Timing-belt tensioner springs Acura RL

[Alistair McClure]

I just did a timing belt and water pump change on my 1999 Acura RL . I used a ContiTech PP279-280LK1 Pro Series Plus Kit, this appeared to be a good quality set of parts. However, it did not contain replacement springs for the tensioners. I re-used the ones that were on the car, they were still strong in that I needed to use some effort to re-hook them during installation. Question is, should they have been replaced with new ones? The tensioners only come into action when the locking bolts are released and re-torqued don’t they? I really don’t want to remove all the throttle body etc stuff again to fit new springs but it’s probably going to niggle at me til I do. Why did the kit contain new camshaft seals but not the tensioner springs? Weird.

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[Mike]

Since none of the timing kits that Rockauto lists include the springs, I’d surmise that they are not necessary to replace.
You’re wise to have chosen the “premium” quality kit.
These type of tasks aren’t ones that you want to re-do any time soon.

[Alistair McClure]

I guess so, but it seems weird they would not add in a couple of $2 springs just for ‘completeness’. The maintenance tensioning routine is in the manual, but doesn’t say when it needs to be done – maybe never?

[Author]

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