Belt removal and replacement

pugcrew · 10th November 2018, 18:18

I'll be changing my water pump next week and have been looking at previous posts so I know what I am facing.

I will need to remove the belt and have been reading differing experiences about using a 24mm spanner and the difficulties that people have been having.

Firstly, am I right in thinking that I need to get a 24mm spanner on the belt tensioner and use this to release the belt tension to get it off and on? i.e. I don't have to actually remove the tensioner?

Secondly, to remove the tension do I turn the nut clockwise or anti-clockwise?

I think that I have also read that some people manage to get the belt on by putting it around the water pump and tensioner first and then easing over the main pulley. Is this possible

SD1too · 10th November 2018, 19:41

Roy,

According to your profile you don't have a car! In order to assist you, we need to know which engine you are enquiring about.

Simon

COLVERT · 10th November 2018, 22:06

With my DIESEL engine I turned the spanner to remove the tension and held it in that position with a plastic cable tie.

By looking at the belt configuration it will be obvious which way the spanner has to go to release the tension. ( I think it was clockwise. )

Refitting the belt by passing it over the smallest pulley last.---

Bolin · 11th November 2018, 19:57

Sliding the belt on and off the idler pulley worked easiest for me.

T-Cut · 12th November 2018, 21:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by pugcrew

Secondly, to remove the tension do I turn the nut clockwise or anti-clockwise?

This drawing might help -

- especially the refitting.

TC

Mike Noc · 12th November 2018, 21:28

Anti-clockwise.

macafee2 · 12th November 2018, 21:42

warning if a diesel, don't know about petrol. It is possible that the nut on the other side of the pulley tensioner may be a tad lose and so you may not be able to release tension on the belt.

You will need to get a spanner on that and tighten it up

Thanks to Mike Noc on this at it was he that showed me

macafee2

pugcrew · 13th November 2018, 18:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bolin

Sliding the belt on and off the idler pulley worked easiest for me.

Which one do you mean? The useful diagram that T-cut posted (thanks) doesn't show which one this is. Also, does this mean that you didn't have to take the tension off using a 24 mm spanner? This would be good as I think I have the problem that Macafee highlighted (again thanks) and I'm not sure that I'd be able to get any spanners in there to tighten it up.

By the way my car is a diesel so all the advice so far seems relevant.

macafee2 · 13th November 2018, 21:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by pugcrew

Which one do you mean? The useful diagram that T-cut posted (thanks) doesn't show which one this is. Also, does this mean that you didn't have to take the tension off using a 24 mm spanner? This would be good as I think I have the problem that Macafee highlighted (again thanks) and I'm not sure that I'd be able to get any spanners in there to tighten it up.

By the way my car is a diesel so all the advice so far seems relevant.

normal spanners may be to thick. PM HarryM1BYT, I'm sure he's the man. For a deposit and you covering postage he will lend you a home made spanner for releasing the tension. Once he gets the spanner back, you get your money less postage back. Once I used his spanner I then used his spanner as a template to make one for myself. I have made a spanner for the other side of the pulley so using the two you can tighten it up and then release the tension.

I'm pretty sure you will need to release tension but, and I could be getting confused with another car I did, I found even with tension released putting the new belt on difficult.

macafee2

pugcrew · 14th November 2018, 16:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by macafee2

I'm pretty sure you will need to release tension but, and I could be getting confused with another car I did, I found even with tension released putting the new belt on difficult.

macafee2

Yes, you were right, l had to release tension but managed to get a spanner on the nut and with a bit of help from the wife got the belt back on. Not an easy but got there in the end.

10th November 2018, 18:18	#1
pugcrew Avid contributor none Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Seaford Posts: 146 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	Belt removal and replacement I'll be changing my water pump next week and have been looking at previous posts so I know what I am facing. I will need to remove the belt and have been reading differing experiences about using a 24mm spanner and the difficulties that people have been having. Firstly, am I right in thinking that I need to get a 24mm spanner on the belt tensioner and use this to release the belt tension to get it off and on? i.e. I don't have to actually remove the tensioner? Secondly, to remove the tension do I turn the nut clockwise or anti-clockwise? I think that I have also read that some people manage to get the belt on by putting it around the water pump and tensioner first and then easing over the main pulley. Is this possible

10th November 2018, 19:41	#2
SD1too Doesn't do things by halves Rover 75 2.5 Connoisseur Auto (1999) Dealer launch model. Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Former Middlesex Posts: 20,344 Thanks: 1,587 Thanked 3,749 Times in 3,181 Posts	Roy, According to your profile you don't have a car! In order to assist you, we need to know which engine you are enquiring about. Simon __________________ "Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble." Sir Henry Royce.

11th November 2018, 19:57	#4
Bolin This is my second home Rover 75 2.5 V6 Connoisseur SE 4dr manual Wedgewood Blue 2 04-05/06/2001 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: N.E. Hampshire Posts: 4,617 Thanks: 289 Thanked 308 Times in 243 Posts	Sliding the belt on and off the idler pulley worked easiest for me. __________________ "...the new Rover 75, which is a fabulous car......I think it looks fabulous....It's like sitting in a Rolls Royce......For me, this is the star of the show.....it looks so good" - J. Clarkson, motoring journalist on the launch of the Rover 75 in 1998.

10th November 2018, 22:06	#3
COLVERT This is my second home R75 Saloon. Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: France/or Devon. Posts: 14,003 Thanks: 3,851 Thanked 2,167 Times in 1,816 Posts	With my DIESEL engine I turned the spanner to remove the tension and held it in that position with a plastic cable tie. By looking at the belt configuration it will be obvious which way the spanner has to go to release the tension. ( I think it was clockwise. ) Refitting the belt by passing it over the smallest pulley last.---

12th November 2018, 21:28	#6
Mike Noc This is my second home Rover 75 CDT Manual Connoisseur SE, Rover 75 CDT Automatic Connoisseur SE & a Freelander Td4. Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Hampshire Posts: 11,547 Thanks: 3,470 Thanked 3,119 Times in 2,247 Posts	Anti-clockwise.

12th November 2018, 21:42	#7
macafee2 This is my second home Rover 75 Saloon & Tourer Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Lincoln Posts: 14,912 Thanks: 1,630 Thanked 3,032 Times in 2,181 Posts	warning if a diesel, don't know about petrol. It is possible that the nut on the other side of the pulley tensioner may be a tad lose and so you may not be able to release tension on the belt. You will need to get a spanner on that and tighten it up Thanks to Mike Noc on this at it was he that showed me macafee2