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[zirk]

Well despite me not having a good stzrt to the day today, on the way to a job up the M11, was greeted with a Dang, Dang, Knock, Crunch, Crunch, Big Bang, followed  by the Batt light comimg on.

So thinking Aux Belt, eyes on the Temp waiting for the increase, did 't take long before straight in the red, so pulled over and inspected the damage.

Tensioner totally melted, and what a right mess the Aux Belt made. Limped it back toa friends place, then off to get some bits from the Plod Breaker (3.0) to get me out of trouble forthe weekend.

Now the problem seems to be, unless Im having a brain F moment that the belt seems too small for the 3.2 by about a good inch, surely the adjustment will not cater for that?, to make matters worse the 3.2 tensioner, mimus the pulley is jammed solid, do I need to double nut lock it to release it anti cockwise?, too dark now.

Did the 3.0 have smaller belts?, or am I missing something here.

[jb]

if 3.0 has a/c belt should be the same at 2200mm if memory is right.Non a/c shorter by a at least 400mm. They do stretch over time esp when tensioner fails!!

[terry paget]

I have had similar failures on a 3.0 and a 2.5. The pulley nut (15mm?) should simply unscrew from the tensioner arm, and the new one screw in. Getting on a new belt is always tricky because they are unstretched. I have had to get wife to hold pulley tensioner lever fully clockwise (I find her a long breaker bar) while I lever the belt over the last pulley with a tyre lever.

[TheBoy]

Some after market belts are a bit shorter, putting the tensioner almost at the end of travel.

[zirk]

Thanks all, just going to finish me Tea, then off to have another go armed with a Crowbar and Mike the Mallet. 

[jb]

And of course the secrte is to put the bely over all the pulleys except the water pump leaving this to last and gently sliding the smooth belt face over this smooth pulley..........

[Andy H]

And of course the secret is to put the belt over all the pulleys except the water pump leaving this to last and gently sliding the smooth belt face over this smooth pulley..........

If you have to resort to brute force to get the belt on then you have the wrong belt and you can expect the bearings in the alternator and water pump to wear more quickly as a result.

[zirk]

Ok, sorted.

Turns out the tensioner wasn't budging due the melted plastic of the tensioner wheel reforming and setting around it, makings a near perfect plastic molded filler.

Once all dug out, tensioner was free to move again and new belt fitted on no time.

Think I might add a Tensioner and Belt with the Crank Sensor and other bits to carry around in the Mobile Spares Kit, considering the amount of grief it causes and for a relatively easy fix.

Thanks again all for your replies.   

[terry paget]

Your failure demonstrated the reason why we change our cam belts and pulleys every 40,000 miles. Failure of the aux belt tensioner pulley bearing is not catastrophic, just inconvenient. I have had two fail, and now change my aux belt pulleys every 40,000 miles, it's an easy job and a cheap part.

[zirk]

Your failure demonstrated the reason why we change our cam belts and pulleys every 40,000 miles. Failure of the aux belt tensioner pulley bearing is not catastrophic, just inconvenient. I have had two fail, and now change my aux belt pulleys every 40,000 miles, it's an easy job and a cheap part.

Totally agree Terry, the previous Owner had a Full service and Conti Cam Kit change less than 5000 miles ago.

Apart from being in bits the Aux Belt looks brand new, difficult to tell with the Pulley as its reformed itself from meltdown mode, the centre Bearing on the Pulley looks new and  perfect and as still spinning nice and freely?

Edit: Checked History, Aux Belt and Tensioner changed, August 2013.

[05omegav6]

Cheapy chinese clone part if it only lasted six months 

[zirk]

Cheapy chinese clone part if it only lasted six months 

Quiet possibly, the one on there now is off the 3.0 Plod Breaker, 62K FSH, so think I'll leave that on there for now. 

[terry paget]

Your failure demonstrated the reason why we change our cam belts and pulleys every 40,000 miles. Failure of the aux belt tensioner pulley bearing is not catastrophic, just inconvenient. I have had two fail, and now change my aux belt pulleys every 40,000 miles, it's an easy job and a cheap part.

Totally agree Terry, the previous Owner had a Full service and Conti Cam Kit change less than 5000 miles ago.

Apart from being in bits the Aux Belt looks brand new, difficult to tell with the Pulley as its reformed itself from meltdown mode, the centre Bearing on the Pulley looks new and  perfect and as still spinning nice and freely?

Edit: Checked History, Aux Belt and Tensioner changed, August 2013.

Interesting. I always assumed that the bearing seized first, causing the pulley to disintegrate.

[Marks DTM Calib]

The way bearings seize they can often grab, lock up and then free off again, particularly if the internal support cage has thrown the towel in.....plus of course when you spin them in your hand there is no load on them.

Its a pretty common part used by loads of manufacturers actualy so easy to get but genuine was only circa 25 notes last time I looked.