Serpentine Belt tensioner

I have just replaced the timing chain and the balancer chain on a 1996
9000 Aero Automatic with the engine in the car.
How does one compress the serpentine belt tensioner again to put the belt
back on.
Any good ideas appreciated.
Thanks
--

Richard Sutherland-Smith
19 Webb Road, Wanganui 5001,
New Zealand

With the belt correctly routed but leave it loose on the idler. Use an
18" long 1/2" drive breaker bar. Slip a 19 mm socket on it. Stand in
front of the engine on the passenger side. Put the socket on the bolt
of the tensioner from the top between the coolant reservoir and the
engine and push. When you have the tensioner compressed this way with
your right hand holding the bar, bend down and slip the belt on the
idler with your left hand through the passenger side wheel opening.

Takes about 2 minutes. This is by far the simplest way to compressed
the tensioner without any special tool.

"Richard Sutherland-Smith" <richard.ss (AT) clear (DOT) net.nz> wrote

I have just replaced the timing chain and the balancer chain on a 1996
9000 Aero Automatic with the engine in the car.
How does one compress the serpentine belt tensioner again to put the belt
back on.
Any good ideas appreciated.
Thanks
--

Richard Sutherland-Smith
19 Webb Road, Wanganui 5001,
New Zealand
There is a special tool for the job, but you can do it by using a long 19mm

spanner on the centre bolt of the belt tensioning pulley that is next to the
tensioner itself. Turn the bolt anti clockwise, You MUST do this slowly as
the tensioner is a blind hydraulic cylinder with a effing strong spring
inside it. The bolt itself is lht so it wont come undone. I would suggest a
dummy run first to get the feel of it before trying to put on the belt, Do
not just let the tension off but release it slowly, Regards, Tom, Saabtech.

http://www.ardice.com/Regional/Ocean...d_Sports/Aero/

"yaofengchen (AT) gmail (DOT) com" wrote:

With the belt correctly routed but leave it loose on the idler. Use an
18" long 1/2" drive breaker bar. Slip a 19 mm socket on it. Stand in
front of the engine on the passenger side.

That'll be driver's side for NZ !

Put the socket on the bolt
of the tensioner from the top between the coolant reservoir and the
engine and push. When you have the tensioner compressed this way with
your right hand holding the bar, bend down and slip the belt on the
idler with your left hand through the passenger side wheel opening.

Takes about 2 minutes. This is by far the simplest way to compressed
the tensioner without any special tool.

Oh well... I have to have my water pump replaced next week anyway. I'll
leave it to the mechanic.

Graham

Takes about 2 minutes. This is by far the simplest way to compressed
the tensioner without any special tool.

Problem I had was that the piston wasn't going in perfectly straight and
kept binding on my (old) tensioner.

I ended up compressing it in a vice and wiring it in a closed position.
Then I could do the thing with the socket and bar.

David.