Belt Tensioning Tool 9201

[VanhireBoys]

Gents
I am at the minute gathering up bits and pieces for my turbo to have it ready for the road hopefully next month. I am doing a full belts and waterpump job as its now 4 years since it was done last. and I had the car running last week and I heard a vibration & got the notion that the balance belt was hitting the cover - Just did not sound right ! Car is staying where it is until this is sorted !

I have 2 questions for you all. ..!
Where could I get my hands on a belt tensioning guage 9201 to do the job right..?

Has anyone ever heard of a "Cam Belt guide rail"...? I cant see it on the PET and I just happened to see it mentioned. I dont recall seeing it but then it was 4 years ago and my memory is getting worse ! an S2 perhaps ?

11 years of ownership and still learning ! Thanks in advance lads

 

[zcacogp]

Donal,

Tensioner - I do them by feel. I've done them three or four times now and always got it right, but also always taken it to my local indie to be sure. You could do the same - put it together as you think it should be and make sure your first trip is to someone who can check them for you.

Cambelt guide rail; the only thing I can think of that would fit the description is the stainless steel plate about 3 inches long that bolts between the cam belt in the bit where the two sides run close to each other. Aligned at roughly 45degrees, it stands out on account of its shiny stainless steel-ness. Here's a picture (although the orientation isn't right as the picture is rotated.)

Oli.

 

[simdel1]

I'm sure some one mentioned that the gauge is available to club members from the club for the cost of postage...or did I imagine that?

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I'm sure some one mentioned that the gauge is available to club members from the club for the cost of postage...or did I imagine that?

Indeed. We have two at the office, call up and it's free to borrow.

 

[Eldavo]

Yup, I did just this earlier this year.

You send a cheque for £300 and one for £10, the £10 covers the postage and the £300 is kept safe and not banked unless you fail to return the tool. I think its Paul Graninger that sorts it out from memory.

 

[Northern924]

And if you are confident doing your own belts, then go for 45 deg. for the cam belt and 180 deg for the balance belt, worked for me when I had it checked with the tool after a couple of thousand miles and both were within tolerance, but as a club member just put your name down for the tool, or if there is a waiting list you could do the belts while you're waiting and you'd only need it then to do the re-tensioning

 

[zcacogp]

45deg for the cam belt is a bit tight, but certainly along the right lines.

180degrees for the balance belt is about right. Another interesting way of checking it is to run it with the covers off and watch the belt deflection; once you know what to look for, it's a good way of seeing whether they are right or not.


Oli.

 

[Northern924]

Top tip from Oli there about checking with the cover off, depending on the year you might only need to leave the top cover off as well

 

[VanhireBoys]

Thanks for that advice lads.. Top men....[]

I am going to do this job myself under supervision from my indie Dave using Oli and Paul's method . Dave has done a few of these before and had no complaints. .. I'll then use Paul's idea for re-tensioning the belts at 1500 miles using the gauge and she will be grand at that..!

I am feeling confident now []

 

[Northern924]

Glad you are going for it Donal, there is to much voodoo put in place around the belts on these cars, just the same as doing the belts on any car, follow the simple rule of check then check again, then check one more time to make sure!
As you'll have to take off the balance belt to do it don't forget the balance shafts to their markers as well []

 

[George Elliott]

Donal,
I'm glad the right honourable Oliver said he does them by feel, once you get a sense of how tight they should be, its the method I prefer, its just getting yourself calibrated.
My experience is of having the belts done by a local spanner who mis-timed the balance belt and tensioned the timing belt slightly tight. I then did the job myself and eliminated the balance shaft vibration, (help of Promax and Clarks Garage, like yourself I'm in Ireland and specialists are not numerous) and eliminated the washing machine spin-cycle noise caused by the belt tension. It worked and the belt life was excellent, like new when I removed it 40k later.
I was in Jon Mitchells Garage some months later when a car had the belts done and asked Jon if I could feel the belt tension on the car there, it was very helpful and the engine ran near silent of any belt whine (warm engine, cover off, new waterpump, 4k rpm etc, [8D]3.2L Capacity[8D]).
The belt was not loose, but it had a lot less tension than the local spanner who did my car originally.
Like Paul says, check, check and check, good advice.
tell us how you get on, good luck
George

