1999 V70 First timing belt install-mechanical tensioner

[cn90]

Hopefully, the photo below will help make things a bit more clear (in addition to the youtube video posted previously).

- The mechanical tensioner has an eccentric design, i.e., as the adjusting tab "A" is moved, the axis of pulley rotation is changed to adjust the tension on the TB.

- The first step (once the TB is in place) is to "over-tighten" the TB a bit. This is accomplished by turning the adjusting tab CCW with the Allen key to 6 o'clock position. By doing this, the temp indicator "C" will move in opposite direction to 1 o'clock position. Now the TB is over-tightened to remove any slack during installation.

- The next step is to bring the TB tension back to normal operating condition. This is done by moving the adjusting tab "A" from 6 o'clock position ---> 7 o'clock position. By doing this, the temp indicator "C" will move from 1 o'clock position ---> 12 o'clock position.

- Now tighten the Center Bolt to spec.

TBMechTensioner.JPG (73.44 KiB) Viewed 2475 times

[paredown]

Hooray!

You are probably just being paranoid - I tend to hear things after a timing belt job as well and I've done 7 or 8 of them. It can't hurt to take the timing belt cover off and have a look while the engine is running just to satisfy your curiosity.

...Lee

I took a deep breath, checked all the fluids, put some air in the tires and took her into the city to pick up my MIL and her sister--multiple bridges, NYC traffic jams and the works. It performed like a champ!

Still have some miscellaneous noises coming from the front end though, so that's next...

Thanks again,
Dean

[abscate]

Congratulations on your work...saving both your pocketbook and the environment. Keeping an old car on the road is greener than 5 Prii.

[j-dawg]

Congratulations on your work...saving both your pocketbook and the environment. Keeping an old car on the road is greener than 5 Prii.

i want to take a moment to refute this.

the "study" that cited the prius as being worse for the environment than a hummer is comically flawed. if you read it it's clear that the authors are (a) not even slightly credible and (b) trying very hard to have the prius be the "loser". numerous studies came out immediately afterward refuting said study but the damage had been done and now everyone thinks the prius is the worst thing to happen to the planet since fossil fuels.

i know this is way off topic and i appreciate the thread because i will have to deal with this some day, but the perception of the prius as a "dirty" car is a pet peeve of mine. it's not. sorry to derail, back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[abscate]

I wasn't condemning the Prius, but the manufacturing footprint of any new car is typically larger than the footprint of the fuel used over its life. My 5x is pure hyperbole I made up too, but mods get that privilege, unfortunately. On that vein, though, fixing an old Volvo is greener than 15 hummers...

Recycling an old car vs buying a new one is extremely green for both owner and earth.

I'm not aware of the Prius vs hummer study but it does sound like a piece from "oil consumption for a strong America lobby partners, LLC"

[xHeart]

...
It can't hurt to take the timing belt cover off and have a look while the engine is running just to satisfy your curiosity.

...Lee

I was following this thread, and last night I took off the TB cover to find the tab at 1 o'clock position. Here is the picture.

Tab moved to 1 o'Clock position

I had taken the steps cn90 showed so well by diagramming it, and set the tab at 12 o'clock. This was few week ago.
So now tab at 1 o'clock NOT 12, my questions are...
1 - engine was warm-to-hot when i took the picture, did the tab move with engine temp?
2 - how does 1 o'clock position compared to 12 o'clock change the engine's working?
3 - could i simply loosen the hex bolt and reset it at 12 o'clock position as explained by cn90, without removing the belt, aligning the cam marks, and rotating the crank etc.


many thanks!

[cn90]

xHeart,

That tab (temp indicator) is temp-sensitive.
You should check it at room temp, around ~20C or so.
The reason the temp indicator moves is that: as the engine runs, it heats up and the belt stretches a tiny bit ---> TB tension decreases a tiny bit. So the temp indicator moves a bit to the R (from 12 ---> 1 o'clock position), thus the TB is tightened up a bit to take up any slack.

[j-dawg]

I wasn't condemning the Prius, but the manufacturing footprint of any new car is typically larger than the footprint of the fuel used over its life.

10-25% of cradle-to-crave energy expenditure for a typical car is in the manufacturing process. the vast majority of energy expended on a vehicle is in its usage, and not its manufacture / disposal.

see p.4: http://www.pacinst.org/wp-content/uploa ... prius3.pdf

see also: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/08/457889/

i want to make this point because it's a common misconception, and with it the right intention can breed the wrong results. if you drive much, much less than a typical driver, then yes, the planet is better off with your not buying a new car. on the other hand, if you drive anything more than a fraction of a "normal" amount, then buying a newer, more fuel-efficient car is a good thing (for the environment, if not necessarily for your pocketbook).

i don't mean to suggest that we all need to go out and buy priuses immediately, but let's not pat ourselves on the back for being green when we drive old swedish tanks.

[xHeart]

xHeart,

That tab (temp indicator) is temp-sensitive.
You should check it at room temp, around ~20C or so.
The reason the temp indicator moves is that: as the engine runs, it heats up and the belt stretches a tiny bit ---> TB tension decreases a tiny bit. So the temp indicator moves a bit to the R (from 12 ---> 1 o'clock position), thus the TB is tightened up a bit to take up any slack.

proof positive! the temp indicator returns to cold setting. does it need a reset to be more accurate?

the temp indicator returns to cold setting

[cn90]

No, leave it alone.

As the Latin goes "Primum non nocere'.