M44 Tensioner. Didn't think these came apart.

[VegasKyle]

I installed the tensioner just as the e36 Bentley says to.  While trying to track down a problem I was forced to take it out.  It was extended but had never been run. Once I unscrewed the cap it popped out and into 3 pieces.  I was under the impression the M44 tensioner didn't come apart.  It looks like the pictures I see of M44's and is clearly different than the old one it was replacing.

Is this tensioner in some way defective? Should I attempt to reassemble and use it?

[romkasponka]

You can assemble it without a problem. Often it pops out after rapid decompression.

[VegasKyle]

I can't get this thing back together.  The second snap ring(not the one closest to the tip) is way to big to fit back in.  I can't come up with anything to compress it enough to get it back in.  I've tried by hand, pliers, even tying a zip tie around it.  The Bentley is basically worthless, it says to push it back together more or less.

Anyone have a tip or trick to get these things back together?

[romkasponka]

Not sure what for the second ring is made, but I assembled it this way (My new tensioner with more rigid spring is without second ring. Will se how it will work.)

Put it in vise and compress until you reach second ring and compress further till you have very small resistance from ring and after that with small screw driver or two of them push the ring in to the groove and compress vise little bit at the same time. Me did it this way a couple of time. Good luck.  

[DesktopDave]

Hose clamp?

[VegasKyle]

Not sure what for the second ring is made, but I assembled it this way (My new tensioner with more rigid spring is without second ring. Will se how it will work.)

Put it in vise and compress until you reach second ring and compress further till you have very small resistance from ring and after that with small screw driver or two of them push the ring in to the groove and compress vise little bit at the same time. Me did it this way a couple of time. Good luck.  

Hose clamp?

I'll give these a try.  For the time being I'm using the old tensioner I took out.  I squeezed the oil out of it before reinstalling.  Seems to be working, the car runs amazing with new timing guides.  So much smoother even over parts of the rev band that were seemingly unaffected before.

[Ryann]

Contrary to incorrect information I've read, I disassembled both an old and new style tensioner by smacking them on a countertop. They look really similar except the older style's spring isn't tapered at the ends like the new one pictured above. I stuck the new one in a cabinet drawer to compress it back together, and while leaning on the drawer gently used the tip of a knife blade to tuck the retaining ring back into the housing.