How to restore a Hillman Imp timing chain tensioner

An update, two years on and we have a visual test on the original repair as below. The parts looked good and having been test run in an engine for many hours we thought the job was done but after inspection find that the glue line bond could be broken.

Please do not use the products we show below.

With the Imps last first production being in 1963 and an end of production in 1974 original parts are now becoming hard to source. This idea may well be a first and it uses South African invented and made products, they should be available world wide, if not you can get them from me?

The tensioner has a plastic rub strip glued on to it, what the plastic is and the glue was we have no idea but two South African products will make good replacements.

The tensioner blade on the spare top one is a new Rootes made product, I was told early this year it was one of the last in stock. Bought from a specialist in the UK, landed it cost me a whopping R910 (U$95)  thats only the blade, not the whole assembly.

I have spoken to the technical department at Pratley, they agree that their Wondafix is highly oil resistant and given that it is flexible, should work well. It will take heat to 100c so will be fine in an engine running around 80c?

Vesconite supplied me with a promotional rule some time back, its perfect to try as a rub strip on the Rootes tensioner blade.

This is the  Vesconite when cut down to size, we need 210mm long x 18mm wide and 3mm thick.

A test glue up was done the day before, Wondafix bonds well to the Vesconite but not to a strip of nylon, which was the other part tested. Here the Vesconite has been machine belt sanded to add grip to the glue, the spring steel blade has been bead blasted and washed clean with tap water.

This clamping method allows the Vesconite to be held in place, the weight of the right hand clamp pulls the blade and Vesconite strip down and into place.

Will it work?

I say yes!

There are a number of options should you want to do this repair.

We send you the materials ready to fit, or you send your timing chain tensioner here and we do the restoration here, we will always need to do this on an exchange basis.

Wondafix will take a full 24 hours to cure but after just a few hours the Pratley glue had set enough to un clamp it and fit in the engine.

Without the chain tensioner this 49 year old Hillman Imp engine could not be fully re assembled, Wondafix and Vesconite saved the day.

The Vesconite rub strip looks just like the real thing! Vesconite will never wear out like the plastic used by Rootes.

The cylinder head can be fitted next.

The epoxy in this trial did not work past the few months the engine was bench tested, it did not actually fail but a stronger glue line is now in use.

Roy