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Re: Belt Tensioner Release Tool, Adequacy Of Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Mon, 14 Mar 2005 13:31:11
In Reply to: Re: Belt Tensioner Release Tool, Adequacy Of, Pierre, Mon, 14 Mar 2005 09:52:09 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
When I do the serpentine belt, I remove the fender inner liner, but throw a breaker bar on from above. There are two reasons for that. The first is throw distance. You stick the bar on and push. A rachet doesn't work, so you need to be able to compress the spring tensioner in on go. From below, the bar would be at the back, and you'd push it forward. From the back, you're limited by the suspension A-arm. At the front, you start to hit the chassis sub-frame. I wasn't able to get enought swing. From above, you can get enough swing, if you start the bar right by the AC compressor. Also, from above you can stand at the front of the car and push with your body weight. If you do it from below, you can't use your body weight, and you must use brute arm strength.
From above, once the tensioner is compressed, there really isn't a lot of force. The spring really isn't that strong; it's the damper that provides the resistance. From above, once the tensioner is compressed, you can easily hold the bar in place with one hand; remember, you body weight is behind it. And since the bar has swung to near the back of the engine compartment, you are directly over the idler pulley. It is very easy to drop a free hand down and slip the belt off of the idler. Really. Installation is the reverse of removal.
The idler pulley (not the tensioner) comes off very easily. Standard right-hand thread (lefty-loosey, righty-tighty). I don't remember the tightening torque on the idler off the top of my head, but I remember it isn't a lot. If you get the idler from eEuroparts, I'm pretty sure it comes with a sheet describing the torque.
A hint with the tensioner - When you go to remove the bolt, it is left-hand thread. Sticking a bar on that and rotating it counter-clockwise to loosen will EXTEND the tensioner shock. If the bolt is sticky, you can bust the tensioner shock. I made a tool to keep the tensioner compressed. It also takes the force when undoing the bolt. Quasi describes the tool on his website:
http://www.quasimotors.com/belt_install.htm
Do Not skimp on the thickness of the bar stock. I even went up a size.
The idler is really easy. Really. And the trick with the tensioner is steady force. It is like those Three Stooges movies - Cruly pounds on the door hard and nothing happens. Then he gets a running start, and Moe opens the door, and Curly flies through. The same with the shock. If you push really hard, it pushes back. If you apply force and wait, wait, wait, it moves surprisingly easily.
posted by 192.249....
, Mon, 14 Mar 2005 06:02:59, Mon, 14 Mar 2005 13:31:11 <-- Viewing This Message
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