Cam belt tension

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Doug C
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Cam belt tension

Post by Doug C »

I am about to change the cam belt on a 1.6e megane (K7M engine)
Has anyone found a tension gauge which can be used on this engine?
Is the genuine renault one available for hire anywhere?
Thanks in advance.
Douglas
arry_b
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Post by arry_b »

Ask your nearest Ren dealer if they ever use one! Due to the pressure to finish jobs quickly that most dealer based mechanics are under, I suspect the real tool gets used less often than it should - if ever.
The belt should twist 90 degrees under firm finger pressure on the longest run. If it "whooshes" it's too tight.
Good luck in finding one though Douglas. It would be nice to do the job "properly" but it's not essential.
Doug C
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Post by Doug C »

Thanks for the info.
I've done a couple of other cars (Volkswagen & Vauxhall)with the 90 degree method, quite successfully, but I got the impression from the Haynes manual that there were dire consequences if the Renault tool wasn't used!
I'll just do it the 'old-fashioned' way.
(J&S Products do a cambelt tension gauge, and I got the spec sheet for it, but it doesn't list the 1.6 engine.)
I asked a local dealer how much they would charge to check it once I had fitted the belt. They said that it would be in the order of £220, less the cost of the belt!
Douglas
alan s
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Post by alan s »

Doug,
Can't speak for Renaults but with Cits it's been found that to use them effectively, in lots of cases the engine needs to be out of the car.
Haynes is getting litigation conscious which I think is why their manuals are getting from bad to worse; the idea of making the tension checker sound so essential is so that if someone screws up the job or gets a dodgy belt, they can't sue Haynes for telling them to do it without using the bells 'n whistles device.
At the price quoted, they could nearly drop your motor out to do it. I have heard of prices like that quoted on Cits, in particular BX 16Vs in the past & subsequently it's been found the garage didn't even possess a compression gauge let alone a belt tension checker.
Most tradesmen will tell you that if "good workshop practices" are employed, there's no real problems. They also find that on some models of cars, belts are of a size that limits the use of tension checkers. I will say though, that depending on the set up, the rotation of the tensioners plays a more important role than the checking thereafter; in the case of the BX 16V/Mi16 engine, tensioners MUST be adjusted in an anti-closkwise direction to avoid a possible failure due to the position the tensioner makes contact with the belt. Personally, that's the info I'd be seeking out.
Alan S
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