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T-belt tension

presterone

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Jan 23, 2012
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514
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brunswick maine
So I assume my t-belt was tensioned incorrectly. The previous owner replaced a cylinder head and I'm thinking he either re-used the tensioner, incorrectly did the whole job, or I'm just retarded and don't know how tight it should be. I pulled the cam cover off and If I push down lightly in between both cams, the belt dips quite a bit and the intake cam moves with it(probably on intake stroke)It seems like If I gave it some corn I could pull the belt right off the cams, and I can flex the belt a little more than 90 degrees. I tried the search bar but didn't come up with anything good enough, does anybody have a link for a FAQ with good pictures on how to replace the belt and tensioner and all the timing marks and such?
 

Barnes

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Feb 9, 2003
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6,249
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Richland, WA
How long after running the car do you check the tension? The belt will slack up when off, so it will be very loose after sitting a long time. If you check the tension right after it has run (i.e. motor was turned off less than 1 min ago), it should be much tighter. Check it right after running it a few minutes.
 

turbowop

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Apr 29, 2001
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Yakima, WA
The slack between the cam sprockets means nothing. That slack can be loose or tight depending on where the engine stopped when you shut it off.
 

fuel

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Feb 23, 2009
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Toronto, ON, Canada
I would be pulling the timing cover and seeing where the auto tensioner arm pin hole is in relation to the pin holes through the auto tensioner body - if they are within 1-2mm from each other the tension will be fine - however if the tension has been set incorrectly the auto tensioner would have pushed the arm right out to try take up the slack. Often I see people (even mechanics!) barely tension the belt using the tensioner bearing before pulling the pin on the auto tensioner unit.
 

gramkrakr89

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Jan 25, 2010
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Bunker Hill, WV
Quoting turbowop:
The slack between the cam sprockets means nothing. That slack can be loose or tight depending on where the engine stopped when you shut it off.



^^ this

though it can't hurt to have a looksie to see if the auto-tensioner rod is over-extended... for peace of mind /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 

presterone

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Jan 23, 2012
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514
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brunswick maine
I will look into this thanks guys, anyone have a link with good pictures, my haynes manual just doesn't do it for me
 

Adorsey

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Apr 22, 2009
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355
Location
mass
Vfaq.com

You'll find what you need in the dsm modification section under 'engine 'timing belt etc.
 

Barnes

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Feb 9, 2003
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6,249
Location
Richland, WA
Quoting turbowop:
The slack between the cam sprockets means nothing. That slack can be loose or tight depending on where the engine stopped when you shut it off.



My experience has always been that it gets tight between the cams after the car has just shut off. I've never had a time when the belt was loose between the gears after shutting down the engine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 

Barnes

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Feb 9, 2003
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Richland, WA
I think I see what Turbowop was thinking I was saying, and something I should clarify. I'm not saying you should check your tension using the slack in the belt as a measurment. I'm just saying he might *think* his belt is really loose when in fact it isn't.
 

4thStroke

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Oct 22, 2007
Messages
1,864
Location
Vancouver, WA
On the Evos its pretty common for there to be a good amount of slack between cam gears, again, depending on where the motor actually stopped when shut off. I haven't ever noticed as much slack on a DSM or Galant.

It sounds like its too loose, I'd also pull the timing cover and have a look at the position of the auto tensioner.
 

There should be 1/4-1/2 inch of deflection depending on how hard you push. If you can grab it and move it an inch in either direction, something isn't right.
 

presterone

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Joined
Jan 23, 2012
Messages
514
Location
brunswick maine
Yup my timing belt snapped on the highway haven't pulled the head yet are the head bolts 11mm allen?
 
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