Helllllpppp!!!!! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Perfectlap · 11-17-2007, 08:02 PM

oh no I think I may have done it now....

I was changing my drive belt by myself and I think I pushed down wayyyyyy too hard on the tensioner.

..I mean I really leaned on it. I put all my weight on it while struggling to get the belt over the final pulley with my left hand, after some struggling it went on. But now the tensioner feels funny when I push down clockwise. Is it possible to screw this up by pushing down (clockwise) too hard??? The belt is on nice and tight and its seated properly, completely centered on each pulley. I tried pulling up with the 24mm wrench on the tensioner counterclockwise to stupidly see if the tensioner is ok.

I'm too scared to fire it up. What should I do?? Can I damage the engine?

spine911 · 11-17-2007, 08:40 PM

It's just a serpentine belt, not a timing belt. If it is not properly tensioned your ac compressor, power steering might, water pump operation would be compromised. I doubt a major engine damage would occur if you just start the engine to check

Perfectlap · 11-17-2007, 08:45 PM

DOHH!!!

ok I'm going to fire it up.

CJ_Boxster · 11-17-2007, 09:48 PM

Yeah i'd start it with the engine cover off while wearing eye protection and keep an eye on the tensioner pulley so see if it gives too much when you give it some gas.

blinkwatt · 11-17-2007, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJ_Boxster

Yeah i'd start it with the engine cover off while wearing eye protection and keep an eye on the tensioner pulley so see if it gives too much when you give it some gas.

If your going to do that have a vacuum with an attachment running while you do so.
Have someone hold the attachment in the middle of the opening where the panel would be. There is going to be a bunch of dust & dirt that will shoot into the interior. This should help keep it to a minimum.

Perfectlap · 11-17-2007, 10:25 PM

fired it up no problem quiet as can be.
Guess I was thrown off by the fact that the tensioner doesnt really rotate clockwise at all, it just pulls to the left.

drove it around the block and stoped at a 7-11. Fired it up back and sadly the elephant that is stuck in the engine is still there making his squeal. Guess its time to start shopping a new starter. I was praying the old belt was loose, failing, etc. and the cause of the squeal. But after 45K miles the old belt looked pretty good and it was very clean in that area in general.