Honda K20/K24 Timing Chain Tensioner 14510-PRB-A01

Genuine Honda Timing Chain Tensioner - K20 & K24

If your K-series has developed a rattle, especially a rattle on cold start that quiets as the engine warms up, a worn timing chain tensioner is the usual cause. The tensioner keeps constant pressure on the timing chain so it stays tight and quiet; as it wears, the chain goes slack, rattles, and in a worst case can skip a tooth or jump, which on an interference engine means bent valves and major damage. This is the genuine Honda tensioner, the correct replacement to quiet that rattle and keep the chain where it belongs. Fits a wide range of K20 and K24 engines (but not the K24Z, see fitment).

The Rattle, And Why You Don't Ignore It

The tensioner uses spring and oil pressure to take up slack in the timing chain and keep it tight against the guides. As it wears or loses its ability to hold pressure, the chain develops slack, and you hear that as a rattle or chatter, typically loudest at cold start before oil pressure builds, and often quieting once the engine's warm and pressurized.

That rattle is a warning worth acting on. A slack chain doesn't just make noise, it can wear the guides faster, and if the tensioner fails enough that the chain skips a tooth or jumps timing, the valves and pistons can collide on these interference engines, which turns a cheap tensioner into a destroyed engine. Replacing a worn tensioner when it starts rattling is the cheap insurance that prevents the expensive outcome.

OEM Or The Hybrid Racing Upgrade

Two ways to go here, depending on your build.

This genuine Honda tensioner is the correct OEM replacement, right for restoring a stock or lightly modified K-series to proper, quiet operation. It's made to Honda's spec and is the straightforward fix for a rattling tensioner on a street car.

If you're building a high-RPM or high-power K-series, it's worth looking at the Hybrid Racing timing chain tensioner, an upgraded tensioner built to hold the chain more positively under the demands of an aggressively-driven or modified engine, where the OEM tensioner can struggle to keep up. For a stock-to-mild car, the OEM part here is the right call; for a serious build, the Hybrid Racing tensioner is the upgrade.

Do It While You're In There

The tensioner is accessible on the front of the engine, and if you're already in the timing area, for a rattle diagnosis, a chain or guide job, or other front-of-engine work, it's the moment to replace it. On a higher-mileage K-series, refreshing the tensioner along with the chain and guides restores the whole timing system to quiet, reliable operation rather than leaving a worn component in place to rattle again.

Fits K20 & K24 (Not K24Z)

This tensioner fits the K20A2, K20A3, K20Z1, K20Z3, K24A1, K24A2, K24A4, and K24A8 engines, covering:

2002-2011 Honda Civic Si
2003-2007 Honda Accord
2002-2006 Honda CR-V
2003-2011 Honda Element
2002-2006 Acura RSX
2004-2008 Acura TSX
2007-2010 Acura CSX Type S

Does not fit the K24Z, that engine uses a different tensioner, so confirm your engine before ordering.

This is for the K20 or K24 owner chasing a timing-chain rattle, especially a cold-start rattle, who wants to fix it before a slack chain does real damage. Genuine Honda, the correct replacement to restore proper chain tension and quiet operation, and the smart thing to replace while you're doing any timing-area work. For a stock or mildly modified car this OEM tensioner is the right fix; if you're building a high-RPM K-series, step up to the Hybrid Racing tensioner. Confirm your engine (this doesn't fit the K24Z), swap it in, and quiet the chain.

Fits: K20A2/K20A3/K20Z1/K20Z3 and K24A1/K24A2/K24A4/K24A8, 2002-2011 Civic Si, 2003-2007 Accord, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2006 RSX, 2004-2008 TSX, 2007-2010 CSX Type S. Does not fit: K24Z. Type: genuine Honda timing chain tensioner. Fixes: timing chain rattle (especially cold-start) from a worn tensioner. Upgrade option: Hybrid Racing timing chain tensioner for high-RPM/high-power builds. Install: direct replacement; do it alongside chain/guide work.