Timing Chain Tensioners

[Dolomiteman]

I understand MG owners are now experiencing the same problem with the rubber of the slipper pad parting company with the metal piston component of aftermarket chain tensioners that us Dolomite Sprint owners have been living with for the past 12 years?

The tensioners in the two cars differ slightly in that to release the tension in our OE tensioners it is a 'press and release' action, whereas in yours' an allen key needs to be inserted to release the spring. As a consequence, the chassis of the tensioner differs in that yours' has a blanking bolt in a tapped hole to provide access for the allen key, whereas ours are a blind casting.

We have found that your style of tensioner 12H3292 fits our cars, but the problem of the poor adhesion of the slipper pad rubber has caught up with you too.

We had been using a similar Jaguar part number EAC3629, but a number of specialist Jaguar suppliers are superseding that part number to the same poor quality aftermarket item and if you can get hold of original Jaguar parts they have recently more than doubled in price to £81.00 or more!

As a solution, I have acquired a quantity of new old stock BL/BMC slipper pads for the 12H3292 tensioner which at one point in time were supplied separately, part number 17H31, and these are of a quality of manufacture where the adhesion of the rubber pad to the metal piston is durable in use. Dolomite owners are now using these new old stock items either substituting the slipper pad in the aftermarket MG item, or machining our original chassis components to receive a blanking bolt. Ours are interference engines where if the chain breaks, the engine is likely to suffer significant and very expensive damage.

I'm making these slipper pads generally available to those folk who need/want them, but when they are gone, there will be no more.

£35 to include UK postage.