Arrgh! Cambelt too tight!

[hellmett]

Hi All,

I think I was a bit heavy handed with the tensioner and made the cambelt too tight!

It's whining like a Formula 1 race car now!

I guess it's another strip down and sort!

Getting really ####ed off with this bugger now!

Gary

[Albannach]

You can't make the cambelt too tight.

[hellmett]

re

Howso?

I think you can if you push over the tensioner before you tighten the nut (which I think I did, doh!).

When I checked it it felt ok, not too tight not too lose.

I might just go on 'as is' and see if the noise abates.

I put a new tensioner etc. on during the summer.

Maybe the belt will loosen/stretch a bit!

I cannot be arsed stripping it all down again, the thought of it wrecks me!

[Albannach]

Unless you've re-built it with the wrong bolts, I'm pretty sure the tensioner 'floats'.

[stormforce]

The tensioner is self adjusting so as the belt slackens the tensioner does as it says tensions the belt up again.The pulley is on a bearing so that floats and the tensioner will then push on the pulley to tighten the belt.I can't actually see how you could push the pulley over before fitting the tensioner as that sits in one place on the pulley

[hellmett]

re

Ahh, I see your points!

If you undo the bolt in the centre of the tensioner wheel it allows the 'wheel' to slide back and forward (there's a slot in the wheel) without using the spring on the tensioner, I suppose this is to help fitting and removing.

By forcing the wheel over to the right onto the belt (I thought) puts a little more tension on the belt as the spring is under more load.

Make sense?

I've googled it and my symptoms all point to a cambelt that is to tight?

Maybe I refitted it back to front this time and it is bedding in? (was a belt with about 5,000 miles on it).

The whining is deffo from the cam belt, what do you suppose maybe causing it (if it isn't too tight).

[Albannach]

THe bolt in the centre of the tensioner doesn't stop the tensioner moving, unless you've used the wrong bolt.

Pushing the tensioner towards the belt will reduce the load on the spring.

It could be the housing hitting the belt, or a thousand other things.

Never use a used belt, ever!

And don't believe everything you read on the internet.

[Apache]

That sounds scary. I dont think I'd want to run the car for long with a cambelt at the incorrect tension. As others have said, the tensioner is designed to move so it can apply the correct amount of tension, unlike the tensioners on other belts such as alternator. If you've somehow 'locked' it in place, it needs investigating ASAP before the belt, or the tensioner bearings let go.

[BUSHWHACKER]

................
Maybe the belt will loosen/stretch a bit!

You certainly DON'T want that to happen!

p.s. You think Google 'knows' more about Surfs than this site?

[davec170]

I can understand re-fitting a known low life belt.
If however you have re-fitted it so that its' previous direction of rotation has been reversed it could cause more noise. The previous "set" of the teeth caused during the initial wear period will be opposed to that which is required now. It will probably quieten down, but total wear compared to mileage will have been increased beyond normal.

You could leave it as it is, but change it early next time.

Me? I'd get a new belt and change it ASAP, for all the cost and time involved. Especially weighed against the cost/time involved in belt failure!

Just change it! Think of the peace of mind and feeling of satisfaction, you know it makes sense!

[si tate]

I was going to have a go at doing mine before crimbo but im a little put off now.

Is this a one off that has happened to hellmet?

Been reading loads of threads on cam belt changes & TBH it looks a piece of pee but now im having doubts.

[Albannach]

It is a piece of p1ss, but only if it's done right. Unfortunately, in this case, I fear it hasn't, for one reason or another.

[Albannach]

I can understand re-fitting a known low life belt.

Personally, I don't. For the sake of £30 there is no way I'd risk either the belt breaking or (best case) the 8 hours of my time to change it twice.

[si tate]

It is a piece of p1ss, but only if it's done right. Unfortunately, in this case, I fear it hasn't, for one reason or another.

After all the reading ive done i can't see a wrong way to do it, ive even had the cover off & had a really good look at it, but saying that ive not taken a spanner to it yet.

[BUSHWHACKER]

The belt on the 3.0 can be changed within an hour, even if you haven't done one before.
A 2.4 will need several hours.