The Subaru SVX World Network   SVX Network Forums
Live Chat!
SVX or Subaru Links
Old Lockers
Photo Post
How-To Documents
Message Archive
SVX Shop Search
IRC users:

Go Back   The Subaru SVX World Network > SVX Main Forums > Technical Q & A

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 11-19-2004, 09:11 PM
RSVX RSVX is offline
Network Design Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Boiling Springs, SC
Posts: 4,344
Question Tensioner Bolt Issues (Help ASAP!)

OK, so I swapped out my Alternator, went to tighten the belt, and I noticed that the bolt was acting funny...

anyway, to make a long story short, I was tightening the belt, and the spacer appears to have moved down the shaft of the bolt, leaving the bolt head sticking out about a half of an inch...

help? pics to come if needed, but I think you get the idea.
__________________
Chris
SVX World Network Administrator
-1993 Subaru SVX LS-L, Barcelona Red, #46, 160,000+ Miles (Sold to SomethingElse)
-2011 Toyota Sienna SE, Black, 30,000+ Miles (Swagger Wagon )
-2002 BMW R 1150R ABS, Black, 26,000+ Miles (Daily Driver )
SVX Owner from February 1997 to March 2008
SVX Online Community Member since February 1998
SVX World Network Member since February 2002, Member #520

Life is a game. Play to win.
The world belongs to those who can laugh at it.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 11-20-2004, 12:07 PM
UberRoo's Avatar
UberRoo UberRoo is offline
SVX Appeal
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Puget Sound, Washington
Posts: 843
I think the most common mistake when dealing with the alternator belt is forgetting to loosten the tensioner pulley bolt. This is the bolt that goes through the bearing of the tensioner pulley. It also acts as a lock to prevent the tensioner from moving. If you don't loosten it, you stand a good chance of goobering things up pretty good.

The tensioning screw on my 94 was all galled up and bent when I bought it. The entire bracket is broken and missing on my 92 because the previous owner didn't know to loosten the locking bolt on the tensioner puller.

It sounds to me like this describes the problem you are having.

I spent a great deal of effort repairing the tensioner on my 94. When I was done, I lubricated the tensioner screw with some extra-heavy grease. This made a big difference. Before, the whole assembly was always stiff. Now, the assembly moves very freely. ...unless the tensioner pulley bolt is tightened.
__________________
1994 LSi, Laguna Blue SVX Appeal
1992 LS-L, Ebony Pearl SVX-Rated
UberLocker
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 11-20-2004, 06:09 PM
RSVX RSVX is offline
Network Design Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Boiling Springs, SC
Posts: 4,344
I did in fact loosen the tensioner pulley... this is where my problem stems from.

when I went to tighten it, the bolt moved, not the assembly, and with that, the little spacer that is on the other side of the groove(bolt guide) has moved down the shank of the bolt all the way to the start of the threads(at the top of the bolt near the head), so it would appear that the bolt needs to be replaced, unless someone here knows how to fix it!!

Help?!?
__________________
Chris
SVX World Network Administrator
-1993 Subaru SVX LS-L, Barcelona Red, #46, 160,000+ Miles (Sold to SomethingElse)
-2011 Toyota Sienna SE, Black, 30,000+ Miles (Swagger Wagon )
-2002 BMW R 1150R ABS, Black, 26,000+ Miles (Daily Driver )
SVX Owner from February 1997 to March 2008
SVX Online Community Member since February 1998
SVX World Network Member since February 2002, Member #520

