Update on newbie doing Drive belt progress, need further help please

Mottie said:

Whatever is sticking out on the tensioner goes in the smallest hole in the block. No other way. Can't put it any simpler. The new one, when it comes, will be locked into position. Fit the sticky out bit of that into the smallest hole of all the holes around the tensioner bolt hole. Fit the belt, tighten slightly to remove the tensioner locking pin and release the tensioner. Job done.

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^^^^^^^^

Burnerman said:

Ok, the square peg fits into the round hole - that’s absolutely correct.
Its best to fit the tensioner with the locking pin in place. You then fit the belt then remove the locking pin by taking the spring resistance off the tensioner with your spanner.
The tensioner then bears on the belt and the job should be done.
John

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hi John.
But the tensioner sits flush now with the engine, the tensioer + pulley looks right where it was originally. What difference on tension does it make if the peg sitting in the rectangle or the round hole ?? That round hole is the right shape for certain tensioners that have the dowel on the back of them.

So the locking pin is just to help with getting the belt over the last pulley ? if so I don't need to uae it as it was to hard trying to pull it out while on car earleir, I will use ratchet to pull bakc tension to pull it onot pulley., is that all the pin is for ?

Mottie said:

^^^^^^^^

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everything is lined up now though as it was before.
can you please tell me then what difference on tension it would have just because it is in the round hole and not the rectangle hole ? how does that matter ?
iit is all lined up now so it must be in right place

That’s it....wind the tensioner up with your ratchet spanner as far as it will go.
It then needs to be held there as the belt is fitted.
Once the belt is on, allow the spring on the tensioner to release gently to allow the tensioner wheel to contact the belt.
John

Think of how the tensioner works and how the location/ position of the backing plate affects the tension relative to the belt.

You either have the belt routing wrong OR the tensioner backing plate is in wrong position.

You CANNOT have it all right and the belt is magically slack, something is wrong somewhere.

Rightboy91 said:

I have a learning difficulty, dyspraxia and I am trying to feel good about myself, I feel bad if I am inconvenieicng you and if I am then ...............

It gives me a sense of accompishment and I have done many jobs on my car's and it is a good feeling, I don't like or appreicete or that I am being discriminated because of my disablity being made to feel a burden or nuisance and peiple who see me as such I would rather they didn't bother being involved.
I appreciete you but if you portray me as beng a burden I rather you didnt inconveninece yourself

thanks

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Apologies. I can be a bit short tempered sometimes.
Right, the reason the square peg goes in the round hole is because when it is in that hole, it will be in the exact correct position for the tensioner to work. If the peg is in the hole to the left or right of that hole, apart from it being able to move about more, it will make the belt too loose or too tight. I’d suggest fitting the square peg in the round hole and then putting the tensioner bolt in.

Mottie said:

Apologies. I can be a bit short tempered sometimes.
Right, the reason the square peg goes in the round hole is because when it is in that hole, it will be in the exact correct position for the tensioner to work. If the peg is in the hole to the left or right of that hole, apart from it being able to move about more, it will make the belt too loose or too tight. I’d suggest fitting the square peg in the round hole and then putting the tensioner bolt in.

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No, I apologise.
I tried what you said and it worked. Thank you so much !

Due to previous experience on forums I wasn't sure if you guy's were being sarcastic saying it went in the smaller hole, I thought you meant the belt wasn't tensioning right because I had inserted the peg into the rectangular hole rather than the smaller circle hole which is more shaped for the dowel on the back of some tesnioners. In that case I was struggling to figure out what difference it would make whether the peg went in whichever one of the holes, I thought it was lined up how it was previously and that it was fastened tight as it could be to the engine and didn't see how the tension would change by it going into the smaller hole.
I was so frustrated I thought I'd try it the way you guy's were telling me to and I completely expected to be taking a photo of an upside tensioner pulley and upload here to make you guy's realise it was wrong but I then realised you were right all along and although I was so happy and relieved that I finally was able to fit it back on I , I did remember you guy's and I did feel guilty to dismiss your advice.
Of course the way I was doing it I did not have the tensioner in the correct position hence why the belt appeared to be far too big to go back on.

all I can say is thanks and I won't be so quick to dismiss the help from you lot in the future if you guy's would be so kind enough to.


