Cam chain tensioner removal

I want to re-seal the cam chain tensioner on the front cylinder head. I will have to remove the complete tensioner assembly as the base gasket is leaking.

There is quite a bit of info in the archives pertaining to this issue, but there is one small detail that is not covered very well; at least not that I could find. How do you remove the tensioner without having it shoot across the room? I've read that the spring is very strong.

I loosened the nuts securing the tensioner base to the motor so that the tensioner base could slide back a little on the studs; the idea being that I wanted to feel how hard it would be to push the base back against the motor. What I found is that I can't budge the thing.

Does anyone have a good method for removing the tensioner without being a danger to himself or others? Will I be able to hold the spring tension by hand? Right now, I'm feeling like Ralphie in A Christmas Story with a little voice in my head saying "you'll shoot your eye out!" Also, once I have it out, will a mere mortal such as myself have the strength to get it back in?

Bear in mind that I'm doing this with the motor in the car. I do have the alternator & the exhaust header off.

Thanks in advance for any input.

Regards,

Michael Keith
Houston, TX

 

Thinking about this some more, would the collet, assuming it's fully tightened, be able to hold the push rod in place & therefore hold everything together, or would the spring overcome the collet's grip on the push rod once the assembly is removed?

 

Thanks to all of you for your input. I managed to get the tensioner out. The collect did hold the push rod in place. However, the tensioner itself did not want to slide out easily. That is why I thought it was still under spring tension. I had to use a brass punch to drive the tensioner out of the head. Is that unusual?

Now that it is out & disassembled, I seem to be missing an o-ring, but I need some guidance as to what o-ring I need & where it goes. See milanoguy's post. He is working with me on this car.

daviekj, in your photo of a disassembled tensioner, there is both a large & a small o-ring. You reference the small o-ring as sitting inside the tensioner cylinder. My tensioner does not have this small o-ring. Furthermore, I did not find it in the parts manual, nor was it included in the tensioner re-sealing kit I received from Superformance. Of course, I've been around Italian cars long enough to know that that doesn't necessarily mean that the small o-ring shouldn't be there.

Where exactly does it go in the tensioner body? Does it go where the spring would push against it, or does it go on the collet side? Also, what size of o-ring should I get?

Thanks again,

Michael Keith
Houston, TX