drive belts questions...

[91rtstealth]

ok, I've done some research and all it's done is made me more confused because I'm not totally sure whether my car is a 6 or 7 bolt. It's a 96 talon tsi so I"m fairly certain it's a 7 bolt...

I wanted to put an a/c belt on my car today because whoever had it before me never put one on when they replaced the belts. When I went to install it, I didn't see any a/c belt tensioner...there's def one supposed to be there correct? It looks as though "something" is missing....also, in regard to the crank, the a/c belt is supposed to go behind (closer to the engine) the alternator belt, right? It looks as though that's how it would be, but I kept reading so many damn different things today and now i'm confused.

Lastly, can someone help me understand how the belt tension adjustment on the alternator works? I understand that you loosen the pivot bolt, and then turn the adjustment bolt....clockwise would tighten the belt, and counter clock wise would loosen the belt, right? I tightened the adjustment bolt all of the way and my alternator belt is still a tiny bit too loose...squeaks for a few seconds on start up...

thanks in advance...

 

[DSM1G90]

Adjuster may be on backwards why it's not tightening up the ALT belt, or the ALT belt is too long.

Goto NAPA and get the right belt with the description of your vehicle's setup.

Also, you press with your finger between the ALT pulley and the crank pulley and you should have close to a quarter-inch deflection to call it correct tightness.

To tell the diff between 6 and 7bolt motors: look at the crank pulley and the front lip of the oil pan in the area the crank pulley: If the pan's lip goes straight across, it's a 6bolt, if the pan lip has a curve and a center fold in the pan, it's a 7bolt.

Easy as pie. - DSM

 

[91rtstealth]

you can put the adjuster on backwards? haha...well the adjustment bolt head was facing the front of the car and as far as I know that's correct...

does anyone know how that tensioner actually works? I don't understand how it moves the alternator...

i'll check the 6 and 7 bolt comparison tomorrow...

i'd say I have about 1/4 inch..it seems good, just squeaks a tiny bit when I start it

my main confusion is the a/c belt...am I supposed to have an a/c belt tensioner? I don't see one..it looks like something is supposed to be there...

 

[DSM1G90]

The brass threaded block can be put on backwards..actually, upside down. Seen that before. The bolt head - the rear of the bolt head pushes against the bracket and the brass block it threads thru, has the bolt hole that the ALT bolt pass through-which passes through the upper ALT bracket .. in which you may have to loosen that to allow more main bolt adjustment.

As you turn the main bolt, it moves the block forward or backward depending how you turn. If the brass block is upside down, the main bolt , being lower than the ALT bolt hole, will rub agains the top of the belt which will destroy the belt.

The main threaded hole is above the ALT stud mounting hole to be in correct position.

 

[luv2rallye]

6 vs 7 bolt id: How to quickly tell a 6bolt and 7bolt engine apart.

alt adjustment bolt/bracket 1: http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=144444&d=1346305878.

See pic for missing ac tensioner.

Yes the ac belt is inside the alt belt.

 

[91rtstealth]

thanks guys...that's really helpful. based on the photo of the alt belt tensioner, I'd say mine looks different altogether, but I can't go look at it right now ### my car isn't nearby. I'll take a look at it tomorrow.

 

[91rtstealth]

what do you think?

 

[DSM1G90]

Canted all the way forward to the end of the bracket with the upper pinch bolt hanging on ... belt too long.

EDIT: added a pict of the setup on my LASER. Since I have no AC, I took out the AC condensor fan to give me the room to work on my Alternator - why one can easily see the radiator (I should get a shorter bolt where it doesn't have to stick out so long past the block, but that's down the road).

- good luck ! DSM

 

[91rtstealth]

ok..so mine...I have the bolt all the way "IN" and the belt seems to be just fine...IN tightens the belt, correct? I forget...anyways, is mine on "backwards" or anything like you guys were saying?

 

[DSM1G90]

The head of the bolt is always all the way in since the threads of the bolt is pulling on the block to pull the top part of the alternator to tighten the belt.

After belt is tighten with the correct tension, the smaller bolt that goes into the upper ear of the alternator is tightened to hold the tension.

Lots of multitasking done with just the one bolt.