 

[VanhireBoys]

Thanks a million lads .. George is right there are no 944 experts in Ireland at all. We in Ireland are basically on our own.. This suits me fine as you gain experience and also the satisfaction of doing it yourself and doing it well

Myself and a friend done th ebelt and waterpump on a 2ltr 8v Calibra at a stage. The waterpump was spurious and the teeth were wrong. Car developed a bit of a whine so we took th ecover off to find that every 4th tooth was off the belt. There was loads of dust on the cover.... We figured it must have been the pump and got a genuine Opel one and a new genuine belt... No more bother ! This is the reason I just wont get parts unless I know they are from our OPC .....! []

One of the belts is flapping when my 944 is cold.. Id say the balance belt is really slack.. Hitting the guide shown in Oli's picture .. I'll know better when I get into the job

You lads have gave me the confidence to just go do the job myself. I will definately let yous know how

 

[zcacogp]

Donal,

As has been said, there is far too much voodoo about the belts; they are no different to those on any other car, and if you are careful and follow the instructions then you'll be fine.

The guide I pictured sits between two runs of the cam belt, not the balance belt - if the balance belt is hitting it then you have a problem!


Oli.

 

[VanhireBoys]

Lads Sorry for dragging this up again but I have a slight worry...![&:]

I done the belts using the method above.. I checked them a load of times and the car was great... No rattles - no noises ....

500 miles later and she is back to clattering when cold....! I went to Daves and took off the timing belt cover... Balance Belt was sound but the Timing belt itself was loose and hitting off the cover...! []

I got all the belts and rollers that came in the kit changed ... I locked it all down correctly and Dave checked it and concurred that it was correct.

Would I be looking at replacing the automatic tensioner itself...? It had crossed my mind when I was mid-job... ! Its the only thing that I can think of that could have gone wrong.. !

 

[pauly]

Re tension the belt and see how it looks/sounds.

 

[tref]

I have seen one example where the stud for the tensioning pulley had stripped the thread... it was at early stage failure, so it was possible to torque it up, and appeared to hold the tensioner correctly, but would then let go. Previous wrench addmitted to tightening it up hard because he didn't want it coming undone, helicoil and tightened to correct torque, problem solved.

 

[zcacogp]

ORIGINAL: pauly

Re tension the belt and see how it looks/sounds.

This. And keep a close eye on it for the coming few months. Check it in 100 miles time, and 500 miles time, and if the problem comes back then think about investigating further.

Bear in mind that this sort of thing does happen, which is why you are supposed to check the tension after a period of time. The fact that it has happened isn't necessarily a cause for concern.


Oli.

 

[VanhireBoys]

Thanks for that Gents - I am going to work at the car this morning ... I am getting a bit of practice in [] As advised above I am going to remove the tensioner itself and have a good look about it... ! I will let yous all know how it goes.... Cheers lads !

I really dont want to be throwing out €300 for a new tensioner
http://www.pelicanparts.com/cgi-bin/smart/more_info.cgi?pn=944-105-067-14-OEM&catalog_description=Timing%20Belt%20Tensioner%2C%20%39%34%34%2FTurbo%20%28%31%39%38%37%2D%38%39%29%2C%20%39%32%34S%20%28%31%39%38%37%2D%38%38%29%2C%20Each%20%20

I'll let yous all know how it goes

OT @ Oli .. Despite what your sig says .. I really appreciate you.... []

 

[os951]

Have you checked out the tensioner spring is seated properly. I have seen some tensioners which were put apart and then assembled back together badly. Tensioner usually does not act as you have descriped, at least i have not seen any aluminium bodied brake down. Since you have a '87 with "iron tensioner" it might be a different story, they seems to brake down more often; don't know why. I have done during this summer 14 belt changes to various 944 & 968 models. '87-'91 944 belt change is the easiest one to do.

 

[bertelli_1]

..