Life is a game. Play to win.
The world belongs to those who can laugh at it.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11-20-2004, 07:10 PM
benebob's Avatar
benebob benebob is offline
Have a poncho I can borrow?
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Lancaster, PA
Posts: 6,561
Chris, your car is toast. Better throw it away. Seriously, I've had the same thing when I bought nearly all of my Subies with that set up. Only way I could come up with to fix it was by replacing the bolt and the weird tension thingie. Good thing is they aren't that expensive. Oh yeah, if you need to drive it you can use a pry bar to tension the belt and then have someone tighten the pully bolt as you hold it. It'll hold for quite a while. Drove my XT like that for nearly 5 months w/o needing to retighten.
__________________
British vehicles are my last ditch attempt to keep the nasty Italian thoughts in my mind at bay. So far its working.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11-21-2004, 09:23 PM
immortal_suby's Avatar
immortal_suby immortal_suby is offline
Thread Killah
Alcyone Gold Contributor
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 5,835
Registered SVX
Is the part of the bolt with the ring on it set in the tensioner assembly?
A pic would help alot - I think it sounds like the ring part has popped out of the assembly bracket and tightening the bolt just moves the whole bolt?
__________________
Matt
Locker Link
2015 BRZ Limited 6MT
92 Ebony LS-L ECUtune Stage2av1, Z32 MAF, 370cc injectors, TomsSVX intake, BontragerWorks 22mm RSB #003, HID Hi and Lo beams, OT endlink and bushing mods, PWR Aluminum radiator, Harvey's QC shift kit, 2.5" flowmaster 80 exhaust, 17" Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, Poly sway bar bushings, Slotted Bradi rotors, AFBeefcake powdercoated calipers, 97 grill, and a huge set of air horns. 300,000 miles and counting
92 Ebony LS-L. ecutune stage1v4, motorsport 1pc pulley. Garage Queen - sold to Dad in upstate NY 155,000 miles
19 Subaru Ascent Premium - -Hers !.
89 DL 4x4 little red wagon - a.k.a. The immortal suby. 275k R.I.P.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11-22-2004, 01:42 PM
RSVX RSVX is offline
Network Design Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Boiling Springs, SC
Posts: 4,344
Quote:
Originally posted by immortal_suby
Is the part of the bolt with the ring on it set in the tensioner assembly?
A pic would help alot - I think it sounds like the ring part has popped out of the assembly bracket and tightening the bolt just moves the whole bolt?

EXACTLY.



Im researching the possibility of a new one, but I am not sure of the procedure to replace it, hopefully its not too difficult!!
__________________
Chris
SVX World Network Administrator
-1993 Subaru SVX LS-L, Barcelona Red, #46, 160,000+ Miles (Sold to SomethingElse)
-2011 Toyota Sienna SE, Black, 30,000+ Miles (Swagger Wagon )
-2002 BMW R 1150R ABS, Black, 26,000+ Miles (Daily Driver )
SVX Owner from February 1997 to March 2008
SVX Online Community Member since February 1998
SVX World Network Member since February 2002, Member #520

Life is a game. Play to win.
The world belongs to those who can laugh at it.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11-22-2004, 04:17 PM
immortal_suby's Avatar
immortal_suby immortal_suby is offline
Thread Killah
Alcyone Gold Contributor
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Greenville, SC
Posts: 5,835
Registered SVX
Cant you just pop it back in place?
__________________
Matt
Locker Link
2015 BRZ Limited 6MT
92 Ebony LS-L ECUtune Stage2av1, Z32 MAF, 370cc injectors, TomsSVX intake, BontragerWorks 22mm RSB #003, HID Hi and Lo beams, OT endlink and bushing mods, PWR Aluminum radiator, Harvey's QC shift kit, 2.5" flowmaster 80 exhaust, 17" Michelin Pilot Sport A/S, Poly sway bar bushings, Slotted Bradi rotors, AFBeefcake powdercoated calipers, 97 grill, and a huge set of air horns. 300,000 miles and counting
92 Ebony LS-L. ecutune stage1v4, motorsport 1pc pulley. Garage Queen - sold to Dad in upstate NY 155,000 miles
19 Subaru Ascent Premium - -Hers !.
89 DL 4x4 little red wagon - a.k.a. The immortal suby. 275k R.I.P.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11-23-2004, 08:51 AM
RSVX RSVX is offline
Network Design Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Boiling Springs, SC
Posts: 4,344
well, I am guessing that the ring is what holds the pressure of the tensioning assembly, so that it will move, rather than the bolt just backing out.

sooo the bolt is only a few dollars, I am going to order one and try to swap it out...

