Tigra Aux belt fitting

[Daston]

Hey guys

I'm attempting to fit an alternator belt to a 1.4 tigra with air con. The problem I have is the engine mount goes through the belt.

I have removed the two bolts from the far side of the mount, however the closest bolt seems a real bh to get out. No matter what tool I use it seems to foul against the mount or pulley.

Any one done this if so any tips would be great

[adyady1066]

What you'll need is a E14 inverted torx socket and a jack. Remove the air filter housing and you'll see 3 bolts which separate the 2 halves of the engine mount. Using the lip of the sump and a sturdy bit of rubber or a wedge of wood, support the engine so that it stays in place when you remove the 3 bolts. You'll then be able to remove the belt using a 15mm spanner on the tensioner. If you have the older type engine mount, normally a '94 / '95 X14XE1 engine, you'll need to look underneath the inner wing where you'll find 2x 15mm bolt heads. If you support the engine and take them bolts out again you'll be able to feed the belt through the gap in the mount and chassis if you lower the engine slightly on the jack. Don't jack on the base of the sump or you may damage the sump and the oil pick up inside the sump.

[Daston]

Thanks for the help

Managed to undo all the mount, I have looked under the wing and the mount is attached with a bolt and then a thread and nut.

The problem I have now is the mount can't go down because of the power steering pulley and I cant drop the engine far enough down to clear the thread on the mount.

[adyady1066]

If you look either side of that central bolt there should be 2x 15mm headed bolts that fit to the inner wing from underneath at the chassis leg. It's made that way so that the belt can come out 'easily'.

[Daston]

Cheers

Will have a look tonight

[adyady1066]

If memory serves me rightly, they are tapered bolts which fit into captivated bolts that are welded into the chassis so make sure they go in straight on re-fitting.

[Daston]

Right thought I would add some photos as they speak a thousand words (apparently)

Just to recap, I have undone all 3 bolts from the mount that connects it to the engine block.

These two here and the one by the powersteering pump




I have undone the nut and bolt that holds the mount to the mount bush



I have re-read the haynes manual and it says that the front tie rod also needs to be removed. I guess its because the engine can not be lowered far enough with this in place. I am sure this really is needed but is there an easier way of doing it without havint to remove suspension parts and the front splitter?

[adyady1066]

I don't know why you are un-doing all that as I've never done it that way. Look at the underside of the O/S chassis leg where the mount joins the chassis and detach it from there. YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THE MOUNT OFF!!!!

Just loosen it from the body and lower the engine slightly on a jack. I've never heard of taking off a steering rack component to do a belt and I've worked on just about every make and model. What year is the Tigra? It must be a 95/96 model at a guess. The later ones have a two part engine mount that splits in the middle with the female torx bolts as I said in the first message. the way you're going about it is going to take you months and cause you a lot of trouble. I'll try find a link for you so that you can see a better way in pics.

[Daston]

Thanks, its a 1999 V reg. The mount is a single cast block

[adyady1066]

So it should be a 16V Z14/16XE engine then. I take it that it is a 16v? I can't say I've ever seen an 8V in a model past 96.

I'll try add this link and if you can see the pic let me know and i'll explain.

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a275/DTM_Chris/A...

Is this the engine you have in your car and is it possible to show me a pic of the engine bay from above?

The one shown in my link should be the same as yours even though it is planted in an Astra. The 3xbolts you'll see between the air filter box and cambelt covers are the bolts that you remove to lower the engine on a jack. E14 torx. You then slip the belt through the gap and you're done. I really can't help blind but if you can do a pic from above and one of the mount I'll see what I can do.

[Daston]

Its the X14XE 16v engine.

I will get some photos of it tonight.

[adyady1066]

Have a good look at the link I added and compare it to yours. It should be an exact copy of what you have as it's the exact same engine. The only difference is the ancillaries like the throttle body and plenum and exhaust manifold. Nuts and bolts, it's the same block. Vauxhall used it since 95 through till 2004/5 on Astra, Corsa/Tigra, Vectra, Agila, Meriva, Zafira until 99, etc. It's the most commonly used engine they've ever had. Get back to me with the pics and I'll try to highlight the good bits.

What you may have is one of their late cast offs from 97 where the engine mount had the belt run through it but again, you'll need to start at the top and raise not lower the lump to get access to the main bolts. Got me thinking now.....

[Daston]

just looked at the pic and the engine bay in the astra seems to be very similar to the Tigra, the only difference being the inlet manifold (not that its important here)

This is a shot of the engine from above, it's not my car but same engine etc. I will get some shots of mine when I get home from work.

[adyady1066]

I think I know where you're going wrong from looking at the first pics and that last one. What you should have done is remove the air filter housing and under it you'll see 3 bolts going down through the mount into the inner wing / chassis leg and 3 torx bolts in the middle of the mount which separates the two halves of the mount. You'll have to support the engine, remove all 6 bolts and raise the engine slightly making sure that you have some wood or rubber between the jack and the sump. They have a tendency to split the sump around the sump plug if you give them too much teddy.

What you do next is take the inner wing mount away and that should allow you to both raise and lower the engine enough to gain access to the rest of the bolts. The bolt that won't come out in one of your pics is there as the engine can't be raised due to the mount still being attached to the chassis. Once you remove those bolts that awkward one will come up with the rest of the engine as you raise it. I'd still like to look at the pics if you can, Just in case I'm wrong and something breaks. I'll check back here about 7pm if that's enough time to get home and take the pics?

[Daston]

Hey chap sorry got caught up.

Managed to get some photos though sorry about the quality only had my phone to hand.

Engine



Mount bolts undone, these were 15mm hex bolts, 3 in total 2 vertical and the one I had issues with.





Top of the mount where it attaches to the chassis, the arm is attached to the wing by 4 torx bolts



To be honest I haven't even thought to look under where the air box would sit, I will have a look there tomorrow.

[adyady1066]

In your last pic, the plate that has the awkward bolt should be attached to the chassis with 2 x 15mm headed bolts. Look and see if it has a rubber mount between it and the chassis. There must be as if there isn't a rubber part to it the engine would reverberate through the car and the whole car would shudder. That's the two vertically attached bolts are. take them out and lower the whole engine, then you will have enough room to get the belt out and the mount too if you need to.

[Daston]

Yey managed to get the belt around the mount! Loosened the 3 bolts holding the tie rod in and lifted the engine down. That enabled me to clear the thread thats on the chassis part of the mount. Now all I got to do is man handle the belt between the pulleys and the mount to get it over the idle pulley.

[adyady1066]

3 bolts holding the tie rod in????? There's only one nut!? The tie rod is the end of the steering rack / track rod end. You must be talking about something else son. Glad you got there in the end.