Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[citronut]

here is price and part No.'s for the two tensioners and the big spring from citroen for your car/cahssis No.

Part Number Description Quantity Price excl. VAT Price incl. VAT Total incl. VAT Selection

this is the auto one
575130 TENSION ROLLER 102.76 GBP 123.31 GBP 123.31 GBP

this is the lower excentric one
575129 TENSION ROLLER 85.55 GBP 102.66 GBP 102.66 GBP

this is the big spring
575181 TENSIONNER 87.58 GBP 105.10 GBP 105.10 GBP


this set up usually also has a static idler mounted on a steel plate, but under your chassis No. it does not show it in the part No. list

[CitroJim]

Bloody heck, they've got right royally expensive

I'd agree with Malcolm though Zel, the picture does show it's the later type...

[Stickyfinger]

$$$.....eeeek

[citronut]

Bloody heck, they've got right royally expensive

yeh burt who would pay those dealer prices, the auto one used to be around £60/70 squid from the likes of GSF,

[RichardW]

I stand corrected.... long time since I've looked down that end of a 1.9TD though, and I've never actually seen once of the those springs in the flesh - no wonder it's a mare to change if it's in BEHIND the HP pump!!!

Note that if it's just making a whining noise, I would check it's not the alternator first - get your stethoscope out!

[citronut]

no wonder it's a mare to change if it's in BEHIND the HP pump!!!

its not that hard to change the spring think Richard,

you need to either disconnect the two coolant hoses that go to the oil cooler or unbolt the oil cooler, either of these will give you access with an allen key bit in a socket, through the through way to the lower allen bolt that screws into the spigot on the back of the auto tensioner bracket, the top one is self explanatory

[Zelandeth]

Plus side is that I'll be doing this at the same time as the timing belt and water pump, so will have quite a bit of that end of the engine bay in bits anyway.

Looking today there is indeed a whacking great spring behind the pump, didn't realise it was anything to do with the tensioner though.

Will see if I can pin the noise down further tomorrow, though is a bit hard to tell with an XUD clattering in your ear! Hopefully alternator will be easy to tell though, and if it's the tensioner see if I can hear it through the bracket...hopefully without dropping anything into the belt!

Pretty sure the tensioner is to blame though as it looks like the belt is running towards one side of it which as I recall is usually what happens when the bearings go and it starts to run out of true.

...Had hoped they weren't so expensive mind you!

[citronut]

if you look down the cam belt end of the engine you can usually see if the auto tensioner mount/swing arm bearing is shot, as the pulley will be leaning/tilting over/running at an angle, as 99% of the time its this bearing that fails,

you dont need to pay the dealers price give GSF a call,

the big spring only requires replacing if its eye bush/s have worn into there mounting eye's,

[CitroJim]

the big spring only requires replacing if its eye bush/s have worn into there mounting eye's,

In my experience Malcolm, more often than not they do wear in the eyes and need replacing..

The V6 engine uses a very similar arrangement but is about twice the size in all respects...

[Zelandeth]

Found what looks to be an SKF made replacement on eBay for £59 quid, item no 291405115028 (sorry, using my phone right now and it refuses to copy/paste links properly). That includes the spring (which at the OEM price mist surely be gold plated!).

Part numbers seem to match up, so hopefully that will be a step closer to the full set.

[CitroJim]

That one looks right Zel

[Zelandeth]

Right, ordered! Fingers crossed will actually have all the bits here soon so can get this done!

Did have a poke around with the screwdriver that I usually use as a stethoscope to see if I could track down where the whining noise is coming from and failed to really pin it down. Everything seemed to be creating about as much noise as everything else, though with an XUD clattering away next to you there's quite a din to hear things over anyway.

[CitroJim]

Run briefly with the auxiliary belt off Zel and see if the noise goes then...

Alternator is the most likely culprit...

[citronut]

Run briefly with the auxiliary belt off Zel and see if the noise goes then...

i agree run it up with the aux belt off, but the briefly bit is not nes a celery as this belt does not drive anything that is going to hurt the engine if it is not turning,

if the noise does go with the aux belt off, you then can spin each pulley in turn to find/feel the culprit

[Zelandeth]

Sorry to sound like a complete dunce...but what's the procedure for removing the aux belt on this? Have to confess to having never dealt with an automatic tensioner before!

Will hopefully be able to test that tomorrow and find out for certain where it's coming from.