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timing tensioner question

3K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  honorat 
#1 ·
Just wonderig if there are differences in the k20a3 vs the k20a2 and k24a4 tensioners? Will I be fine using my a3 tensioner on my k24/k20 build? Thanks.
 
#8 ·
You may want to avoid the Toda one. Like stated above, it is a modified stock unit. I had a Toda unit sent to me by a customer a while back (he wanted me to see if it was broken). I was actually able to push the piston into the tensioner and it wouldn't come back out. Obviously this would equal death to a motor. I have never seen an OEM unit do that (and I handled and disassembled many, many OEM tensioners, both new, used, and broken while developing our tensioner).

It's been a while since I've looked at the tensioner part numbers, but I believe there are only 2 versions on the honda one. The one that's in the type S is also found in a CRV and RDX.....if memory serves me correctly. The only difference between the 2 is the peak oil pressure they're capable of holding, and I believe the peak pressure in the type S one is the lower of the 2 (although we're talking a difference of like 5 psi). Anyhow, as long as yours does not seem to have any wear on the teeth that make up the ratcheting mechanism, I would not spend money on another one.

Ours should be available withint the next 2 months. :up:
 
#10 ·
Ok, thanks. I would like to wait for yours but I need to get this thing back together asap. Thanks for the info though. Mine is from an a3 which looks perfectly fine. I will be running an a2 pump on a built k24 bottom end which will never see above 7500 rpm.
 
#11 ·
ooooh ooooh I got mentioned, lol, jk, that was my tensioner. I am sooooooo lucky that it didnt ever fail on me, I ran it for 12K miles. The only reason why I thought to check it was on my new build the car wasnt getting any compression so I was checking timing, and something didnt seem right to me, so Russ helped me out. Russ, I cannot wait til your comes out, I demand to be first on the list, lol.
 
#13 ·
There are several TCT's made by Honda. They can be identified by the color of the locking tab, 2 lobe=grey, 3 lobe=orange.

The internal springs are slightly different between them, as well as different sized oiling jets in the piston.

The Toda unit is a typeS(PRB) that has a mechanical stop installed so that the TCT can not compress enough for the chain to jump timing. A Toda unit had been disected and measured and the mechanical stop is nothing but a Bseries dowell pin shortened.
 
#14 ·
I had a 2007 tsx with a grey tct tab ,it came out of a wrecked 07 tsx . From the the salvage yard to my shop. It still had the original coolant in it 7000 miles on it.just wondering why would honda use a 2 lobe tct on a 3 lobe engine.. I KNOW BRUCE AT EAST PARK WONT SHIT ME.
 
#15 ·
Well according to all the parts breakdowns the K24A2 comes with a PRB tensioner,,,orange tab,,,,,The two K24A2's I have broken down have both had an orange tab TCT, maybe the engine you seen had it replaced prior to your involvement, or Honda decided the low revs didnt warrant the more expensive orange tab TCT.
 
#16 ·
well according to all the parts breakdowns the k24a2 comes with a prb tensioner,,,orange tab,,,,,the two k24a2's i have broken down have both had an orange tab tct, maybe the engine you seen had it replaced prior to your involvement, or honda decided the low revs didnt warrant the more expensive orange tab tct.
i just found it kind of weird that it had the grey one .
I replaced it with a prb as i do with most unless the customer does not want to spend the extra 65 bucks .

Thanks for this info, now i have to go back and change it because i installed that grey tct on another motor b-cuz the customer wanted to be cheap . Getting him to lay out a measly 65 bucks
is gonna be like pulling teeth. :(
 
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