auxiliary belt tension, adjustable?

[crispy1980]

Basically as above. Drove,the Car overnight and it sounds like the belt us slipping. Little bit odd as it is pretty much all the time and isn't quite as loud/ high pitched as I remember on ny old cars. Thought if the tension is adjustable I could tighten the belt up a little and see if that does it.

 

[CherryVimto]

The belt is non adjustable. There is a sprung tensioner which takes up the slack.

If it's noisy it could be down to a bad bearing on either the tensioner or the idler pulley or one of the auxiliary units e.g. alternator, PAS pump etc.

 

[crispy1980]

Right, I'm thinking it's going to be thevwater pump then. This has been noisy since I had the car and has now gone quiet to be replaced with the squealing. Looks like it's time to get it changed. I think I better park it up for now, don't fancy it dieing altogether !

 

[quest63]

The water pump has a tell tale drip hole that should show pink coolant has been leaking if the bearing is worn.

I suppose its also possible the auxiliary belt tensioner has just worn out and needs replacing. Also I'm wondering why you haven't mentioned the potentially much much worse problem of a possible cam belt / tensioner problem

 

[crispy1980]

I had the problem diagnosed and they said it was coming from the waterpump, ( the original rattle) seems too much of a coincidence fir the squealing to have started just as the rattle has stopped and still sounds like same area? Plus Camelot was changed during a major service less than two years/ 10000 miles ago. I suppose I could be unlucky and it may be a fresh issue

 

[crispy1980]

Right, I've just had look with a decent torch. Seems the problem was miss diagnosed originally. One if the pulleys that the auxiliary belt runs round is knackered. Looks like the bearing has collapsed and the pulley is now windy and touching the engine on one sude, which explains the sudden quiet banging and subsequent squeal. It's the one below and to the left if the alternator as viewed from drivers side if the car. What's this called so I cab look for another? Cheers, chris

 

[YOG]

Waterpump, I believe, if it has a large pulley. Small pulley further to the left is the tensioner.

 

[crispy1980]

It's this one, quick look on Euro parts and it looks like a deflector pulley. Is smooth as the belt runs on it smooth side down, not ribbed. Appears to be connected to the engine via a cast mount.

 

[crispy1980]

Any ideas as to which one it is and what I should look fir? Looked on the how to guides and there is a diagram showing the belt setup, looks like the pulley marked number six is the one but there is no key to explain what this is called?

 

[crispy1980]

Never mind I've found it, it is the water pump. Can't understand how the engine hasn't overheated though as the Celtics barely driving the pump? Booked in at a garage who are willing to do it without removing cambelt but can't do it until 17 th September, great.