Alternator belt tensioner

Just to share a story. My radiator fan blade cracked so I needed to change it. Seems this is a common problem. I decided to change the tensioner strut for the alternator belt ant the same time.

Some months ago I changed the belts and this tensioner seems a bit weak and after the job I noticed my belt squealing a couple of times when cold.

All went well until I came to put the belt back on. No matter what I did the belt seemed not even close to going back on. I remembered last time I put the belt on the alternator pully last and it was relatively easy. But this time the belt was a mile off going on. I used a ring spanner and it moved the tension pully until it hit a stop which seemed to be the maximum travel. I tried for hours. I checked the tensioner thinking it might be the wrong one but everything checked out. Of course the belt was the same as before so that could not be the problem. I then connected two ring spanner together to get more leaverage which helped the pain on my hand but still the pully hit a stop and not even close to get the belt on. I have never been so frustrated. Then suddenly while I was pressing down on the spanner it moved a fraction more, enough to get the belt on. It’s like the strut just decided it was time to stop playing with me.

So it’s all back now but I don’t know what was stopping the tensioner move all the way for so many tries.

Any chance the far end of you ratchet was hitting something? I’ve had that happen before without realizing it for several attempts.

Rob-Shanghai wrote

Just to share a story. My radiator fan blade cracked so I needed to change it. Seems this is a common problem. I decided to change the tensioner strut for the alternator belt ant the same time.

Some months ago I changed the belts and this tensioner seems a bit weak and after the job I noticed my belt squealing a couple of times when cold.

All went well until I came to put the belt back on. No matter what I did the belt seemed not even close to going back on. I remembered last time I put the belt on the alternator pully last and it was relatively easy. But this time the belt was a mile off going on. I used a ring spanner and it moved the tension pully until it hit a stop which seemed to be the maximum travel. I tried for hours. I checked the tensioner thinking it might be the wrong one but everything checked out. Of course the belt was the same as before so that could not be the problem. I then connected two ring spanner together to get more leaverage which helped the pain on my hand but still the pully hit a stop and not even close to get the belt on. I have never been so frustrated. Then suddenly while I was pressing down on the spanner it moved a fraction more, enough to get the belt on. It’s like the strut just decided it was time to stop playing with me.

So it’s all back now but I don’t know what was stopping the tensioner move all the way for so many tries.

It took me and my friend all our strength with a breaker bar to get mine on. One of the hardest things I’ve done on a car, frustrating because it’s a belt.

nick3753 wrote

Any chance the far end of you ratchet was hitting something? I’ve had that happen before without realizing it for several attempts.

First I used a socket and breaker bar. The socket hits one of the steel coolant pipes connected to the water pump so you can’t get full travel for sure. So a ring spanner is the way to go and yes I made sure it was not hitting anything. You could feel the pully could not move any further until suddenly it did, but only after 100 tries. Crazy

e92dud wrote

It took me and my friend all our strength with a breaker bar to get mine on. One of the hardest things I’ve done on a car, frustrating because it’s a belt.

I was doing it alone in 36 deg C heat. I gave up and slept on it feeling defeated. Had another go the next day and spent another hour until finally it moved enough. Yes so much trouble and pain for just a belt.