Timing Belt : Undo bolt while under tension ?
 

Okay, I've been reading up on the timing belt job, and the one thing that isn't clear is : do you actually unbolt the tensioner wheel while the belt is under full tension ? It looks/sounds like there isn't any provsion for releasing the tesion from the belt before-hand. (e.g., on a Saab, there's a hole that a 1/2 " breaker bar fits into, so you can compresss the tensioner in situ). It sounds vaguly dangerous, so I wanted to check before I undo any "loaded" bolts.

TIA,
Jeff

Yes Jeff, the tensioner has to be compressed with a G clamp or similar, and a small pin inserted in the cylinder of the tensioner to hold the plunger back. Haven't done it my self, but there should be some info in the " how to " locker.

Harvey.;)

Be very careful when you compress the tensioner.
The best way is to compress it in a bench vice, make sure that it is strait when you do.
And go very slowly.
Use a pin that you can pull out easily and safely.

Tensioner
 

Jeff,
It doesn't fly off like you think, the wheel just kinda flops over as you loosen the bolt. I just shoved a towel in there just in case to keep it from moving too fast or too much. And as stated previously compress it in a vise for reinstall, and instead of a pin I have found a real small allen wrench to work the best as the tensioner is fairly strong and will bend most things that small. Steve

Okay, thanks.

If the belt is still inplace, I have "tensioned" the tensioner before removal. Use a small pry bar to put pressure on the tensioner while someone loosens the two bolts holding the tensioner in place. Then slowly and gently use the prybar to compress the tensioner and have someone stick a small allen wrench in the lock hole.

At that point, the tensioner can be removed and the belt can easily come off.

Or you can just undo the bottom pulley while it is tensioned and then use a vise to compress the tensioner.

The tensioner is very slow moving...either way.

When I compressed it I used a shop press and a piece of plywood across 2 metal supports. The flex on the plywood kept pressure on the tensioner and prevented me from exerting too much force.

The allen wrench did break out of one of the loops on mine but remarkably the other one held.

Okay, I removed the belt yesterday and it was a piece of cake. I guess the trick is that, as mentioned, the tensioner moves very slowly. So when you remove the bolt holding the tensioner pulley on, it doesn't go flying off across the room as I kinda feared. I also noticed that the tensioner itself (the pluinger thingie) is held on by 2 bolts that go through slotted holes, so I suppose you could loosen those two bolts a bit first. But even without that, it was very non-dramatic.

My gasket set arrives soon. Looking forward to a clean and shiny motor for years to come...