Replacing aux belt tensioner

[lard-ajc]

(110bhp TDi engine)

Finally got round to buying a replacement aux belt tensioner. I was expecting Haynes to have instructions on how to replace it but unfortunately not.

On the face of it it looks like a job of taking the tension off the arm and removing the 3 bolts that hold it to the engine.

Does anyone have any tips and tricks to make the job as painless as possible - there's not a whole lot of room in there

thanks

[spiggotpaddy]

haynes dont like to repeat themselves and because each manual covers dozens of different models nowadays you have to flip from one end of the book to the other. your tensioner is covered under sohc petrol. page 2a7 section 7 paragraph 3

[aj oki oki oki]

to release the tension there is a square block which a 15mm spanner will fit on, leave the belt in place if ur not replacing that also. And if you look at the new one there is a small hole which a small pin or nail of some kind will fit through and hold the tension off . Once you av done that just undo the 3x 13mm bolts then fit new one then hold belt in position and remove the pin . hope this helps

[lard-ajc]

great - thanks for the advice.

To release the tension on the old one I presume I have to put a pin in to hold the tension off while undoing the mounting bolts?

[aj oki oki oki]

yes that is correct

[fordfan]

Why are you replacing it?

[lard-ajc]

because there's a nasty rattle when the engine's cold. By pressing on the top part of the tensioner (gas strut) while the engine's rattling the noise can be stopped.

I'd prefer to replace it now rather than have it fail/throw the belt and cause at minimum the hassle of getting recovered from the side of the road.

[ExAudiSi]

Mine does the same and I also discovered the pressing on the strut quietened things down.

Please report back whether or not this fixes the rattle.

[fordfan]

Whilst you are at it, check the pulley on the alternaor, it should freewheel in one direction. When these seize up, it places extra load on the belt tensioner which causes the alloy casting to snap.

[lard-ajc]

thanks for the heads-up fordfan, will check it at the weekend...

[lard-ajc]

right - finally got round to chaging the tesioner today.

After removing the wheel arch lining as if the belt was going to be changed - It was simply a case of using a 16mm spanner to take the tension off the belt, removing the belt from the AC pulley and allowing the tensioner to fully extend.

Then undo the 3 bolts holding the tensioner body to the engine block. I needed to use 2 different types of socket and extension bars to get to the bolts, there's still a coouple of square inches of skin left on the back of my hand.

I decided that to get the retaining pin out of the new tensioner while it was on the engine would be a tricky job so I clamped the tensioner in a vice to allow be to get the pin out and let the tensioner fully extend.

It was then just a case of bolting the new one on, making sure the belt was seated properly on hte pulleys, and compressing the tensioner to hold the belt.

Took about 1hour including getting access under the wheel arch.

The rattling has now stopped and the engine is almost sounding like new again.