cambelt tensioner problem

[pastie]

Car is 2001 pd100 estate

Cambelt tensioner failed last week,got the father in law fitting a new belt and tensioner.
New tensioner is 72mm diameter and doesnt have a hole in the tab.
Old tensioner is 71mm diameter and does have a hole in the tab.
He insists it wont work,but ecp doesnt sell anything else??
Can anyone shed some light on this?

Many thanks
Alex

Edited 15 June, 2016 by pastie

[Tech1e]

The early PD100s have the oil damped tensioner assembly rather than the later manual adjustment.

Take some more pics of the tensioner and if you can the engine.

[pastie]

I think you may be right Tech1e,there does appear to be some sort of push rod where the tensioner lives.


This is the new tensioner


Old tensioner
 

[pastie]

Still not sure why the arm on the old tensioner has a hole in it

[TMB]

Doesn't that little push rod locate into the hole?

[Guest]

It's been a while since I did one of the older PD belts, but it looks like you have one of the older hydraulic damped tensioners like Tech1e has already mentioned. I believe the hole / slot in the old tensioner pulley is a guide for the hydraulic tensioner piston to locate in and therefore tension the pulley onto the belt. Your new pulley is of the later style. Although I have never attempted it myself, there are those who say that it is possible to use the new pulley on your engine, as the new idler pulley will fit into the holes for the hydraulic tensioner once removed. See here: http://www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/172817-ASZ-TDI-cambelt-tensioner-can-the-later-friction-tensioner-be-retro-fitted-to-the-ealier-damper-tensioner-setup

Please be careful though as timing belts and pulleys are obviously a vital component in your engine. It might be worth looking for an exact replacement tensioner instead of risking the above! Depends on how you feel about tackling that sort of a job. I'm always funny about belts and pulleys in doing them properly. Comes down to my OCD and years spent as one of a few technicians who specialised in cambelts particularly on diesels and multi cam / V engines.

[Tech1e]

There is a specific way of setting the old style tensioners up too. You need 6-7mm of float in between the damper and the tensioner to allow for correct tension. Also if you turn the tensioner the wrong way it's really easy to break. Stupid idea which is why they simplified it.

[pastie]

Can i swap the arms over on the tensioners?
The father in law appears to know what hes doing,he doesnt speak much english though.
Should i be changing the actual damper too?

[Guest]

I wouldn't swap the arms over as the two pulleys are different diameters and this could cause issues with timing. Best practice would be to change the hydraulic damper too. I probably would do if it was my car, due to you mentioning that the original tensioner failed. I wouldn't want this happening again any time soon.

[felicia16v]

There shouldn't be a hole there. It's either been messed with previously or the tensioner rod has worn it thru ?I'd be tempted to get a new tensioner unit too

[hutchysrs50]

There shouldn't be a hole there. It's either been messed with previously or the tensioner rod has worn it thru ?I'd be tempted to get a new tensioner unit too

 

The kit i got from ECP when i replaced mine came with the the tensioner unit and the tensioner pully.