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3500-5000 miles into first timing belt replacement, how does the tension look?

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PFC_CiarlilloM

10+ Year Contributor
234
0
May 22, 2011
Euclid, Ohio
So basically as the title states I had my first major tear down during the last past summer due to my head gasket going. At that point I went ahead, and took care of all the 60k maintenance from the timing belt to water pump, etc. Just thought I'd post up a couple pics, and get your guys opinion on how the tension looks.

-Mike
 

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It looks a little slack to me, but it is hard to say. I usually measure mine where the manual says to measure it, which is on the hydraulic tensioner side. The measurement of deflection is about 1/4" if I recall...
 
How long was the car sitting before you checked the tension on the belt? Sometimes the cams can "settle" and cause some slack just like your picture. If you were to blip the starter, the tension should be back tight.
 
I'm pretty much pushing down as hard as I can in the pic. When I checked the tension in the summer it was like 15 minutes after I tensioned it according to the vfaq, and I rechecked it hours later, and the following morning after, and it was the same. I wasn't able to really measure how much the tensioner arm came up though because I couldn't find the best way to accurately measure it because the engine was still in the car.
 
To get an accurate measurement of the belt slack you need to crank the engine over. If the engine has been sitting all night, the cams will try to find a relaxed position and create some slack.

However, belt deflection (slack) isn't the ideal way to check tension. You could have barely any deflection, yet the tensioner pulley moved position and the hydraulic tensioner is now completely extended. The best thing to do would be pulling the lower timing cover and checking the hydraulic tensioner itself. At 3500-5000 miles, the auto tensioner should still be very close to it's original position.
 
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I agree with what wes has said as thats the only positive way to do it. You don't want the hydraulic tensioner to be fully extended. Id rather take the extra time to be 100% sure that to be lazy and cause a big headache at 10,000
 
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I'll pull the timing belt cover as soon as I can a chance. It'll most likely be on Saturday, check out the timing belt tensioner, and see if I can't get the grenade pin to slide in/out.

Here's my thread that I created when I did my timing belt. It's rather lengthy, but I described what I did in as much detail as I could, and attached a lot of pictures as well.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/new...60k-maintenance-how-does-everything-look.html
 
Why would you check to see if the pin can slide in or out? It would be way out of spec if that was the case, I believe the tensioner gap should be around .150-.180. I use a drill bit to measure.
 
That's typically how the tensioner is set without measuring the gap. From the Team2g write up:

Now with everything in time, we can now pull the grenade pin/drill bit/small screwdriver out. The piston should move almost none. When you pull the pin out, you should be able to slide it right back in. Let the tensioner relieve it's pressure for at least 5 minutes before trying to turn over the engine with the key/starter.

If this doesn't apply after the engine has been ran, then I apologize for the misinfo. But I would think that after only 3-5k miles the tensioner would still be close to it's original position.
 
That's typically how the tensioner is set without measuring the gap. From the Team2g write up:



If this doesn't apply after the engine has been ran, then I apologize for the misinfo. But I would think that after only 3-5k miles the tensioner would still be close to it's original position.

Just pulling the pin is a hail marry LOL, the gap needs to about .150-.180 as per factory spec, I used a .158 drill bit to make sure the tension was set properly (can use measuring shims too), this of course is after turning it over a few times and letting it rest, then re-check tension. Just pulling the pin and hoping is not good:nono:

The point you are measuring is between the top of the tensioner body and the pulley arm.

To the OP, if you push on the belt like how you are doing it can draw the cam gears inward causing slack at rest and make it seem you have too much slack, that is not the proper way to check.
 
Just pulling the pin is a hail marry LOL, the gap needs to about .150-.180 as per factory spec, I used a .158 drill bit to make sure the tension was set properly (can use measuring shims too), this of course is after turning it over a few times and letting it rest, then re-check tension. Just pulling the pin and hoping is not good:nono:

The point you are measuring is between the top of the tensioner body and the pulley arm.

That write-up doesn't say to just pull the pin and hope. Let me point you to another quote that explains it better than I can:

luv2rallye said:
Just adjust the tensioner pulley so that the auto tensioner holding pin (eg. 1/16” allen wrench) moves freely all the way through the auto tensioner body and pin holes (after you turn the crankshaft and wait for the belt to stretch and auto tensioner to settle). Adjust the tensioner pulley to do this and it will automatically make the distance between the tensioner arm and auto tensioner body (drill bit measurement) be about .157 in. (spec is .150 - .177 in.). I've done over a dozen dsm timing belts this way every one done correctly.

Taken from: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...5-timing-belt-tensioning-tips-4g63-turbo.html

So the grenade pin method the OP used is still correct. But I was wrong about the pin being able to slide back in at this point. Guess I've done so many that it's all muscle-memory now. :coy: However, the original position of the tensioners should still be considered when judging whether or not the belt is losing tension. That was my basic point.
 
I'm still unsure of exactly what I'm measuring. Is it the distance that the little piston type thing is coming up on the tensioner?
Please tell me you weren't the one that installed the belt in the first place. If you were you seriously need to check the tensioner and make sure it's right (likely it isn't). Ticking time bomb. Once a belt is set I do not check it. I run the service interval. If it makes any of you comfortable to check it then by all means, do so. Checking at the cams won't tell you anything. You have to check the tensioner.
 
Id rather be safe than sorry. But that's just me. Always good to have piece of mind when you bury it in the red
 
Like I said it was my first major tear down, and since I just started working on cars I'm still learning. I did everything the VFAQ told me to do on point, and all the other advice on my other thread that I linked earlier. I had stiff tension the day after I did the timing job, and was able to slide the grenade pin in with ease after rotating the engine countless times. Everything else checked out okay too, and I felt really confident that I did it right. Had I not felt confident or thought something was wrong I wouldn't have started the car because I know how important/critical the timing is. The only thing I wasn't able to do was measure exactly if the gap between the tensioner arm and see if it was in spec due to in being in the bay still. All I was able to do was get a picture.
 
The only thing I wasn't able to do was measure exactly if the gap between the tensioner arm and see if it was in spec due to in being in the bay still. All I was able to do was get a picture.

That's why we use a drill bit or like object that is .150-180 because it's small and fits in that area with ease, I'm sure you're fine.
 
That's a little better. A go-no go gauge works well (drill bit method) if you can't take a measurement and most of us can't. You can check it if it makes you feel better but given the above statements it sounds like you did it right. Others may disagree but unless I've got symptoms or a leak or something the next time I take even the top cover off is tens of thousands of miles later. I simply don't look at it as it is not a "go look" item for me.
 
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