318ti.org forum - View Single Post - Mechanical Belt Tensioner

**e30topdown** · 09-14-2016, 09:47 PM

INA is the OEM supplier for BMW. Excellent quality. I always order INA for pulley and tensioner parts for my e36s and for the timing belt tensioner on my e30.

As far as the pulley bolts and dust covers go, these have changed on some, but not all. The last M44 tensioner I did was August of 2015 and the bolt head was unchanged and I was able to reuse the dust cover. It snapped right on. But I had to put a new serpentine tensioner on an M52 (98 328i) in February and the bolt was completely different and the dust cover wouldn't fit. I also put a new idler pulley on and it was unchanged from the original. Didn't really matter to me as I was rescuing the car from a crap head PO and finding a new home for it.

Know that changes are more and more likely as production spreads out all over the world. A hex bolt may take the place of a torx bolt or vice versa, a groove for a dust cap may be omitted, or in my case, the bolt head was no longer recessed enough and the dust cap wouldn't go on at all. I have seen Behr parts over the last couple of years that were made in a variety of countries: Germany, Turkey, India, and Indonesia.

I still have confidence in Behr and INA parts, though.

Ken

09-14-2016, 09:47 PM	#2
e30topdown ti Daily Join Date: May 2015 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 43 iTrader: (0) Photo Gallery	INA is the OEM supplier for BMW. Excellent quality. I always order INA for pulley and tensioner parts for my e36s and for the timing belt tensioner on my e30. As far as the pulley bolts and dust covers go, these have changed on some, but not all. The last M44 tensioner I did was August of 2015 and the bolt head was unchanged and I was able to reuse the dust cover. It snapped right on. But I had to put a new serpentine tensioner on an M52 (98 328i) in February and the bolt was completely different and the dust cover wouldn't fit. I also put a new idler pulley on and it was unchanged from the original. Didn't really matter to me as I was rescuing the car from a crap head PO and finding a new home for it. Know that changes are more and more likely as production spreads out all over the world. A hex bolt may take the place of a torx bolt or vice versa, a groove for a dust cap may be omitted, or in my case, the bolt head was no longer recessed enough and the dust cap wouldn't go on at all. I have seen Behr parts over the last couple of years that were made in a variety of countries: Germany, Turkey, India, and Indonesia. I still have confidence in Behr and INA parts, though. Ken __________________ 1992 325iC M Technic appearance Diamantschwarz 5 spd. heated seats 1993 325iC Schwarz II 5 spd. SOLD 1997 318ti Active Boston Gruen, Sandgrau w/M Technic interior swap Millpoint Gray 1999 M Roadster Dakar Yellow II, Dinan Stage 3 software, high flow throttle body, and CAI 2001 Z3 3.0i Coupe Black Sapphire Metallic BMW CCA 369408 Last edited by e30topdown; 09-14-2016 at 10:02 PM.