Belt tensioner help

[piglet14]

Is there a trick to the 1.0 tensioners?
Been trying for over an hour to set it and have given up.
The tensioner is a bit crude but I can rotate the plate until the pointer is set but then as soon as the bolt tightens the pointer goes round with it.
We have taken a few stabs at setting & tightening but the belt seemed way too loose.
Tried the old tensioner back on and it seemed just the same.

The Ford Connect has a similar thing and that worked a dream.
What are we doing wrong?
Thanks

[alexperkins]

Tensioner pointer is held with an Allen key isn't it? You tighten the bolt fairly tight, set the tension with the Allen key, then hold it in place whilst tightening the bolt up

Should take you no more than a couple of minutes

[alexperkins]

https://imgur.com/a/sBxEO

[piglet14]

Been playing with the thing in the vice (at work!)
It doesn't seem to be binding when tightened at least not on the bench, I suspect it might be the tensioner standing up and pulling harder against the belt as the bolt is tightened.
I'll have another go tonight.

Failing that I'll set it by the somewhat imprecise 1/4 twist tensioning method.

[alexperkins]

Could well be. Have another go and let me know how you get on

As long as you set it to the pointer as the picture, and tighten it down, it should be fine.

[piglet14]

Right, after another hour under the car I have identified the problem.
When rotated forward the tensioner is fouling on a casting web above the crank seal.
I guess that explains why Gates list 2 tensioners.

Odd thing is the pattern tensioner that came out does the same, mechanic must had the same drama and just got on with it.

I'll try and get a genuine tomorrow.

[alexperkins]

Can you get a picture? I've seen this happen before and it's fixable

[alexperkins]

I've just checked the part number. The tensioner in the kit is definitely correct for the AER engine code

[alexperkins]

Different engine but the fitting process is much the same

Worth taking a look

http://www.partinfo.co.uk/files/TB35.pdf

[piglet14]

Fig4. shows the fork sitting around the bolt head as shown in the Haynes. It can't really go any other way.
Can't get any pics now it's back together, sorry, this is what we did:
Removed material from old tensioner to give more rotation. Fitted belt and tensioned up with old tensioner which seemed OK.
Applied same mod to new tensioner, checked for adequate rotation and then fitted belt.
I still really struggled to get the new tensioner to set properly, as before when I tightened the bolt the pointer went with it.
After some trial and error I settled for a tension that felt acceptable, if a little on the slack side but the pointer was past the notch. I couldn't really get the pointer to set over the notch.
The tensioner was moving under engine rotation, so the spring tensioner appeared to be basically working.
Torqued the bolt, ran it with covers off, checked again and setting was unchanged.

The new belt is also running about 1-1.5mm off the front of the cam pulley. I can see about 1mm of shiny cam sprocket where the old belt was running. I suspect this is because the Febi pump has quite a thick paper gasket in place of the OEM O-ring, this could be pushing the pump out by the thickness of the gasket.

If it was an expensive car I would be doing it again. But then again if it was an expensive car I would have bought genuine in the first place.

[alexperkins]

No absolutely, i agree

Its a bit of a wierd one thats for sure. Normally it should be a straight fit without issue

At least its all back together

I would tend to agree though - if it was an expensive car, i also would go genuine first time, however febi is generally a very acceptable second choice