Fan belt tensioner
 

My vehicle is a Rover 75, 2003, CDT, manual, lhd, diesel. I am living on the Costa Blanca, spain.

I had both belts replaced and I think my fitter forgot the tensioner was retained by a left hand thread.

After picking up my car, the next day I was turning left and there was a serious rattling noise (like road stones hitting the chassis)followed by a clunk. I looked under the bonnet and the main belt seems to be moving across the lower pulley. My interpretation is that the tensioner was not secured owing to the fitter forgetting it was retained by a left hand thread bolt. He is a fitter not a mechanic.

There doesn't appear to be any noises and the belts seem intact. No warning lights are lit up. At this time. Maybe tensioner has fell off.

Anyone got a spare tensioner to sell me?

The bolt is left handed, but he wouldn't have undone it when releasing the tension - it is a left hand bolt so that it tightens in the direction you are pulling the tensioner to release the tension.

Can you post up a photo? Worth taking the belt back off and checking for play in any of the pulleys, and that the crank pulley hasn't failed.

I had the belt slide off when the water pump pulley collapsed, but there were no noises before it happened.

I wouldn't be buying anything unless you are sure exactly what the fault is.

That seems very implausible to me. Are you sure about LH thread mounting bolts?


https://www.mediafire.com/convkey/55...31u7886t6g.jpg
It's more likely that the tensioner or jockey bearing has collapsed.


TC

If the tensioner pulley bolt had come off so would the pulley and the belt certainly wouldn't be secure, if its loosened then the pulley would be running misaligned which would cause the misalignment or as T Cut says bearing collapsing. But what caused the rattle and clunk? Have you looked in the engine undertray (if you still have one) for any clues. Interesting that it happened when you were turning, do closely inspect the power steering pulley.

I have just packed a tensioner pulley and bolt in my spares box, I am driving down through Spain next week but unfortunately a long way west from you, now if my mate was still living in Jalon it would be a different story.
Is the tensioner arrangement specific to Rover or is it not shared with BMW??

Good luck

If the bolt was loose then the fitter couldn't have released the tensioner to fit the new belt, as the nut would have turned and the tension remained the same - had this when trying to change one of my belts.