Xantia 1.9TD aux belt tensioner spring

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 09 Aug 2010, 17:56

Hi,

I drifted across a thread somewhere where somebody said they replaced a tensioner pulley and spring on an xantia diesel.

I seem to remember them saying something about setting up the spring properly does anyone know what they mean please.

I have just had my aux belt tensioner replaced by pleiades thinking that maybe it was worn needle rollers that was causing a low rattle whilst the engine was idling it now seems that it may be the tension spring that is at fault becaue the noise is still there at idle, so I have ordered one, is it a case of just bug it in or is there a special way to set these springs up please?

any advice would be gratefully appreciated before the new spring arrives & goes in. just in case of confusion to which part I am talking about the citroen part number is 575181

many thanks in advance

Nigel.

Post by **KennyW** » 09 Aug 2010, 18:01

Hi Nigel,

I think the best way to change the spring would be to remove the support braket for the Alternator and HP Pump and place the braket on a bench.

It is otherwise very tight within the engine bay.

Kenny

Post by **CitroJim** » 09 Aug 2010, 18:06

Whipping off the hydraulic pump gives much more room without needing to remove the whole bracket...

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 09 Aug 2010, 19:07

Kenny & Jim,

I'll try again,

I'm not doing the job myself Martin will be @Pleiades.

I was just wondering if there was a special way to set the spring up once it is installed, in other words does it have to be adjusted in a special way to give the right amount of tension or is it just a simple matter of fitting it and thats it?

the problem is The Citroen Main dealers were my last option a week before Christmas in 2007 to get my tensioner pulleys replaced as they both went up the swanny, now I am trying to trace the vibration around the top aux belt tensioner at idle.

Martin replaced the aux belt top tensioner for me this mornning but he tried fitting a used spring and I was wondering if the spring needed special adjustment/s after being fitted or is it a much simpler task?
He ended up removing the alternator and pump and then removing the bracket.

I have ordered a new spring anyway.

Toby_HDi · Post by **Toby_HDi** » 09 Aug 2010, 19:23

Is it that these springs tend to become slack over time?

My Coupe has the same set up (ES9J4S) and whilst I shall be replacing the tensioner and pulley I wonder if it's worth doing the spring too?

Post by **CitroJim** » 09 Aug 2010, 19:32

Nigel, it should be just a straight forward fit and tension according to the book... There is no other setting up as far as I'm aware. I reckon rather than the spring itself getting weak it's more likely that the eyes on the end become elongated and allows it to rattle around.

Toby, the V6 is the same in principle but rather more heavily engineered. I'd not replace it unless you can see the jockey wheel moving around a low speeds with the aircon running. I looked at mine the other day and the belt runs as smooth as silk, it almost looks as if the jockey is not turning!

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 09 Aug 2010, 19:38

Jim,

thank you I was under the impression that we might be missing something here.

I have my old spring and top tensioner pulley assembly and to be quite honest with you the tensioner pulley assembly still looks brand new and will serve as a spare however the end of the spring that bolts to the tensioner pulley assembly has a hardened steel sleeve that the bolt goes through and if hold it up to the light I can see between the sleeve and the collet it slides into, so as you say it must be elongated and that is what is causing the rattle at idle, shame I had to pay out for fitting a new belt tensioner when it turned out to be the flippin spring, but we live and learn dont we? the spring only lasted 15,000 miles.

cheers Nigel.

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 17 Aug 2010, 22:37

Re-tensioned Cassy's aux belt when we replaced the pump, but it still had that horrible thrumming when returning to idle.
Noticed yesterday that the belt was squealing slightly so I took a look and it had jumped a groove towards the engine on the crank pulley.
Jim and I had noticed that the top eye of the spring on the tensioner was looking a little collapsed, so I swung by GSF and picked up a new spring, and excentric tensioner and a new belt.
After finally getting home, I set to work and removed the old spring:

As you can see, the bottom eye (on the right end) has completley disintergrated and elongated.
What's worse is that it's bashed up the tensioner shaft it sits on.

So tomorrow, fingers crossed, I'll get to GSF and pick up a new tensioner.

Now, I'm sure someone said that the tensioner could be swapped without removing the whole bracket.
If so, how the bleedin' eck do you do it?

I can't manouver the engine enough to get the tensioner bolt out.

Gregg1100 · Post by **Gregg1100** » 18 Aug 2010, 02:01

Hi,
I had my tension roller and spring done for me a while ago. The top eye of the spring had cracked. Fitted by a gorilla.
I then had to remove it all to replace the alternator. I couldn't use any square anti tension tools as the said gorilla had butchered the hole into which a square could be used to release tension. So just let off tension by loosening off the eccentric wheel, and removed belt. Bit of a job.
I removed the plastic box which houses the electrical gubbins-ECU-placing the ecu carefully on top of the engine. This gives a heck of a lot of extra room- you can actually see it all too.. I lost one of the spring eye inserts, so had to make another. It was awkward to refit spring to the tensioner roller , but nothing was as bad as trying to get belt back on with the full tension on.
In the end I got the belt around all the pulleys except for the HP pump, got a neighbour to help hold the belt onto the pulley whilst I levered the HP pulley around using the holes in the wheel with a large screwdriver. It went on relatively easy. I then tightened the eccentric pulley. Unorthodox practice born out of desperation, but it worked for me.

The trick is to remove the ECU box to see what is going on.
Greg

falling-out-with-my-car · Post by **falling-out-with-my-car** » 18 Aug 2010, 07:26

xac,

that looks nasty much worse than mine was, Martin @ pleideas said he had to remove the bracket in the end to.

i bought a new spring which is going in today hopefully.

what was the cost of your new spring? citroen is £71.00 + vat I got mine from flea bay £49.00 gsf didnt cross my mind I bet yours was cheaper?

good luck with the job,

regards Nigel.

BrianM · Post by **BrianM** » 18 Aug 2010, 08:39

Xac,
CitroJim did a post on this before.

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hp?t=25816

Followed it and you will have no problem. Had the same scenario with a rattly belt - spring hole was elongated and had started to wear both the tensioner shaft and the stud.

Brian

09 C5 Exclusive
97 Xantia TD

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 18 Aug 2010, 11:07

BrianM wrote:Xac,
CitroJim did a post on this before.

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hp?t=25816

Followed it and you will have no problem. Had the same scenario with a rattly belt - spring hole was elongated and had started to wear both the tensioner shaft and the stud.

Brian

09 C5 Exclusive
97 Xantia TD

How do you get the bolt out past the inner wing arm to be able to remove the tensioner though?

MikeT · Post by **MikeT** » 18 Aug 2010, 12:30

Xac wrote: How do you get the bolt out past the inner wing arm to be able to remove the tensioner though?

Drop or raise the engine with top mount removed IIRC.

jgra1 · Post by **jgra1** » 18 Aug 2010, 12:44

yep .. I think I dropped mine..

Xaccers · Post by **Xaccers** » 18 Aug 2010, 16:00

Right, will give it another go tonight.
Looks like the allen bolt has vanished, anyone know where I'm likely to be able to pick one up from this evening?