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Thread: Belt tensioner bolt torque setting: Recommend if you don't know

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    Belt tensioner bolt torque setting: Recommend if you don't know

    Someone told me that you couldn't over-torque or over-tighten the belt-tensioner bolt that leads to the a/c (in the N/A - figure its the same setup on the TT's) pulley. Well, ever since I last swapped the belt and tightened the belt tensioner bolt, the engine shakes when the a/c is turned on. I believe I have ruined the bearing in my a/c compressor due to noise I hear now and it nearly locking up the engine when I turn on the a/c now.

    I can't find this information in the manual, so anyone with any knowledge of belt tensioning or having done it before please respond... What do you think the max torque should be set to to tighten the belt tensioner bolt (the one that leads to the a/c pulley)?

    All I can find in the manual is a belt deflection value to be measured by pushing on the belt itself after its installed and I don't have a belt deflection measuring tool, nor do I wish to buy one. It seems like you could just use the torque wrench at a certain torque and it would put the belt at the right tension and that's. I know this seems like a simple thing, but its very important as to the wear on the bearings of all connected components.

    *** DOWN WITH 3SI. LONG LIVE 3SGTO!!! *** - WOULD BE NICE THOUGH IF 3SI.ORG COULD BE SOLD TO ALAN, BUT I KNOW THAT PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN.

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    Member verified Feedback Score 2 (100%) blindmist's Avatar
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    The only way to really correctly measure the tightness of a belt is with a deflection value tool. Because rubber stretches, you can be exponentially tightening the belt without really changing the amount of torque needed on the bolt that is tightening the belt.

    The best way to make sure you are not over tightening, is to just make it barely tight, run the new ac, and if it slips, just tighten a little by little until the belt no longer slips.

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    You can easily over tighten belts on both the AC and PS, the bolt on the AC/Alternator tensioner pulley makes it really easy to do so.

    I've never seen a bolt torque to belt tension translation chart. Since I don't have the belt tension tool either, I start on the loose side and then tighten it more if it's starts squealing when it's wet out and under load (AC running, headlights on)

    (I see we had a posting race going on and I lost)

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    Member Not Verified Feedback Score 3 (100%) Unknownvr4's Avatar
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    My belt squeels like a motha trucka... gota fix that too.. Not sure if its the bearing or the belt though...
    -Benn
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    Member verified Feedback Score 0 DocWalt's Avatar
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    I overtightened mine and ruined my A/C belt idler pulley. Fun Just gradually tighten it until it doesn't slip when you spray it with water and have the A/C and headlights on.
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    Forum User Not Verified Feedback Score 4 (100%) TUFFTR's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Unknownvr4 View Post
    My belt squeels like a motha trucka... gota fix that too.. Not sure if its the bearing or the belt though...
    Best way to find out, run the motor, spray some belt stop squeek directly onto the belt.....mine stops right away when its sprayed on the belt. damn gates blue racing belts

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    I'm Marcus Feedback Score 0 duke3k's Avatar
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    If you don't have a tensioner measurement tool , the shop manual says that the deflection when pressing on the top part of the AC/Alt belt (in the location show in the manual), should not be more than 5 mm (0.5 cm) for a used belt. That's not very much deflection.

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    Quote Originally Posted by TUFFTR View Post
    Best way to find out, run the motor, spray some belt stop squeek directly onto the belt.....mine stops right away when its sprayed on the belt. damn gates blue racing belts
    My experience is the belt dressing messes up the belt and pulley. Then you have to remove both and clean them or it will just keep squealing over time.

    Quote Originally Posted by duke3k View Post
    If you don't have a tensioner measurement tool , the shop manual says that the deflection when pressing on the top part of the AC/Alt belt (in the location show in the manual), should not be more than 5 mm (0.5 cm) for a used belt. That's not very much deflection.
    You forgot one other key value, how hard you press on the belt, the FSM says 100N (22lbs). That's the hard part to judge or apply to the AC belt between the idler pulley and crank.

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    Thanks for all the replies. I figured I'd get good info seeing as this site is new and probably got the best people having joined it thus far.

    Anyone know of a good belt deflection tool within reasonable prices and where to get it? I think I looked for this a while back and couldn't find one.

    Thanks for the method/technique for tightening the belt to the right balanced torque amount. I understand now too why a torque setting isn't specified, due to the rubber aging and stretching over time. The water trick is a good idea too.

    Thanks for the reference from the manual & the amount of force to push on the belt if you have a tensioner belt measuring tools.

    I can agree too that belt dressing usually does make things worse eventually and needs to be cleaned off with hot soap/water or else the squeaking continues to get worse. Its kinda like using the Vicks Sinex nasal spray (or others with same ingredient), in that once you start you find you want to keep using it or the problem gets worse again.



    Thanks to all!

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    Quote Originally Posted by steve View Post
    You forgot one other key value, how hard you press on the belt, the FSM says 100N (22lbs). That's the hard part to judge or apply to the AC belt between the idler pulley and crank.
    What does FSM stand for? F??? Service Manual? Because, I have found the belt replacement section in the chassis manual for the 3000GT 92-96, and for vehicles with Air Conditioning it says to press 77-132 lbs on the belt to measure a deflection of 4.0 to 5.5 mm ? That seems like an awful lot of force to put on the belt.

    Nobody with the "keywords" as to what tool I'd be looking for if I wanted to get the tool instead of doing the technique?

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