Help please! Breaking timing belt tensioners like it's going out of style!

[Hardwareman]

I thought the original tensioner broke because it was old, but when I put my 3-4 month old one on that timing belt tensioner broke as well!

What's causing this? Am I tightening the belt too much? This is the second one that broke today. I'm going to have to miss work again tomorrow. I checked AutoZone's website and it's calling for the same belt as my 2.3 engine, which is what I used......tensioner too!

Please help. Thanks




Allen

 

[TireIron]

How is it breaking??? And when you set it do you remember to torque BOTH bolts to the correct values?

 

[Hardwareman]

What's up Jason! How have you been?

It's breaking right down the center of the pulley.......on both. If you look at the rotating part of the pulley it's actually two halves pressed together. It's coming apart right there and the outer half is falling off.

Yes I did tighten them (both bolts) so they would not move. I'm not to sure of the actual torque but I've done it this same way for many years now without problems. I've noticed that the belt was harder then usual however to get on this time for some reason.

I've already missed work today because of this and will have to miss tomorrow as well (at least some of the day now).

I'm actually considering buying a new belt and tensioner tomorrow and swapping out both the camshaft and oil pump timing belt pulleys as well with my old 2.3. I had no problems like this with that motor. Let me know what you think. Thanks Jason.




Allen

 

[rasp]

I was supposed to buy a 93 ranger 2.3l today but the guy left it at home because the belt tensioner broke last night!

Was this a recurring roblem for you or is everything fine now? I'm just wondering if I should be looking out for something else. (bad bearing on another pulley?)

Thanks,
-Rob

 

[Hardwareman]

No, not a recurring problem.

I created the problem by applying additional pressure on the tensioner which is unessecary. The tensioner applies enough pressure on its own when applied to the belt.

You should be fine. I've been driving my Ranger around for months now.




Allen

 

[Mark_88]

When i install the belt I just sorta nudge the tensioner into place till it snaps tight on it's own...never tried adding pressure to it since there wasn't much further it could go...and I've had the same tensioner for about as long as I've owned the truck (this is the original tensioner)...about 6 years...replaced the belt and adjusted timing dozens of times...

Hope you got it licked...

 

[Simple_serf]

Some of them need the extra bit of tension though.

The newer ones don't seem to, but one 2.0 I worked on did.

I just did my belt and tensioner, and that spring is pretty damn strong, almost to the point where I wondered if the tension was too much.

Next project is plugs...

 

[rasp]

Thanks for the updates guys. The seller of the truck replaced it with a new tensioner so it should be good for a while. I am supposed to get a ride out this evening to get the truck from him.