Can you over tighten a fan belt?
Help! Dear Anthony: A belt should never be over-tightened. An over-tightened belt can burn out any bearing that the belt rotates on, including alternator, power steering pump, A/C compressor, idler pulleys, etc. An over-tightened timing belt can ruin any pulley bearing it is connected with.
How do you tighten a loose pulley?
Turn the adjustment bolt on the side, top or bottom of the pulley counterclockwise with the ratchet and socket until the accessory belt is loose enough to remove. Tighten the tensioner pulley by turning the adjustment bolt clockwise with the ratchet and socket until the belt is tight.
How do you know if your drive belt is loose?
A loose drive belt will often be noisy, squeaking a bit, or emitting a high-pitched squeal. The most obvious sign of a loose drive belt, though, is in its appearance and tension. A loose belt, simply stated, looks and feels loose.
Can you tighten a tensioner pulley?
If the belt is intact and your vehicle comes equipped with a tensioner pulley, you may not be able to tighten the belt without replacing the tensioner. Most tensioners are installed using only one bolt. Start by inserting a half inch drive breaker bar or ratchet into the hole in the center of the pulley.
How do I know if my belt tensioner is too tight?
The required measure of tension in the serpentine belt is that it should not deflect more than ½ inch when twisted either way from the middle. If twisted more, the belt is loose, and if twisted less, the belt is too tight. Either of the positions does not work for the vehicle.
How long does it take to replace a drive belt tensioner?
Using a serpentine belt tool to loosen the tensioner and a belt placement tool to position the belt, we completed the entire job in less than 15 minutes, without breaking a sweat (or a knuckle).
What happens when a belt tensioner fails?
When the tensioner or tensioner pulley fails, the loss of tension can cause the belt and pulleys to make high-pitched rattling or chirping noises. If the pulley bearing completely fails, it can also cause a squealing or even a grinding noise.
What causes a tensioner to fail?
A seized tensioner cannot maintain proper belt tension. Dirt or mud can also jam the tensioner housing. A loose or worn pivot arm can allow unwanted movement; that results in belt noise and misalignment. Over time, this will increase belt wear and lead to premature belt failure.
Is the belt tensioner supposed to move?
If there is none, the spring has lost its force. Other indicators are belt squeal from slippage, or loss of rotation of a belt-driven component. It’s normal for it to move a little. A bad belt tensioner spring will often cause the tension arm to bounce up and down with the cycling of the motor.
What does timing belt failure sound like?
What does a bad timing belt sound like? A failing bad timing belt sounds like a ticking noise in front of your car when it starts wearing out. If the belt eventually breaks, it will give a whining noise when trying to start the engine. A whining noise sounds like no compression in the engine.