Tensioning Powersteering Drive Belt

[02redgalant]

http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q181/cooliojrm/IMG00219.jpg
I have no clue why this keeps happening this the 2nd tensioner bolt with the same results as the original....the bolt is easy to turn for the most part then of course it gets harder but the belt is no were near the tension required...I managed to straighten out the old bolt a little bit thread it out the pulley plate nut and force it to its correct tension and put it on the pulley...but I really don't like that idea of having a bent bolt hold tension...what could be causing this?

[dknight3]

your not doing it right.

[Stewi]

Are you loosening the 14mm nut on the pulley prior to trying to wrench down on that bolt? That would be the only thing causing it to bend. The idea is to loosen the 14mm nut, then tension it with the big bolt, once the tension is right, re-tighten the 14mm nut.

[02redgalant]

Makes a lot sense but what is a good way to access that bolt because that area is pretty tight

[Stewi]

to access the nut you mean? Use a a small (short) 14mm socket and ratchet. 1/4 drive works the best as its the smalles but 3/8 will fit but its a tight squeeze. the other thing I have used is an angled ratcheting end wrench, they usually run about $50 for a good set.

So did this solve your problem? where you unaware of that 14mm nut?

[ChiGalant]

all you need is 1 14mm socket and a ratchet, first you need to tighten the nut on the side by hand, dont overtighten it, then the bold that you have in the picture, tighten that untill the belt is nice and tight and should deflect about 1/4 inch ( thats how i did mine last week) then when you get that tention on it it, tighten the side lock nut....

the first time i did this i was clueless but once you understand how it works its a breeze

[02redgalant]

to access the nut you mean? Use a a small (short) 14mm socket and ratchet. 1/4 drive works the best as its the smalles but 3/8 will fit but its a tight squeeze. the other thing I have used is an angled ratcheting end wrench, they usually run about $50 for a good set.

So did this solve your problem? where you unaware of that 14mm nut?

well I was aware of the 14mm nut but I was confused of which nut to loosen..since theres one on the exhaust side and one on the belt side on the pulley...for some reason I thought it was the belt side your suppose to loosen and since I couldn't access it I didn't loosen anything...so just loose the exhaust side nut and that should take care of it?

[silversurfer]

yes that will then give the pulley enough room to tension , but only loosen it a .25 turn or less just enough so that when you replace the belt and then tension it , the pulley will stay strait then tension the belt , re- tighten the nut (ON THE EXHAUST SIDE ) and its done , no more bent adjustment rods.