Wondered if anyone could help with some instructions on fitting a new auxiliary belt tensioner to a Multi JTD115 ELX (air con)?

Mine's noisy, wobbly and knackered and a new'un is in the post from eurocarparts.

Just a few questions really

1. Is it necessary to remove the crank pulley to get the tensioner (hope not, haven't got any RIBE bits)
2. Looks like you have to remove the wheel from the sprung part to get a socket on the retaining bolt. Is this right? Or do I just need to tackle it with a thin socket or a ring spanner?
3. Anything else I should know before I start?

Any help would be most welcome.

Full set of Ribes whenever you need em Ed, have you bought the whole tensioner or just the plastic pulley wheel.

multieddie said:

Wondered if anyone could help with some instructions on fitting a new auxiliary belt tensioner to a Multi JTD115 ELX (air con)?

Mine's noisy, wobbly and knackered and a new'un is in the post from eurocarparts.

Just a few questions really

1. Is it necessary to remove the crank pulley to get the tensioner (hope not, haven't got any RIBE bits)
2. Looks like you have to remove the wheel from the sprung part to get a socket on the retaining bolt. Is this right? Or do I just need to tackle it with a thin socket or a ring spanner?
3. Anything else I should know before I start?

Any help would be most welcome.

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hi multieddie yes you have to remove the crankshaft pulley i did mine last week just make sure RIBE bits are in far enough they soon twist out and you can get on the retaining bolt no problem the job start to finish 15 min

when I did mine, I released the tension on the sprung tensioner, and removed the belt, I didn't find the need to remove the crank pulley

I need to remove the main crank pulley at some point to checkout a rattle/mettallic sound.

Are the 'RIBE' tools used for undoing the 4 star like bolts around it?

Do you need to undo the big nut/bolt head in the centre of the crank pulley to get it off aswell as the above?

How to you lock it to stop it turning whilst undoing?

thanks

martbass said:

when I did mine, I released the tension on the sprung tensioner, and removed the belt, I didn't find the need to remove the crank pulley

I need to remove the main crank pulley at some point to checkout a rattle/mettallic sound.

Are the 'RIBE' tools used for undoing the 4 star like bolts around it?

Do you need to undo the big nut/bolt head in the centre of the crank pulley to get it off aswell as the above?

How to you lock it to stop it turning whilst undoing?

thanks

Click to expand...

hi no dont touch the center bolt, put the car in 1st gear with the handbrake on and the wheels scotched,a quick tap on the end of the socket does the trick.

JTDman said:

Full set of Ribes whenever you need em Ed, have you bought the whole tensioner or just the plastic pulley wheel.

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That's very kind. I may tackle it one evening this week. There are conflicting reports on whether you need to take the crank pulley off - probably depends on the model.

I bought the full assembly from eurocarparts for just £20 plus postage. When I got the wheelarch cover off and took a look from the side, the sprung tensioner was bouncing about like crazy when it was idling. With the belt off, all was quiet. I put a few drops of 3 in 1 oil on the bearing and it quietened down a lot for a day or so, so it looks like I've found the problem.

multieddie said:

That's very kind. I may tackle it one evening this week. There are conflicting reports on whether you need to take the crank pulley off - probably depends on the model.

I bought the full assembly from eurocarparts for just £20 plus postage. When I got the wheelarch cover off and took a look from the side, the sprung tensioner was bouncing about like crazy when it was idling. With the belt off, all was quiet. I put a few drops of 3 in 1 oil on the bearing and it quietened down a lot for a day or so, so it looks like I've found the problem.

Click to expand...

yes you need to take the pulley off,theres only 1 bolt holding the tensioner

junkanddisorderly said:

yes you need to take the pulley off,theres only 1 bolt holding the tensioner

Click to expand...

Why ? does it obscure the bolt? eddies is different to mine as mine is a 2000 105bhp so i think his tensioner is newer type but it is only 1 bolt that holds it.

Thanks.......
so I only have to undo the four Star bolts and NOT the big centre bolt?

