Re: Cheap fix 09 belt tensioner
Posted: Sat May 08, 2021 10:10 pm
My belt tensioner has been making the rattling sound (car in gear or AC on) for at least a couple years now. The entire belt and pully assemblies all visually seem to be rotating nice and smoothly. But a couple years ago I was able get the wheel and well-panel off to narrow in on the noise and I determined it was the tensioner. That's when I found out later there was a recall for that part. I remember my 2010 Kizashi getting some kind of warranty work when it was new, but I didn't see the allen-screw that would have been part of that. So I don't think it got replaced.
But anyways I ordered the $200 OEM tensioner thinking I could replicate the service bulletin instruction to replace the tensioner. I failed. One of the bolts does sit behind the water pump pulley. So from the top of the engine, I could barely get a small 12mm wrench on it. I had NO leverage and just ended up slipping the wrench off because either I couldn't get it pulled over the bolt or the bolt was stripping/rounding. The bolt was probably seized-up as well anyhow. So I gave up on it and just ended up swapping the pulley wheel off the new tensioner with the old one thinking that maybe that could be the culprit anyhow. It didn't help.
So fast forward a couple years later, I saw where "Old_tech" in this thread recommended a box wrench and to get to it from the bottom. I got excited because I thought this could definitely work. I went to Harbor Freight yesterday and picked up a 8pc box wrench set. Got the Kizashi jack-up, wheel off, wheel well panel off. I eased the tensioner to slip off the belt and then removed the tensioner pulley thereafter. The box wrench did seem to get on the bolt, but not perfectly. It's still a little too tight of an area. But I was able to get the 12mm box wrench onto the bolt only to have the it slip right off due to the bolt being partially rounded-off. So I gave up after numerous tries for like an hour and even tried the same box wrench from the top of the engine. No luck.
I determined that the only way to really get to the bolt would be to remove the water pump and then get a 12mm socket & wrench over it for a better grip. You cannot get a socket in there without the water pump removed. But to remove the water pump is a painful job that would be best on a car-lift as well. Too much work and effort for me. I put everything back together and put the $200 new tensioner back on the shelf in my garage. Bummer. I wish they would have designed the engine with the the water pump and tensioner in the FRONT.
108,000 mile Kizashi that I bought brand new, had for 10 years. It's just a daily beater I drive to work. My fear is the tensioner will eventually fail, but it seems to keep running and with the rattle. It just keeps running.
But anyways I ordered the $200 OEM tensioner thinking I could replicate the service bulletin instruction to replace the tensioner. I failed. One of the bolts does sit behind the water pump pulley. So from the top of the engine, I could barely get a small 12mm wrench on it. I had NO leverage and just ended up slipping the wrench off because either I couldn't get it pulled over the bolt or the bolt was stripping/rounding. The bolt was probably seized-up as well anyhow. So I gave up on it and just ended up swapping the pulley wheel off the new tensioner with the old one thinking that maybe that could be the culprit anyhow. It didn't help.
So fast forward a couple years later, I saw where "Old_tech" in this thread recommended a box wrench and to get to it from the bottom. I got excited because I thought this could definitely work. I went to Harbor Freight yesterday and picked up a 8pc box wrench set. Got the Kizashi jack-up, wheel off, wheel well panel off. I eased the tensioner to slip off the belt and then removed the tensioner pulley thereafter. The box wrench did seem to get on the bolt, but not perfectly. It's still a little too tight of an area. But I was able to get the 12mm box wrench onto the bolt only to have the it slip right off due to the bolt being partially rounded-off. So I gave up after numerous tries for like an hour and even tried the same box wrench from the top of the engine. No luck.
I determined that the only way to really get to the bolt would be to remove the water pump and then get a 12mm socket & wrench over it for a better grip. You cannot get a socket in there without the water pump removed. But to remove the water pump is a painful job that would be best on a car-lift as well. Too much work and effort for me. I put everything back together and put the $200 new tensioner back on the shelf in my garage. Bummer. I wish they would have designed the engine with the the water pump and tensioner in the FRONT.
108,000 mile Kizashi that I bought brand new, had for 10 years. It's just a daily beater I drive to work. My fear is the tensioner will eventually fail, but it seems to keep running and with the rattle. It just keeps running.