so many feel all we do is take the motor out and throw a bunch of new parts at it. There is a little more to it than that and when one is considering a DIY thing that should be known. Scary when you consider the fact that there are people that haul one of these motors out and after looking at it they still cannot tell which direction the thing turns. And the objective is to get it all back together running correctly? Good luck with that one. Hope they can figure out how to bleed the brakes when they are done. Oops, thats not always the case either.

One of the problems with 355's is they are kind of 10lbs in a 5lb bag so everything is packaged pretty tight with heat shields everywhere. They are prone to making noises and some can be hard to find. Makes a good case for a loud exhaust.

Good luck.

 

Now, I made a good living off those Alfa V-6 tensioners! LOL!

Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

-Peter

 

Thanks. I did not know anything about that operation, but it sounds like decent engineering. Good to know.

Merry Christmas

 

First off I didn't realize you had such strong effections for me but, I'm more into chicks, thanks hahaha.
My answers were directed at "action figures" question (the origininal question). Not rattling pieces of metal. I was trying to stick with the original question.
Also I never said you wouldn't see oil leaking from the tensionor I said it was uncommon. I would still bet that the tensionor rattle is "action figures" problem.

 

What is interesting about that is the part number for both is the same IIRC. regards, Vern

 

That's right, and the manufacturing date on the tensioner assemblies is 2004! When FoA installed them!

-Peter

 

360's have a rubberised mount for the hydrostatic tensioner for the LH bank only... and only one of the bolts too... it seems a cronic design fault to me... and there have been 3 up grades to the part... just to make it stronger around the rigid mount, but they STILL have the rubberised mount for the other bolt on the same component...

Ferraris first engineering solution was to fit a fail safe peg.. so that WHEN it did break, it would only move "so far" away!! and save the engine

but the RH bank has "normal" rigid mounted units like a 355 has both banks....

I confess to not understanding the logic behind the rubberised one hole mount.. and when they were breaking on the 360C, I simply fitted solid ones to both banks and have never seen any problem with any of them .... some now 4 years and 10,000 TRACK km later....

For road cars I do standard.

 

So do the 355's have solid ones available??

 

you're missing the point... 355 have solid mounted units already, as does the RH bank on a 360.

The hydraulics are internal.

 

Ther was no point to miss, the current ones are "still" hydraulic and according to some threads, they will leak. If they don't or won't leak, then fabulous I already have stockers installed. Thanks for the info!

 

The point you missed was that 355 ONLY have solid mounted hydrostatic tensioners... yet you asked if solid ones were available....

don't confuse the mounting method with the tensioner operation....

355 and 360 have the same internals to the tensioners... but 360 have a rubber mounted LH bank tensioner... but only on one of the bolt holes, not both... which, to my understanding, is bad engineering as the solid hole does not have the abilty to tolerate movement around the rubberised hole...

 

I went from the loudest exhaust on the planet back to stock and its amazing how many noises I hear now, loud exhaust was much less stressful for me but not my neighbours!

 

Guys,

had this problem on my "96" 355 and the mechanics at the dealer in atlanta that i use determined that it was rocks in the cambelts! i know it sounds rediculous but its true. Check it out!

 

How in the heck do you get rocks in the cam belt? Unless you went off track into the gravel trap, but on the road?