JTDman said:

Why ? does it obscure the bolt? eddies is different to mine as mine is a 2000 105bhp so i think his tensioner is newer type but it is only 1 bolt that holds it.

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Got a feeling I should be able to remove the bolt and slide the tensioner out from behind, provided there are no big projections on the back of the tensioner to prevent me wiggling it out from behind the pulley. Either way, no biggie.

multieddie said:

Got a feeling I should be able to remove the bolt and slide the tensioner out from behind, provided there are no big projections on the back of the tensioner to prevent me wiggling it out from behind the pulley. Either way, no biggie.

Click to expand...

Part arrived in the post today and fitted within minutes. Didn't have to remove the crank pulley after all. There was just enough room to get the old tensioner out and the new one in.

The difference it has made is amazing. What I thought was clutch judder has now gone. It's quiet when idling and when bringing the clutch in. Also can now make the most of the diesel grunt - it'll pull cleaning from tickover and I can do low speed stuff like three point turns and parking without giving it any revs - before it made horrible rattling noises.

Would really recommend www.eurocarparts.com - got the tensioner for just 20 quid plus postage, and their delivery time was spot on. Plus their website lets you put in your vehicle reg, ensuring that you get the right part.

Thanks to all who've give me advice. I've said it before and I'll say it again. This forum is great and has saved me a fortune.

My tensioner started jumping around like anything making a sound like a bigend going. Or a hammer hitting the engine block twice a second.

Although this is not a long job, those of you changing this part, take the time to look at the other parts envolved with the belt, like the crank pulley, alternator, aircon pump, idler pulley to see if they are knackered too. Try for play and stiffness.

My problem was the crank pulley which had ripped its internal rubber sandwich torque absorber mech and needed changing. At 130 000 km I just opted out and changed the belt, tensioner, crank pulley and idler. Not cheap, but I didn't fancy doing the job twice. Also bear in mind if the aux belt runs into a problem and snaps it has been known to flail around smash through the cambelt covers, destroy the cambelt and destroy the engine.... not a cheap option...

Getting the belt on, on your own, is not always easy. Took me 9 tries this time. Call a mate for an easy time...

Below you will see the crank pulley with its ripped rubber.
The new tensioner, with the crank pulley and belt off.
The back of the crank pulley, you can see the 2 guides in the curved slots at the end of the slots. On a new working pulley they are in the middle not in the ends - the rubber internals hold them there.

just to jump in on this thread with my experience: my 110JTD with 107,000 miles on the clock started making a bad rattle at idle, made worse by turning the steering lock to lock, or turning on the aircon. It disappeared when the revs went up.
I suspected something to do with the auxiliary belt, in view of the symptoms- either a tensioner or a pulley.
Turns out it was the crankshaft pulley- same appearance as above- the rubber bit had disintegrated, leaving the two metal bits banging together.
New pulley- £80, plus 1 hours labour, and good as new!

Jimbo34 said:

Getting the belt on, on your own, is not always easy. Took me 9 tries this time. Call a mate for an easy time...

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Using this setup it's an easy one man/person job:

Belt removal: To lever the aux belt tensioner back and slacken the aux belt, I used a medium length torque wrench and 15mm socket (others have used a long ring spanner instead) plus a trolley jack on the end of the wrench, to rotate the wrench and tensioner pulley in an anticlockwise direction, starting the wrench, from memory, at about 5 o'clock and rotating to about 3 o'clock until the belt is loose enough to slide off the tensioner pulley first (see photo). Then allow the tensioner pulley to return to it's resting position, remove your tools, the belt can now be taken off the other pulleys.

Belt refitting: Same set up, reverse the procedure, putting the belt on the other pulleys first, and the tensioner pulley last.

Note: I found that once enough pressure was applied to the wrench handle by the jack, the wrench stayed in position, leaving both hands free to remove/reinstall the belt off/on the tensioner pulley, and make any final adjustments to the belt on the tensioner and other pulleys.