Fitting a manual timing belt tensioner instead of Automatic

tenkfeet · Post by **tenkfeet** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:22 am

Further to Weegie Steves post ( http://www.scottishelises.com/phpbb/vie ... 64&start=0) about changing his timing belt Elise parts recommend changing from an auto to a manual tensioner http://www.eliseparts.com/shop/index.ph ... cts_id=279 . Any issues I should know about before I do this before and order the bits? Thanks in advance .

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:33 am

Check the holes in your head (The car not your swede!)

I was looking at this but my head was not suitably drilled and tapped. I was going to tackle it but wimped out as the main oilway is right behind where you put the black and decker.....

Possible but I didn't bother for fear of writing off the head.

mac · Post by **mac** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:39 am

Your head won't have the right holes - I had to switch back to an auto tensioner when I put the standard head back into Mandy's

I'm just not that confident with a drill. One is fairly easy to do though - just don't go too deep, the other means widening the existing hole and retapping.

Mac

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:41 am

I'm just about to replace a manual tensioner with an automatic, to save me stealing erm I mean borrowing 2 dozen different screw lengths. does anyone know what it is robin recons M8x65 anyone know different ?

mac · Post by **mac** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 9:48 am

The bolt diameter is different.

You won't get the thicker manual bolt through the thinner auto hole (and obviously the thinner bolt will just waggle around in the bigger hole (shug - you can "insert" some suitably smutty comment)

Mac

tenkfeet · Post by **tenkfeet** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:07 am

Cheers for that , best I go and have a look and see what I have . Having read a bit more the VVC in the 111S is manual I think.

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:10 am

The early efforts were auto the laters manual IIRC. Auto is M8 manual is M10 if memory serves. M8 is long, the M10 is quite stubby.

mac · Post by **mac** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:14 am

Alan,

Your probably best just replacing like for like.

I don't think there's any huge benifit unless your driving on the limiter for long periods of time.

Mac

Rich H · Post by **Rich H** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:34 am

What he said. Just check it now and then if your worried. It will probably need resetting from time to time if you drive hard but remember they are designed to be ignored then replaced every cam belt change.

tenkfeet · Post by **tenkfeet** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 11:44 am

mac wrote:Alan,

Your probably best just replacing like for like.

I don't think there's any huge benifit unless your driving on the limiter for long periods of time.

Mac

Will do . As with many things Elise I appear to go in deep and find the simplest answer to be correct. I try not to hit the limiter

BiggestNizzy · Post by **BiggestNizzy** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:18 pm

mac wrote:The bolt diameter is different.

You won't get the thicker manual bolt through the thinner auto hole (and obviously the thinner bolt will just waggle around in the bigger hole (shug - you can "insert" some suitably smutty comment)

Mac

You have me worried now I am getting a new head fitted on Monday (cheers Robin

)I have already, on Robins advice got myself an automatic tensioner, Is it going to Fit ? Inserting sounds dodgy going from M8 - M10 you wont have very much in the way of wall thickness an EZ-LOK insert for M8 internal has an M12 External thread!!!

mac · Post by **mac** » Tue Jun 19, 2007 3:21 pm

New head - new holes - modded heads will have been machined for manual tensioners.

Above only applies to DIYers going from one to the other for no real reason at all.

Mac

tenkfeet · Post by **tenkfeet** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 3:04 pm

Does everyone agree this is an accepted way to tension a manual cam belt without the spring and bolt that is required? The manual it totally gash.

From a post on SELOC:
"Looking at the engine, pinch the belt on the right hand side about halfway between the crank sproket and exhaust pulley. You should now be able to rotate the belt through to 90Â° *just* . That is the correct tension. When fitting the belt start at the crank pulley - exhaust pulley then continue anti-clockwise through the inlet pulley, tensioner, water pump etc. "

robin · Post by **robin** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 3:47 pm

I have no idea what that instruction is telling you to do - well I sort of do - but what does "rotate the belt through to 90 degrees" mean?

If you don't have the spring, fit the new belt and leave both the tensioner bolt and the backplate bolt loose (you may have to remove the backplate bolt all together in order to get enough slack on the tensioner to feed in the belt).

Once the belt is properly fitted all the way around, using finger pressure, push the backplate up to tension the belt and while under this tension, tighten backplate bolt to 10Nm, leaving the allen key tensioner bolt loose.

Now (having checked that all the timing marks still line up), remove the cam locking tool and rotate the engine clockwise (looking at crank pulley) two complete crank revolutions - best do this with plugs out and using just a 22mm spanner on the crank bolt - there is no compression so the engine should not go tight - if it does *STOP*.

Check the marks still line up after two revolutions. Now slacken the backplate bolt and apply firm pressure to the tensioner backplate (imagine how much pressure that little spring could apply - it's not *that* much), retighten to 10Nm then tighten the allen key tensioner bolt to 45Nm.

I would rotate two further revolutions to make sure the marks still line up, then put it all back together.

Cheers,
Robin

tenkfeet · Post by **tenkfeet** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 4:10 pm

I think he means twist the belt . The tighter the belt the less it will twist .

The service manual dscription I have is very poor for the manual tensioner so it must be really easy and I am making a big thing out of it.

Thanks for that Robin, thats clearer and I will do the job on Monday .

Scottish Elises

Fitting a manual timing belt tensioner instead of Automatic

Fitting a manual timing belt tensioner instead of Automatic

HELP!!!!