cam chain tensioner pad from Ebay

[RS8]

Do these cheap plastic pads for chain tensioner works good that sells on ebay (from China), or is there anyone who has had problems with them?


18932

[jolio1994]

I put 5,000 miles on mine. Quality was very great and they snapped on the tensioners with decent snap. I'd buy them again

[kruat]

I got a set off Amazon for my 2.7t Allroad. Only have a few hundred miles on them, but quality seemed well, fit the tensioner just fine. I guess only time will tell.

[mrdave]

I believe all of these tensioner pads are "from China" as the only way to get OEM ones is to buy the entire tensioner assembly.

That being said, I installed pads from ebay on my S6 and they worked fine for over 20k miles until I sold the car.

[RS8]

And how good is these complete cam tensioner units that sells for low price on ebay?

http://www.rs6.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18961&d=1570005841&thumb=1&stc=1

[nubcake]

A bit of a gamble.
Pretty much as anything Chinese.

[lswing]

And how good is these complete cam tensioner units that sells for low price on ebay?

http://www.rs6.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=18961&d=1570005841&thumb=1&stc=1

Not worth the gamble of all the labor or possible engine damage.

I've got my old working OEM set with new pads for sale. $500. 95k on the set, I fully replaced the units with new OEM for $1,800 for the pair.

I searched all around for new pads using the numbers and print markings from my OEM pads, and found some from Germany it seems that had the exact same mold/print markings, figure that's as close as you can get for the pads.

[CBeau]

Hope not thread jacking but very related.... and I know this has been discussed on forum many many times b4, but let me ask this fresh set of ears and eyes on this thread if don't mind.

I'm about to do trans replace on my 95k mi. car, and full go-thru-whole engine and all usual suspects maintenance items (only known / obvious issue besides blown trans and those lifed items being service / replace due, is a little valve cover oil weeping on one side).

INPUT I'M LOOKING FOR = should I just plan to replace the whole cam tensioner units from the get go, or if they appear to be fine working order beyond the pads then just replace the pads??

Of course I'm jumping the gun asking bc I haven't even looked at them yet, and I know I'm basically asking someone here to hold my hand like a little child instead of just making the big boy "you know the risks if you do or don't" decision on my own..... but still interested in any input.

If I took it all apart and just did pads and put all back together and had tensioner unit issue soon after I'd be hot mad, bc I like cars and working on them..... kinda..... but taking it all back apart again would not be my idea of "fun".

But flip side and my luck, if I took it all apart and put all new units in and one of them failed pronto soon after, like a total if it ain't broke don't fix it nightmare, I'd probably put a bullet right thru engine I'd be so mad. And that possibility just said is why if I change the whole units I'd almost for sure use rip off stupid $$$ OEM parts bc if some aftermarket part died quick it would drive me insane.... that said, I'm pretty sure there probably are non OEM units that are 100% as good if not better, but they're too hard to get to for me to be hedging that kind of bet for parts $$ savings or whatever.

My current inclination, given age of car and headache to get too, just buy OEM units and change out while in there, the incremental cost isn't so much compared to having to take it all apart to access them again.

[GreggPDX]

I believe the majority of failures are from excessive pad wear, not the tensioners themselves. Personally, when I did the same "big" service, I just replaced the pads using the Blauparts service kit. So far, no issues.