As the title suggests guys.

Have had this really annoying rattle sound with the car when in high rpm before a gear change and a slight rattle when the car is cold and the a/c is on. anyway worked out the belt was loose

Tried to tighten it up. loosened the lock nut and then started tighten the bolt thats at the back of the oil filter and it snapped.

How do I go about getting into this and replacing it?

I have a mechanic coming to look at it in a few hours, but I really need the car back on the road ASAP.

Cheers

Loosen the centre nut, use a lever (wood rather than metal) to move the pulley to tension the belt, then do the centre nut up. Temp fix, but should get you moving.

Haven't needed to do this myself, but it's worth a try.

I've found that both belt pulleys tend to list over with belt tension as you try to tighten them with the adjuster bolt, you need to keep the pulley straight relative to the belt by pushing the idler against the belt tension by hand otherwise the adjuster jams and doesn't want to move. Power steering one especially. Then you lean on the adjuster bolt and . . . . Also, the power steering one can get rattly if it is scewed over, I tighten the centre bolt, back off the adjuster a bit and retighten the centre bolt again. Repeat until the centre bolt is properly tight. Ensures the pulley is square with the belt and won't rattle at startup. Fiddly little *beep*s they are. If the power steering one rattles it resonates around the engine and you tend to think a heat shield is loose. lol

Yeh I thought about that. but how do I replace the actual tensioner?

I have to do a 100km trip tomorrow across town and dont really want to break down... or do more damage. would rather fix it right now

I've had the tensioner adjuster off the car but that was during a cam belt change. I don't know if it is an easy replacement of the bolt as is, or the whole adjuster if it is bent.

If you can get enough tension on the belt with a lever, you should be good to go. It's the centre bolt that holds the idler in place, not the adjuster.

Is it the adjuster bolt that broke or the alloy adjuster iteself

I did install one of these at MM10 without taking off the timing belt(bolt that is not the alloy adjuster) when Tza broke his SC and had to return back to NA. Was a prick to get the actual bolt which holds the pulley on but we got it in and running so can be done

If is the alloy part that is broken then is a timing belt off job as the idler pulley bolt goes through this as well

Is it the adjuster bolt that broke or the alloy adjuster iteself

I did install one of these at MM10 without taking off the timing belt(bolt that is not the alloy adjuster) when Tza broke his SC and had to return back to NA. Was a prick to get the actual bolt which holds the pulley on but we got it in and running so can be done

If is the alloy part that is broken then is a timing belt off job as the idler pulley bolt goes through this as well

It is the tensioning bolt. The alloy bracket/adjuster is fine and some with the bolt that the locking nut screws the pulley down onto. It is just the bolt that screws into the locking nut bolt.

the one you tighten or loosen from behind the oil filter.

Have a mechanic coming in about half an hour to have a look. really hoping he can fix it today. need the car tomorrow and not too keen on running the car without ALL tensioning bolts holding it in place. One side of town to the other in peak hour traffic.

Do you have any pointers I can give him Mal? things to loosen remove? Seeing as you have already done it, might help rather than guessing

Just to rekindle this.

my mechanic ended up levering the pulley into place and held it there while tightening the pulley wheel. He told me just to keep an eye on it, but 23,000km later and its still holding no worries.

My belts are going to need replacing sometime this year. But Timing belt isnt for about another 35,000km. At what time I am going to look at a motor swap. The ancillary belts have done 80,000km but show no signs of wear or cracking.

Would I be best bringing forward the cars major service? Or are these belts the sort of thing that can last easily till the service? I know its a case of it can go at any time and how can you predict over the net, but just looking for educated opinions and guesses before I make my decision.

Being a school teacher, i have holidays mid year or end of year to do lots of major mechanical work

is currently at 266,000km with the major service due at around 300xxxkm

If the belts dont show signs of wear or cracks no need to replace. Major servicing is 45,000km intervals so if you are going by kms 270,000 is your next major service.

If the belts dont show signs of wear or cracks no need to replace. Major servicing is 45,000km intervals so if you are going by kms 270,000 is your next major service.

Yeh car has had two previous owners. First one was SA Government. They kept on top of everything, but the owners I purchased it from let some servicing go as it wasnt needed and got other things done as needed. So despite im coming up to a major interval, its not needed persay.

Platnium plugs were fitted not long back, had a coolant flush 3months ago due to a hose replacement. Only thing it needs is a trans flush and brake flush, both getting done this week hopefully if my mechanic is free

When I do the oil this week, ill inspect them closer, but they appear to be okay.

my mechanic ended up levering the pulley into place and held it there while tightening the pulley wheel. He told me just to keep an eye on it, but 23,000km later and its still holding no worries.

My belts show no signs of wear or cracking.

Being a school teacher, i have holidays mid year or end of year to do lots of major mechanical work



Yep, the centre bolt locks the pulley in place and the tensioner really is there for convenience of adjustment, if it is possible to lever the pulley to tighten the belt with some sort of lever then you are good to go. No less secure than if the tensioner was there.

Did some research on this, ie when these belts need replacing, belts can be used when cracks appear and really only need replacing if the ribs start breaking off in bits of 1 inch or more, so your belts sound like they are good for a while yet. Do your own web research on this, and keep an eye on the belts, but it sounds like they are good for a while yet.

Sorry to hear about your job. Did this myself for 37 years, now retired and enjoying the absence of pre-humanoid life forms ( aka "teenagers") in my life, plenty of "Me" time to do whatever. lol

Yep, the centre bolt locks the pulley in place and the tensioner really is there for convenience of adjustment, if it is possible to lever the pulley to tighten the belt with some sort of lever then you are good to go. No less secure than if the tensioner was there.

Did some research on this, ie when these belts need replacing, belts can be used when cracks appear and really only need replacing if the ribs start breaking off in bits of 1 inch or more, so your belts sound like they are good for a while yet. Do your own web research on this, and keep an eye on the belts, but it sounds like they are good for a while yet.

Sorry to hear about your job. Did this myself for 37 years, now retired and enjoying the absence of pre-humanoid life forms ( aka "teenagers") in my life, plenty of "Me" time to do whatever. lol

Thanks Max. Sounds like they will be alright. Doesnt look like a big job to change it anyway.

Yes its my first year too. In tech studies so that should be fun and interesting :p