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Auxillary Drive Belt tensioner bolt has snapped

2K views 22 replies 5 participants last post by  armoore 
#1 ·
Well 10a is in a coma at the moment. Not sure when it will wake up :(

The bolt that holds on the auxillary drive belt tensioner has snapped. I see why 155's have an undertray under the engine.... to catch the bits which fall off!! This is where I found the tensioner. The bolt has sheered off in the bottom of the engine casing. Luckily I can sort of get to it to try and drill it out.

Tried some reverse thread extractors, but snapped one of these in the stub of the alloy bolt, so now it is nearly impossible to drill.

Local garage didn't want to touch it either. God knows what I am going to do :(

Someone is coming to have a look at it on Monday night, so fingers crossed.
 
#4 ·
Sorry to here that H my tensioner has been makin a noise for a wee while now i take it this is common anyone got ant ideas on what the parts cost and whats involved (any special tools needed) as i havent looked into this really been putting it off but its stories like this that make your butt twinge ,im scared to use car now .
thanks for any help guys Henry good look and are u taking any photos ? eek!
 
#5 ·
It is a chuffing 42p bolt!!! and M8x50 that holds the Auxillary drive belt tensioner on. It is relatively easy to get to under the off side front wheel arch if you remove the plastic guard. Welding alloy to alloy isn't easy though. I have perhaps made it worse by drilling it a lot and getting this piece of strengthened steel in it :(

It is not the cam belt tensionerthough, it is a different one at the bottom of the engine
 
G
#6 ·
Sorry to hear the bad news Henry.

Fletch, I just had the auxilliary drive belt tensioner replaced on my car because it was making a rattling noise (see Main dealer strife thread) - the part was £34 inc VAT I think on my 2.0 twinspark.
 
G
#8 ·
alloy bolt? no way is it alloy..which bolt exactly is it you say aux drive is that balance belt or alternator or air-con.??

if the bolt is in an alloy block there is even less chance of you welding the whole thing together cos it wont stick to the alloy only the bolt.
 
G
#10 ·
Sorry to hear about your prob Henry.

Has the bolt snapped off in the engine block, or is it in a separate casing that can be removed (Sorry not familiar with the TS-16V engine)
If so, I've got a mate who has a spark & wire erosion business in Leeds who owes me a few favours. He'll be able to get it out, but it 'll means getting the offending part out of the car, so he can get it into his machine.

Let me know how you get on.

Mark :)
 
G
#13 ·
eerrrr, Henry, there are lots of steel parts in your alloy engine. Can't remember the last time I saw an alloy bolt! They would be about as useful as a plastic bolt eek!

But you are right, steel and alloy do "weld" together in time, Landrovers are bad for this apparantly!

Let me know if I can help at all :confused:

wrinx
 
G
#14 ·
hey henry. I'm guessing if the stud extractors aint worked then drilling might be the only option. If you can't get decent equipment in there to drill it, I'm the engine may have to come out so you have the room to move.

fingers crossed mate.
 
#19 ·
This is a pretty old thread you have revived..

I would guess overtightening the bolt could be a factor. If the bolt is overtightened it can stop the tensioner self tensioning. This will also prevent the spring taking any shocks from the belt, instead it will stress the bolt.
 
#20 ·
Thanks for that, have had much problems with the tensioner in the last year since it was fitted new, been through 9 belts. Think something is jamming somewhere in the system (new tensioner right through tested everything, lubricated to death) dont know if it is the alt. compress. or ps pump but as it does it only when belt death occurs and not at any other time its is hard to find
Would appreciate if anyone has seen this before as its getting to the point where Im going to sell up and move on
 
#22 ·
Yes all three have been replaced in the last 12 months, originally fitted badly by my local garage and since correctly (incl tightening torque) by myself. Work fine for weeks or months then fails in a couple of seconds which makes me think that something is jamming. Not being overtightened as can easily turn the tensioner to fit belt. Originally belt failing every few weeks , now its the turn of the tensioner bolt. Thanks for the reply
 
#23 · (Edited)
Sounds as though one of the pulleys, alternator, steering pump or air-con, is sticking at some point. The belt will then burn through due to friction in no time. Gf's ride-on mower does that if the blades get stuck and at £60 each! It is possible (I think) to get a belt that doesn't drive the air-con but does drive the others so that could be a a starting point and see if that fails. The air-con pump has a clutch device if memory serves, so perhaps that's playing up or more internal to the pump than that.

As shown here.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Alfa-145-146-...10370QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262
 
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