How tight does the tensioner pulley bolt need to be?

[Spoolin4Ever]

6 bolt 1gb

When I am setting the tensioner pulley, with a new belt, a new tensioner the pin is still in.

I start with the 2 holes at about 7 and 11 (upreight) with the center bolt barelt hand tight. I put the special tool on (connected to an inch lbs torque wrench).

Turn the pulley clockwise, and tighten the center bolt, about where it allows the pin to slide in and out. Perhaps it is off a bit, so I then turn it more with the special tool (without loosening it again). Is that ok, or is it too loose?

In other words, is it ok if you can still move the pulley with the special tool after tightening, is it too loose? Is it ok to adjust it after tightening and retighten or always must start over?

Seems like I had it about right, but I could still move it, and if I torqued it to actual 35 lbs, it would mess it up.

Would it make it come loose or slip a tooth?

PS I know the spec is 35 lbs but hard to get torque wrench in there...as you know.

 

[tkelly27]

Timing Belt VFAQ (Timing Belt TSB - ENHANCED)

"Loosen the tensioner pulley center bolt, attach special tool no. MD998752 (part # changed to MD998767, contact Miller Tool for this tool - 800-801-5420) and apply 2.7 Nm (24 in. lbs.) torque to pulley (with beam type torque wrench) as shown in Figure 19. WITH TORQUE APPLIED TO THE TENSIONER PULLEY, tighten the attaching bolt, then torque to 49 ± 6 Nm (36 ± 4 ft. lbs.). "

Get the torque wrench in there. If you really have to, you could put the socket on first, then put the torque wrench on. Otherwise you'll never really know if it's tight enough. Too tight is fine as long as the hydraulic tensioner stays within the range, but too loose and you will loose your head and maybe your bottom end.

Don't skimp on this just because it's difficult.

 

[snowborder714]

Here's how I do it.

When I'm moving the tensioner pulley, I move it until the pin just start to slide in and out freely. I then hold it there for 3 minutes or so to let the tensioner settle. I've found this to be an important step because if you just go and tighten down the bolt once the pin moves freely, the tensioner will settle and usually throw the spec out and then the pin won't remove at all.

After those 3 minutes, I'll verify that the pin still moves freely. If not, adjust the tensioner and repeat. If the motor is out of the car, I'd torque it down at this point, making sure the tensioner pulley does not move. If the motor is in the car, I just wrench on it until I feel it's tight since I can't fit a torque wrench in. I've actually found that once I get the bolt tight enough, I can flip the direction on the wrench I'm using with the special tool and use that wrench against the direction of my torque wrench (hopefully that makes sense!). Sometimes when I tighten the bolt down, the pulley wants to move, so using the special tool and wrench to counter that movement helps keep the tensioner pulley still.

Check pin again.

Then continue on with your rotations and 15-20 minutes of waiting.


Make sure not to really wrench on the tensioner pulley with the special tool or you might break one of the pins off. I've accidentally broke of 2 already by having the center bolt more than finger tight to start off with. Thankfully, they're somewhat easy to replace.

 

[Spoolin4Ever]

Thank you all.

Here's what worked for me (6 bolt in a 1G):

Tensioner is compressed, pin is inside.

Get the belt on and timed (see other threads for tips)

(Leave pin in tensioner entire time by the way, until totally finished setting it at end)

Pulley is on there, with the holes "up and down", that is pointed vertically at about 7 and 11 o'clock like this : the pulley center bolt is "finger tight" (If not make it that way ).

Using the special tool (the socket one for adjusting the pulley, or if you do not have it, a pair of angled plyers with the tips grinded down, and perhaps one handle cut short for getting it in there easier) put it in the pulley holes, and turn the pulley clockwise until the holes are horizontal at about 10 and 2. Keep holding it right there with the wrnech, I was using my left hand. With 14MM OPEN END in your right hand, reach around and under to the bottom of the center bolt, turn it and torque it to PFT Torque Standards (PFT=Pretty Friggin' Tight, its' somwhere from 20-14 lbs I imagine).

Now, rotate crank back 1/4 turn, then forward 4 or 6 full rotations (4 if you DO NOT have balance shafts, 6 if you do), make sure it's back at TDC. Now, feel the pin. It WILL easily slip in and out.

Wait 15 minutes, try the pin again, should easily slip in and out.

Put the 14mm wrench on the center pulley, and just to test the torque, see if you could tighten it easily (testing the torque feel, not actually trying to turn the bolt hard). If you can see that you would have to put a lot of body weight on it, alot of effort turn, that's torqued pretty tight. I'm not saying to turn it the bolt, just to check and see if you have to press hard it and still does not move. If so, should be good.

That's what I did.

Afterwards, I tried putting the torque wrench down there on the pulley bolt, but it is too hard to get it in there. Perhaps I could have lifted the engine a bit, I was burnt out by then and pretty confident it was on tight.

I checked back an hour later, the pin still slipped in and out easily.

One thing that was interesting was when I first tightened it, before turning the crank, the pin will NOT slip in and out easily. You must turn the crank to seat the belt, then you may check the pin.