mjdm Posted August 29, 2006 Share Posted August 29, 2006 Having put the VHPD head onto an 1800 block I'm a bit puzzled by the cambelt tensioner. I have the older manual tensioner but this won't fit to the VHPD head for two reasons 1) The Allen headed bolt is too large to fit into the relevent hole on the VHPD head 2) if I use a smaller diameter bolt the tensioner 'just' fits but there is no opportunity for any adjustment because the hole in the head is closer to the engine centre line - hence inherently tightening the belt 3) there is no appropriate hole for the bolt that goes through the curved slot in the tensioner. Should I be using the auto tensioner since it doesn't look like this haed was ever intended to have the manual tensioner fitted ? Also should I be using the slightly longer belt to compensate for the tensioner hole being closer to the engine centre line and give me some scope for adjustment ? There's a theme developing here... Thanks, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leadership Team SLR No.77 Posted August 30, 2006 Leadership Team Share Posted August 30, 2006 Where did you source the head? I have a brand new vhpd head that didn't have the drilling for the tensioner - If you speak to Dave Andrews (Oily) he can do the drillings for you. DO NOT USE an auto tensioner on a k-series that is putting out power in the region of the vhpd engine! Stu. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Englishmaninwales Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 Also omit the spring on the manual tensioner. Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 We tapped the existing hole to fit the manual tensioner - this necessitated the longer belt. It's not what Oily recommended, but we didn't quite believe what he was telling us at the time (looked like the new hole would be too close to the old one and the edge of the casting... 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester Racing 7's Equipe™ 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 🙆🏻 Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjdm Posted August 30, 2006 Author Share Posted August 30, 2006 It's a new VHPD head, sourced from Ebay, the seller told me it was ex-Lotus (but who knows ?) it doesn't have the same drilled holes as my K16 head does, so at the moment I can't fit the return spring. I had thought about getting the longer timing belt - that should then allow some adjustment - use the spring to apply the correct tension and then bolt it up and remove the spring. Presumeably there is a suitable tensioner for this type of head ? Or did Rover leave it upto the end user (Lotus ?) to source a custom tensioner ? Thanks, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oilyhands Posted August 30, 2006 Share Posted August 30, 2006 It sounds as if the head has been drilled and tapped for an automatic tensioner.. These are bad news. Have the head drilled and tapped for a manual tensioner and use a manual belt. Throw way the return spring, it does nothing useful. Myles, you should have faith... Oily Edited by - oilyhands on 30 Aug 2006 08:29:29 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjdm Posted August 30, 2006 Author Share Posted August 30, 2006 Thanks for the info Dave. I've trial fitted the manual tensioner with a smaller size bolt to see how much slack there is in the belt - and there's not much - none at all really. Should I retap the existing hole and use the longer belt or have a new hole drilled, offset by the required amount and use the shorter belt ? Thanks, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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