What happens if belt tension is too high?
Conversely, if there is too much tension, the excess strain on the belts, bearings and shafts causes premature wear of these components. The proper tension is the lowest tension at which the belt won’t slip or squeal under peak load.
Can drive belts be too tight?
If the belts are too tight, they can put a strain on the shaft (and its bearing) of the alternator, power-steering pump and even the water pump. Most belts are installed on the tight side because they take an initial stretch.
How can I adjust the tension on my drive belt?
When the tension is correct, tighten the adjusting strap bolts and the pivot bolt. Some cars have an idler-wheel pulley which presses on the belt. If yours does, turn the screw adjuster to move the wheel and alter the belt tension. This is often simpler than moving the generator. Unscrew the nut or nuts to split the two halves of the pulley.
How do you remove tension from a serpentine belt?
Note: It is a very heavy spring tension, and pivoting the tensioner is often not possible with a short handled tool. Hold the tension from the belt, and slip the belt off the auto tensioner pulley to remove the belt and pulley system. Slowly release the tension to avoid damage or injury, and then remove the tool from the belt auto tensioner.
Where is the belt tensioner located on a car?
Where is the belt tensioner located? The single belt loops around all the different pulleys on your engine, but one pulley has a tensioner arm, which will be the only pulley the has a square, 3/8-inch hole in the center. That hole is for a 3/8-inch ratchet nub, the part that holds the socket.
What happens if you cut the tensioner on a belt?
Serious damage caution. Do “not” cut the belt: Avoid such a “short cut”, as that can cause the tensioner or where it attaches to be damaged when it springs back violently.
How to set the belt tension with no tools?
Part of the process is having a tool which holds the eccentric pulley whilst you tighten the nut. I made such a tool, with 2 x 3.8mm pins set 10mm apart, and an offset handle to clear the airbox (on the rear head). The other part of the process is checking them frequently – particularly after fitting new belts, or doing trackdays.
How is the belt tension on a lawn mower set?
Once the tensioning idler nut is tightened, the spring tensioner has no effect on belt tension. When the tensioning idler nut is loosened, the adjusting spring sets the initial belt tension. Then as the idler nut is tightened, the bolt straightens up and completes the tensioning process.
How much tension do you need for a V-belt?
Designed for the tension testing of a drive with two or more belts, this pocket-sized tool measures V-belts from 10” to 170” and up to 35 pounds of tension. Measure belt span and measure the force required to deflect any one of the belts 1/64” for every inch of span length.
How do you read the tension on a car belt?
Tap the belt, using the handle of a small tool or something similar, to make it vibrate for a reading. The meter will report the belt tension in units of force. On new installations, hand rotate the system at least one full revolution of the belt in order to seat and normalize the components.