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Schurkey is almost completely right but you need a small flatblade screwdriver to wind it back in is all. My main concern is once I need one next its going to be figuring out how to rebuild one or adapt something to fit as I've had more then a few fail in my time. Just a point of interest not that this anything to do with anything but I've done more LQ1 timing belts then most people and NOT ONCE have I actually gotten oil out of a tensioner. when I serviced the belt. I always put some back in... just thought it an interesting thing to point out.

The process is well-described in the service manual. I haven't done this in probably ten years. Going from memory... Remove tensioner from the engine. There's a rubber plug on the tensioner body. You remove the rubber plug, drain the old oil out of it, then refill with fresh synthetic oil of the proper viscosity--might be 5W-30, I don't remember for sure. The plug either has a tiny hole in it, or you PUT a tiny hole in it. The tensioner plunger is wound back into the main body with a wrench. You hold the plunger in place while cramming a wire into the main body through the rubber plug which locks the plunger--otherwise it just unwinds again under spring tension. When the belt is back on, tensioner reinstalled--you pull the wire out, which releases the plunger and tensions the belt. Confirm with the actual service manual. Point is, it's not hard at all to reset the oil-filled (but not "hydraulic") tensioner.

I'll accept the flat-blade vs. wrench. Truth is, I don't remember how I did it all those years ago. I have drained oil out of, and refilled the tensioners on the few belt replacements I've done--four, perhaps.

I have this task on the to do list that never seems to get any shorter. Thanks for the info dudes!

This is a great overall video of not only the tensioner but anything having to do with servicing these wonderful motors. Like in the video, motor oil is used to top off the tensioner. There is a rubber plug that gives access to filling it. The video explains what is acceptable for the tensioner to be at as far as specs to be considered reusable. You'll have to skip forward a bit to find the appropriate sections of information. Hope this helps!