Timing Belt Tension

[jtehfreaks]

Hey everyone, I'm doing the timing belt myself for the first time and I've run into some seemingly conflicting bits of information. So far, I've gotten the belt to twist at 90 degrees and the water pump is able to be spun by hand, but with a good deal of force. In order to do so, I had to pull back on the spring tensioner just a tad, otherwise there's so way I can spin the water pump.

Here's the conflicting part; based on the above, I should be good (I'm basing this on various forums/threads and so forth, as well as a couple videos I've seen on Youtube). The reading I get using the Arnnworx tool is showing way out of spec though; I've not turned the camshaft CCW due to some other threads I've read on Rennlist saying that this isn't the case on spring tensioner equipped cars, but I'm just not getting the warm fuzzy yet and would like to hear from the crowd here.

Here's a video showing where I'm at right now:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MdzEh-OF-A

[mikepellegrini]

My favorite thread on belt tensioning: Clark's Garage Message Board :: View topic - Belt tensioning without the tool I've never got consistent readings with the differnt tools.

[edredas]

Yes, you'll sometimes have to pull the spring tensioner back a bit. They are not all the same, I've had some spot on while others have come in so tight they've destroyed the water pump. Even in the factory workshop manual it says that when setting the auto tensioner to press the belt down between the cam and water pump to see if the belt grazes the plastic cover. If it doesn't the auto tensioner has the belt too tight and you'll have to back it off. Anyway, I hope that helps!

[jtehfreaks]

Thanks for the information; looks like the timing belt was bouncing between the guide and cover below the cam gear. This is after I pulled back the auto-tensioner even more so I could get the belt to be pushed against the cover; I've probably pulled back too far as the water pump can be somewhat easily spun. Going to readjust and report back.

EDIT:
Here's everything after adjustment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZYH8uPfec0

[djnolan]

Use an automotive stethoscope to listen to the WP bearing and the roller bearings. It is a pretty fine line between too loose and too tight. You have to try a couple of different tensions, but when it is too tight it is pretty obviously a very shrill whine (and wears out the bearing) , and when too loose the belt flops.

Yours may be too tight judging by the amount of force needed to spin the WP pulley.

[IdahoDoug]

I'm curious you have the Arnworx tool but have not divulged what it said in being "way out"? How come? I'd be trusting what a belt tensioner tool said versus the feel is if I had the choice.

I don't have the tool, so I relied on Edredas' excellent video. That was a remarkable video in its detail, and was terrific in that you also pointed out common mistakes. I was making one in turning the belt tensioner the wrong way and you saved me there also as I could not figure out why my belt was too close to the water pump.

My girl's been happily burbling around the fantastic twisty roads of N. Idaho/British Columbia for 9 months now, thanks to that great video. I appreciate it, Edredas!!!

Doug

[jtehfreaks]

This is turning out to be a pain in the butt. I've revved the engine and now I get a high pitched "whistling" sound, here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M9BPg0e6l0

I do have the Arnnworx tool; maybe I'm just not using it correctly, but I can't seem to get consistent readings on the thing. If there were a video on how to use it, I'd really appreciate it, but as it stands, I'm just not getting it right. Right now, twist method seems to have worked for the timing belt, but not so much for the balance belt and if I'm honest, I'm starting to get frustrated with the thing.

I might just take another gander at it tomorrow, but I'm about to throw in the towel and try to find a local place that can help me out.

[Pauld_94S2]

Balance shaft belts should be uncomfortably loose.

By that I mean that what we think is proper for a belt should be just a little looser for the balance shaft belt. Back off the tensioner a little and see how it sounds.

Remember, you will be back in about 1500 miles to retension both belts, so that will give the belt and idlers some time to wear in.

[jtehfreaks]

So I've readjusted both belts and no matter what I do, that whistle is in there. I was able to adjust the balance belt to within specs on the Arnnworx tool, and it does feel looser than what I had before, but not so loose that it was flapping all over the place. I'm puzzled, to be sure, but I'll probably end up getting a stethoscope to really figure out where the sound is coming from. No whistle at idle, just when I rev the engine.

As a curiosity, I wonder how much the cold weather has to do with this and how the noise may change if I were to drive around a couple miles.

[CarGuyNeil]

A whistle or squeal?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[jtehfreaks]

Whistle, here's a link to the vid I posted earlier with the sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M9BPg0e6l0

[pfarah]

Sounds like either something to too tight or not perfectly aligned.

[Pauld_94S2]

Remove the balance shaft belt, run the engine and see if the noise is gone.

Then trouble shoot from there: too tight, bad /noisy idler, misalignment, etc.

[jtehfreaks]

Turns out that it was the idle roller; I backed it off from the lower section of the balance belt some more and there are no more noises. The gap is a bit thicker than a credit card, but all looks and runs well now.