Belt tensioner V8S

[mitoand9]

Dear All
I am experiencing some issues with the alternator & water pump belt of my 1991 TVR V8S. I feel It needs a tensioner as, after some driving, it tends to become loose.
I was looking at the powersperformance.co.uk website and I have identified a part number n. E2213 but this is mainly indicated for non-airco Griffith and Chimaera.
After some exchange with Andy Mosey of powersperformance, he indicated this model to me: http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/store/slug/pre-...
as the only tensioner that is available for that version of engine according to his knowledge
The cost is limited but before purchasing I would like to know if someone of you guys has had similar experience and how you solved the issue.
Thx,
Mario

[Oldred_V8S]

mitoand9 said:

Dear All
I am experiencing some issues with the alternator & water pump belt of my 1991 TVR V8S. I feel It needs a tensioner as, after some driving, it tends to become loose.
I was looking at the powersperformance.co.uk website and I have identified a part number n. E2213 but this is mainly indicated for non-airco Griffith and Chimaera.
After some exchange with Andy Mosey of powersperformance, he indicated this model to me: http://www.powersperformance.co.uk/store/slug/pre-...
as the only tensioner that is available for that version of engine according to his knowledge
The cost is limited but before purchasing I would like to know if someone of you guys has had similar experience and how you solved the issue.
Thx,
Mario

Hi Mario

You should not need a tensioner for the belt. Tensioning comes from the alternator. I have a 92 V8S and this is how the tension on my car is achieved. Is the alternator coming loose?

[mk1fan]

You can replace the simple tensioning set up on the alternator with a turnbuckle and track rod ends. Makes tensioning the belt simple and accurate.

[glenrobbo]

Hi Mario,
Is your V8S the 2.0 litre supercharged version built for the Italian market?
If so, the belt tensioner arrangement could be different to a standard V8S.

[mk1fan]

Well spoted Mr Robbo.

[mitoand9]

@Oldred V8S: Yes apparently the tension applied by the alternator slowly decreases over time. Not sure why, as it is fixed very tightly. Vibrations perhaps.

@mk1fan: Thanks for the suggestion, I will look into that.

@glenrobbo: I have the standard naturally asprirated V8S version, thus the alternator pulley system should be the standard one.

[zombeh]

If the belt just goes round the crank, alternator and water pump then the only real issue I found is that it's a bit of a pain to get the right amount of tension on it as everything is in the way. A slightly shorter belt than standard makes this much easier. This led to a rather depressing conversation with the girl on the counter at my local motor factors about how I neither knew nor cared what the number plate of the car she thought it was for was and all I wanted was a 10mm belt the length I wanted and it'd be written on the bloody box.

If the belt has more on it then something else might be the answer

[mitoand9]

@zombeh: Since it seems to always come slightly loose, I tend to apply a very high tension to the alternator, which might not be the best idea, but in my situation for now it appears to be the only one. I tried a shorter belt, but it resulted being difficult to put it in place.

The belt I'm using right now is the following one:

[GreenV8S]

It should not need any separate tensioner. The tension is set by the adjustable alternator position and this is usually completely reliable. I suggest you mark the position of the alternator mounting arm to see whether it's slipping and letting the alternator move. Also see how much tension you're actually getting on the belt - if it's slipping despite having the correct tension, you might have some other problem.

[zombeh]

I appear to be running a 10x1113 belt (2.1 diesel citroen iirc). The main problem I had with longer ones was that you couldn't get any leverage to tension it from the inside as you ran out of ability to push the alternator across before the belt was tight and you couldn't get any force on it from the outside as the exhaust manifold was in the way. It's probably easy if you have the right shaped lever but I found a shorter belt made it easy to do with whatever I tended to have to hand.

The "right" belt is I reckon 10x1125 (rover sd1) so yours is way too long and too wide.

[GreenV8S]

zombeh said:

The "right" belt is I reckon 10x1125 (rover sd1) so yours is way too long and too wide.

Maybe the excess width stops it sitting in the groove which is why it needs to be so long?

[zombeh]

Probably doesn't help. I went from constantly having issues getting the thing to stay in the right place with an 1125 as where I struggled to tension it properly in the first place the slightest stretch had it slipping to not having touched it in over 2 years (I drive it to work every day) with the 1113.

[v8s4me]

mk1fan said:

You can replace the simple tensioning set up on the alternator with a turnbuckle and track rod ends. ....

Interesting idea, but wouldn't track-rod ends be a bit big?

[phillpot]

Might be worth a read of this............. clicky

mk1fan said:

You can replace with a turnbuckle and track rod ends.

Yep, they should hold it...

Edited by phillpot on Tuesday 28th June 17:23

[mk1fan]

v8s4me said:

Interesting idea, but wouldn't track-rod ends be a bit big?

Depends the size you use. I've fitted a supposedly RV8 version to the Speed 6 in Tamy and its no bigger than the tensioning bar fitted by the factory. I've fitted them to the V6s in both Samy and the Reserve too.