P38A Serpentine belt alignment issue

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Joss155

Well-Known Member
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564
Location
Poole
I was changing the belts as it had started to squeak. Rebuilt and back together but I notice the main tensioner seems bent over. Its pulling the new belt off and into the tensioner bracket slightly. Could have been like this for a while. Checked the idler and the bolt. Both seem fine. Installed it back to front just to see if it made any difference but it still runs off to the back. So assuming whole new part. You can see the belt has run to the back of the idler in the picture.

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So had a browse of parts.

STC2126
STC2127
STC4608
This makes up the tensioner and guide. I see the main body has been superseeded so I guess it’s a common issue. Going to have a look at RAVE and find the tool to remove it.
 
I'm wondering if I can make up a special lever to take the tension off. It seems you are either leaning on the spring tensioner (my old one was smashed at both ends by previous removals from other people) of you lever the side other the bracket which puts a side load on it.
 
I'm wondering if I can make up a special lever to take the tension off. It seems you are either leaning on the spring tensioner (my old one was smashed at both ends by previous removals from other people) of you lever the side other the bracket which puts a side load on it.

Done properly releasing belt tension is easy and puts no strain on the tensioner arm at all. Let alone any sideways pressure. Hamfistedness can break it though i suppose.
 
Done properly releasing belt tension is easy and puts no strain on the tensioner arm at all. Let alone any sideways pressure. Hamfistedness can break it though i suppose.

Well that's just it. The way described looked like it damaged the spring tensioner. I replaced mine because from what I could tell 1 of the previous owners had used this method and smashed it to pieces. There was only half the bottom bolt hole left. I had been using this other method which seemed fine to try and avoid this. Anyway the point is it had already failed from what I could see causing the squeak.

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Last edited:
Well that's just it. The way described looked like it damaged the spring tensioner. I replaced mine because from what I could tell 1 of the previous owners had used this method and smashed it to pieces. There was only half the bottom bolt hole left. I had been using this other method which seemed fine to try and avoid this. Anyway the point is it had already failed from what I could see causing the squeak.

View attachment 160874 View attachment 160875

Not using that method he didn't as long as the tensioner arm was not seized onto the shaft.
 
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