Did I Break My Timing Belt Tensioner?

[JoeHoe_SHO]

I some how turned the tensioner the wrong way or too far, the spring un-coiled headbang and I'm not sure how to get it back together...

Is there a way to get the spring back together so that I don't have to buy a Japan only timing belt tensioner or one from a junkyard. Please let me know ASAP! Thanks

 

[Mike Kopstain]

As long as it holds tension, you can manually tension the belt.

Unfortunately out here in the midwest, we've run across perhaps two manual tensioners that worked "Correctly". The rest of them, the spring was broken and we had to set tension manually. It's really no big deal.

 

[DavidT]

ya know something,
when I finished up my waterpump a few mos. ago, I thought my t. belt tensioner looked uncoiled too. Maybe I should've investigated it, but after 2 mos. on jackstands, I was ready to button it back up
When I loaded it (to set it)I don't remember it trying to unload on me, I tightened it up anyway. shrug
I thought I was being paranoid.
I wonder if I will be paying for this down the road??? squint laughing headbang

 

[haydenm315]

JoeHoe_SHO:
I some how turned the tensioner the wrong way or too far, the spring un-coiled headbang and I'm not sure how to get it back together...

Is there a way to get the spring back together so that I don't have to buy a Japan only timing belt tensioner or one from a junkyard. Please let me know ASAP! Thanks

Damn... I thought I was the only one. I did the same thing. I was lucky enough to find a spring somewhere in the united states at a ford shop on the shelf. Some have said you can tension it manually. I decided that there was too much of a margin for error. I'm not an experienced mechanic and have no idea how tight it should be or how to check how tight it is. I also installed the cams that make my motor into an interference motor. Having the belt break or slip off could be tragic.

 

[sdpatt]

As long as you didn't break the spring, just unscrew the tensioner nut, remove the tensioner pulley and reinstall the spring. Look at the spring and the attachment points for a few seconds or minutes until you figure out how it must go on to work. Then reinstall the pulley and loosely screw on the nut to allow the tensioner to still move until the belt tension has been properly set.