anyone know the process of changing that bolt? Like, can you change it without disassembling the whole front end of the car?
__________________
Chris
SVX World Network Administrator
-1993 Subaru SVX LS-L, Barcelona Red, #46, 160,000+ Miles (Sold to SomethingElse)
-2011 Toyota Sienna SE, Black, 30,000+ Miles (Swagger Wagon )
-2002 BMW R 1150R ABS, Black, 26,000+ Miles (Daily Driver )
SVX Owner from February 1997 to March 2008
SVX Online Community Member since February 1998
SVX World Network Member since February 2002, Member #520

Life is a game. Play to win.
The world belongs to those who can laugh at it.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11-23-2004, 10:58 PM
UberRoo's Avatar
UberRoo UberRoo is offline
SVX Appeal
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Puget Sound, Washington
Posts: 843
Quote:
Originally posted by RSVX
I did in fact loosen the tensioner pulley... this is where my problem stems from.
The bolt you are referring to is not the tensioner pulley bolt. The bolt you see is the tensioner adjustment screw. Yes, you do need to adjust that, but only after the tensioner pulley is loose. Don't mess with this until the other bolt is loose. It's easy to goober up. Just don't let the adjuster screw get bent.

The pulley itself has a bolt going through the center of the bearing it spins on. There is a nut on the end of it which will loosen the bolt. It's down on the face of the pulley. See the attachment.

The 'washer' thing on the adjustment screw is just to coax the tensioner assembly to move if it's a little sticky. It will usually move without the washer, but I suppose if it was rusty... The reason the washer is being pushed down is because the tensioner assembly is stuck - because the pulley bolt is still tight.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg tensioner pulley.jpg (23.2 KB, 117 views)
__________________
1994 LSi, Laguna Blue SVX Appeal
1992 LS-L, Ebony Pearl SVX-Rated
UberLocker

Last edited by UberRoo; 11-23-2004 at 11:03 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 11-24-2004, 07:56 AM
RSVX RSVX is offline
Network Design Administrator
 
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Boiling Springs, SC
Posts: 4,344
Quote:
Originally posted by UberRoo
Yes, you do need to adjust that, but only after the tensioner pulley is loose. Don't mess with this until the other bolt is loose. It's easy to goober up. Just don't let the adjuster screw get bent.
That is not in the steps in the how to folder for the alternator swap out...

this should be updated, as I followed that, and here-in lies my problem.

so... when I get the new "adjustment bolt" is, I should first loosen the bolt that holds the pulley.

Great! once I get that bolt in, I should be good to go then.

Thanks for all of your help.


Note to the moderators... the how-to's on the alternator should either be updated, or removed. Thanks.
__________________
Chris
SVX World Network Administrator
-1993 Subaru SVX LS-L, Barcelona Red, #46, 160,000+ Miles (Sold to SomethingElse)
-2011 Toyota Sienna SE, Black, 30,000+ Miles (Swagger Wagon )
-2002 BMW R 1150R ABS, Black, 26,000+ Miles (Daily Driver )
SVX Owner from February 1997 to March 2008
SVX Online Community Member since February 1998
SVX World Network Member since February 2002, Member #520

Life is a game. Play to win.
The world belongs to those who can laugh at it.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 11-24-2004, 12:15 PM
Earthworm's Avatar
Earthworm Earthworm is offline
Meow!
 
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba
Posts: 11,957
Send a message via ICQ to Earthworm Send a message via AIM to Earthworm Send a message via MSN to Earthworm Send a message via Yahoo to Earthworm Send a message via Skype™ to Earthworm
Quote:
Originally posted by RSVX
That is not in the steps in the how to folder for the alternator swap out...
Step 3.
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 11-24-2004, 03:49 PM
UberRoo's Avatar
UberRoo UberRoo is offline
SVX Appeal
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Puget Sound, Washington
Posts: 843
Having the washer slide down the adjuster screw doesn't affect anything. Bending the screw however, means instant death. If it's just the washer you're worried about, don't bother. When tightening, the adjuster screw's head does tend to come off it's seat, but when things are moving freely you don't have to turn it very hard to get the belt tight, and the head doesn't tend to creep off the seat.

In other words: Don't replace the screw unless it's bent or doesn't turn freely.
__________________
1994 LSi, Laguna Blue SVX Appeal
1992 LS-L, Ebony Pearl SVX-Rated
UberLocker
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:50 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
© 2001-2015 SVX World Network
(208)-906-1122