How to Loosen a Belt Tensioner
- Park the vehicle on level ground and open the hood.
- Locate the belt tensioner on the front of the engine. ...
- Rotate the pulley on the belt tensioner counterclockwise to relieve the tension of the belt with the proper sized socket and ratchet.
- Locate the mounting bolt in the center of the spring-loaded arm of the belt tensioner. ...
- Turn the bolt head in the center of the spring-loaded arm of the belt tensioner counterclockwise with a ratchet and socket to loosen the bolt.
How do I loosen belt tensioner?
To Remove:
- Before servicing the vehicle refer to the precautions at the beginning of this section.
- Rotate the tensioner counterclockwise.
- Remove the drive belt.
How do you replace a belt tensioner?
How to Replace a Serpentine Belt Tensioner
- To begin, some front wheel drive vehicles need to have the engine supported before tensioner removal.
- Once the engine is safely supported, remove engine mount retainer nuts.
- Next, remove the main engine mount bolts, the engine will become loose during this step.
- Once all mounting bolts and nuts have been removed the engine mount can be removed.
How often should a belt tensioner be replaced?
There is no recommended timeframe in which to replace your tensioner, especially as the belt itself usually needs replacing before the tensioner does. The manufacturer recommends checking the serpentine belt every 7,500 miles or 6 months for potential replacement due to normal wear.
How do you release the belt tension at the tensioner?
- Replace any belt guards, cowling -- or splash shields to cover bottom of the engine. Thanks! Helpful 2 Not Helpful 4
- You may need a good "third hand" (a serious-minded helper). Thanks! Helpful 2 Not Helpful 6
- Reverse the procedure to reinstall the serpentine belt on the pulley system auto tensioner. ...
What can I use to loosen a tensioner pulley?
To loosen an AI tensioner, such as an alternator, loosen the main mounting bolt, usually on the engine, and the locking bolt, usually on a bracket or arm. If equipped with a tensioner screw, back off the tensioner screw. Then, push the alternator toward the other pulleys, loosening the belt.
How do I loosen the tensioner on a serpentine belt?
Check for smooth rotation with a serpentine belt tool -drive opening. Or use a socket on the hex-shaped protruding nut. Slowly rotate the tensioner arm as far as it will turn. Then release the tension.
How do you release tension on a hydraulic belt tensioner?
For Hydraulic tensioner, you SHOULD NOT try to compress the tensioner with a big force. Just apply a steady medium force and slowly it compressed enough to slip the belt off. On the mechanical tensioner you compress the spring to move the pulley.
How do you loosen a pulley?
0:243:48How to Remove Tensioner Pulley -Up Close- Same for many Vehicles.YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then you normally you want to pull up on it like that and when you pull up on it that's actuallyMoreAnd then you normally you want to pull up on it like that and when you pull up on it that's actually going to release the tension. That's on your belt.
Which way do you turn a tensioner?
0:234:11Belt Tensioner Pulley, How to replace (EASY and CHEAP) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThese are all the tools you need to do job you know ratchet fifteen millimeter socket the new pulleyMoreThese are all the tools you need to do job you know ratchet fifteen millimeter socket the new pulley. And a pulley tensioner bar to relieve the tension of the belt.
What is a drive belt tensioner?
A Drive Belt Tensioner is a pulley mounted to either a spring mechanism or to an adjustable pivot point that is used to keep constant tension on your serpentine belt. That is the big long belt in the front of your engine.
How does a hydraulic belt tensioner work?
A hydraulic tensioner consists of a hydraulic actuator, a tensioner pulley bearing, and a lever. The actuator has a piston, which can move unidirectionally due to the oil flowing inside the actuator. Then the lever of the hydraulic tensioner system transmits the rod strokes to the tensioner pulley.
How do you use a belt tensioner tool?
0:171:21Drive Belt Tensioner Tool - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe upper half of the tensioner tool to lower half and lock it into place then apply pressure to theMoreThe upper half of the tensioner tool to lower half and lock it into place then apply pressure to the tensioner tool relieving tension on the engine belt gently remove the engine belt.
How do you release a belt?
0:001:02How to release a Nexbelt Buckle - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo when you slide it in you can hear it ratchet. So there's pressure on it right there all you haveMoreSo when you slide it in you can hear it ratchet. So there's pressure on it right there all you have to do is slide the belt strap in a little bit pull the trigger and hold it. And slide it out.
Is the idler pulley and tensioner pulley the same?
