What breaks on S4 V8 engines? Worth replacing tensioners only?

[pablo]

Hey all, my B7 S4 has 118k on it and Im contemplating a wee bit of preventative maintenance. Chains seem fine with no rattle or anything but every time someone pulls one apart they seem to have cracked tensioners.

The car is simply not worth spending 3-4 grand on sorting the lot so would consider having the tensioners replaced.

My questions are:

- is it the tensioners that actually break and cause the damage or is that only one part of the problem?
- will this actually improve anything? Will be using OEM ones
- do you need specialist timing tools etc to do it. Ive no doubt my mechanic could do it but if we need to buy a heap of specialist tools its not really worth it.

I realise that the lump would need to come out to get access so factoring that in too.

Thanks

 

[sportquattro]

Hi there, its not just the tensioners, it more a problem with the chain guides breaking over time. Its an engine out job whatever and personally when or hopefully if my S4 needs it to be done I'll do the whole lot, tensioners, guides chains and cam adjusters as I don't want to be doing the job twice. Lots of info on Audizine, and there a kit that a company in the US make that has modified bits that hopefully fix the issue for good.

These are great cars and its a shame they have this possible ticking time bomb, but the values reflect this, and I think if you have a nice sorted S4 then its worth getting it fixed properly and keeping the car long term and enjoying that glorious sound.

Nige

 

[dualmono21]

as previously said
its actually more a problem of the guides wearing and eventually breaking
this is caused by the chain by going slack which in turn is caused by the tensioners slowly releasing oil pressure
and having to be pumped back up on start up

there is a way to avoid this ....

its possible to fit a system on the car which stores oil pressure when you turn off the engine ...
then when the ignition is turned the stored pressure is used to pump oil into the
tensioners so when the engine is cranked the tensioners are fully pumped and there is no chain rattle on start up or ever !!!

message me if you would like more info
i have all the parts neccessary to do the mod as i had it fitted to my s4 previously

 

[pablo]

sorry my mistake I was actually meaning the guides as they always seem to be cracked when someone pulls the covers off (though maybe they only pull the covers off due to problems).

interested to hear of your solution they can be changed with the engine in can't they? Can guides be inspected with the engine still in?

thanks