Tensioner

[Eclipse4ever]

A couple of days ago I got my car from the shop and they were suppost to replace water pump, mounts,timing belt and every other belt, pulleys and so on. Well they broke my tensioner bolt. Its the bolt on that little pulley that tensions the power steering and A/C. So I dont have power steering and A/C till I get the bolt. Well, I cant find the bolt so, I can put the pulley and use a bar to make the belt tight so I dont need the bolt. Can it be done thought, I mean you guys think it would last or would the pulley move and the belt rip ?

[sganc4life_4]

just deal with no PS or AC until u get the bolt, the pulley will probably pop off by the way u described it

[Carolina Z]

Eventually it may work itself out or to a point where the tensioner will not stay as tight as it should. I changed the same belt last week and found out that the tensioner was so loose, well the front bolt that I could begin to tighten it with my fingers. It was also allowing the belt to slip some which resulted in a god awful squeel.

Have heard the the tensioner on the 99's are or have been a problem for a long time.

Guess I would go to the dealer or parts house and see if you can find the bolt you are needing, like I said if the one you used is not threaded I would think eventually and always at the wrong time it will work loose creting the noise situation that we had with my sons 99 Eclipse.

Funny how easy it is however to adjust the darned thing as well as to change the belt , even by yourself.

[david-b]

It works fine if you take a crowbar and push the pulley in. Mine hasnt had a bolt since I got it. Just loosen up the center bolt, and pry out, then tighten. Works fine for me.

[AbsoluteGTR]

Hey Sorry for bringing back an old thread BUT it fits under this exact thread so I though.....WHY NOT!!

Anyways, My belt sqeals really bad and I feel that the tensioner pulley might need to be tightened. The question I have is, how far/how much must I tighten that pulley? As much as i physically possibly can, or what??
Thanks!!

[Carolina Z]

Originally Posted by AbsoluteGTR

Hey Sorry for bringing back an old thread BUT it fits under this exact thread so I though.....WHY NOT!!

Anyways, My belt sqeals really bad and I feel that the tensioner pulley might need to be tightened. The question I have is, how far/how much must I tighten that pulley? As much as i physically possibly can, or what??
Thanks!!

Thats about it in a nutshell ,as much as you physically can. Had the same prob on my sons 99, the AC-PS belt broke, replaced it and started to tighten the bolt in the front of the tensioner, and tightened and tightened , the noise ( squeel) would come back, kept tightening , did this 5 times until it finally stopped. The bolt could still be tightened somemore if necessary, apparently you have to really get the belt super tight so that the noise stops, now it wasnt a really loud squeel but more like a whistling sound , at any rate its now gone , but it took a ton of tightening to get the belt so tight that the noise would go away. I guess when you think you have it tight enough , tighten it somemore but it will eventually get tight enough that the noise will stop. so keep a wratchet handy and when you hear it , tighten the bolt , I dont think you can go enough to cause the belt to break, in this case a gator belt.

[AbsoluteGTR]

Yea THANKS! I havent bothered to change/fix the squeel for a long time now! A LONG TIME! I probably should go ahead and change the belt, at the same time, right? THANKS!