The primary distinction between tensioners and idler pulleys is the presence of an adjustable bolt. Tensioners are positioned on the bolt through mounting. Idler pulleys are not mounted to an adjustable bolt.
Can you adjust an automatic belt tensioner?
Cars equipped with an automatic belt tensioner adjust themselves over time and do not require adjustment. This article shows you the process to adjust drive belts on a pivot-style belt adjuster.
What happens if serpentine belt is to tight?
If the belt is too tight, it will cause excessive side loads and overheat the bearings. This in turn causes noise, decreased output and even the seizing of the alternator. If the belt is too loose, it will cause the alternator to slip. This slipping can cause the alternator and the battery to work harder.
How to loosen alternator belt?
Loosen the two (or three) bolts on the alternator, on older vehicles that do not have an automatic belt tensioner. If you inspect the alternator, you will notice it is attached to a bracket with a curved slot. Loosening the bolts of the alternator will allow you to pivot the alternator along the curved slot and release tension to remove the belt. To apply tension, reverse the procedure.
What is the most common way to use a belt tensioner?
The most common way in today's vehicles is an automatic belt tensioner . This application is used on serpentine belts, which connect to every pulley of the engine. Older vehicles may have drive belts that were removed by pivoting an alternator to release tension. Import vehicles often use a combination of serpentine and V-belts on the pulley system.
How to relieve tension on a pulley?
To relieve the tension, a tool is inserted onto the pulley or a square drive is provided to insert a tool or ratchet. Apply the correct tool the tensioner calls for, and turn the tool counterclockwise to loosen the tension. While holding the tool in place with the tension relieved, slip the belt off the most accessible pulley that you can reach.
What type of belts do import vehicles use?
Import vehicles often use a combination of serpentine and V-belts on the pulley system. These use a combination of an adjuster bolt and loosening a pulley to extract the belt.
Where is the adjusting bolt on an import vehicle?
Locate the adjusting bolt bracket on an import vehicle to loosen the tensioner. Most often this bracket is located near the alternator. Loosen the bolt with a ratchet and socket until tension is relieved on the belt. Locate the idler pulley and loosen the center retaining bolt using a wrench and turning the bolt counterclockwise.
Do you have an automatic belt tensioner?
Often, if the belt routing diagram can be located, it will display if an automatic tensioner is being used. If you only have one belt connected to all of the pulleys of the vehicle , then you have an automatic belt tensioner.
How to loosen a NAI belt?
To loosen an NAI tensioner, loosen the locking nut or bolt, then back off the tensioner screw. Push the pulley toward the other pulleys or accessories, loosening the belt. 02.
What happens if you loose a timing belt?
A loose timing belt or timing chain could lead to excessive noise, abnormal wear, or crankshaft/camshaft correlation problems—DTC P0016 is a classic example of a skipped timing tooth. Conversely, an excessively tight belt may cause accessory or pulley bearing damage. Various forms of tensioner pulley maintain long-term engine ...
How many types of tensioner pulleys are there?
There are three types of tensioner pulleys and several ways to loosen them. What follows are some general guidelines, but always check your repair manual or owners manual for information and steps specific to your vehicle. 01. of 03.
What is a spring pulley?
Spring tensioner pulleys, as the name implies, use a spring to hold tension on the belt. Most, if not all, spring tensioner pulleys are NAI tensioners and include a hydraulic damper. They are more complex and expensive but don’t require adjustments and are less prone to user error.
What is a mechanical pulley?
Mechanical tensioner pulleys are the simplest, most common, and least prone to failure. There is one caveat, however, as mechanical tensioner pulleys require manual adjustment. This makes them prone to user error, resulting in insufficient or excessive belt tension. Additionally, they need to be adjusted to compensate for belt stretch over time.
Where are hydraulic tensioners located?
Hydraulic (not hydraulic-damped) tensioners are almost always located in the timing case, mostly on vehicles with timing chains , though some are used with timing belts. Hydraulic tensioners are powered by oil pressure from the engine oil pump and may press on a tensioner pulley (timing belts) or tension slipper (timing chain). You'll likely need the year, make, and model information, and you may have to use special tools for this kind of tensioner pulley.
Do you reset a hydraulic tensioner after removing it from the engine?
Typically, a hydraulic tensioner needs to be “reset” and locked after removing it from the engine. Remove the lock only after the tensioner, pulley, or slipper, and timing belt or timing chain are installed and aligned. The next time you work with a drive belt, timing belt, or timing chain, you’ll likely have to loosen a tensioner pulley ...