My next topic I think will be handbrake cables, I replaced the rear discs,calipers and pads on it a few months ago, all was well, passed it's MOT handbrake was fine.
However I wanted it tighter and was fiddling about I removed the handbrake cable and after putting it back on the wheel locked up, it smoked from that wheel and overheated the brakes so for now the cable on that side is disconnected. hand brake holding only on other side for now.
The wheel freely spins without it connected. when connected handbrake works but wheel locks up and brakes overheat. ( was all fine until disconnecting and reconnecting cable )
does it need new cables ? I don't think it can be adjusted as self adjusting on these, and the calipers are integral with the handbrake.

Anytime.

Hey, at the end of the day its sorted - and that’s all that matters.
I’ll speak for us all here, we are delighted to be able to help!
Good on yer, bud - stay safe in these difficult times.
John

Burnerman said:

Hey, at the end of the day its sorted - and that’s all that matters.
I’ll speak for us all here, we are delighted to be able to help!
Good on yer, bud - stay safe in these difficult times.
John

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Thank you ,you are right and I am so relieved ! I have a lot of respect for you guys and I feel a bit silly and guiltyfor dismissing the advice you guy's gave, Mottie in particular advised me many times of the correct way to do it which I dismissed many times , any advice you guy's give me from now I will take on board without unfairly dismissing it.

I have a question about the new tensioner pulley, when I spun the pulley it didn't spin like the old one , when I spin the old one it free spins but the new one only spins about once then stops, is that because it is new ?
I did notice the car felt quite sluggish (definately does I'm not imagining it, especially in lower gears when taking off ), going to check the maf is plugged in proper and no squashed wires below the air box, was wondering could it be because the pulley isn't spinning as much as the old one because it's new ?

Mottie said:

Anytime.

View attachment 190700

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You are so kind, thank you
I did feel like celebrating after it was done lol, I know I could do it all again within an hour now certainly including removing the engine mount for better access, my hands don't seem small enough to fit the belt without taking the mount off

The pulley is just fine - after a few miles it will free up and be like the original one.
For sure, what you have been doing over the last few days can’t interfere with the cars performance, but look for any disconnected rubber air pipes or whatever that may have been dislodged whilst you were working.
John

Burnerman said:

The pulley is just fine - after a few miles it will free up and be like the original one.
For sure, what you have been doing over the last few days can’t interfere with the cars performance, but look for any disconnected rubber air pipes or whatever that may have been dislodged whilst you were working.
John

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thanks !
So when the pulley free's up the car will feel more responsive again ?
It needs a new jubilee clip on the hose that connects to the air box, when i tighten it , it makes a clicking noise so it is on loosely with the jubilee clip so may just be that ?

My next topic I think will be handbrake cables, I replaced the rear discs,calipers and pads on it a few months ago, all was well, passed it's MOT handbrake was fine.
However I wanted it tighter and was fiddling about I removed the handbrake cable and after putting it back on the wheel locked up, it smoked from that wheel and overheated the brakes so for now the cable on that side is disconnected. hand brake holding only on other side for now.
The wheel freely spins without it connected. when connected handbrake works but wheel locks up and brakes overheat. ( was all fine until disconnecting and reconnecting cable )
does it need new cables ? I don't think it can be adjusted as self adjusting on these, and the calipers are integral with the handbrake.

Glad you got it sorted.

The pulley stiffness won’t have any affect on the cars performance, but by all means check any pipes for air leakage.
As for the rear brakes I haven’t done Vauxhall ones, but on the Ford Mondeo its vital that the pads lock into the calipers properly - there is a peg which if it isn’t properly located causes exactly what you have found.
So, I’d check the pads first, one side at a time.
Over to the other bods on this one!
John