CAMBELT TENSION

surfer · Post by **surfer** » 19 Jan 2004, 17:41

Hi,
The Haynes manual for the Xantia mentions that the cambelt tension is measured with an electronic tool which has made-up units called SEEMS.
Has anybody seen one? How does it work? Anybody who has changed their own cambelt has presumably checked the tension by some other means?
Grateful for any insights.
Simon.

arry_b · Post by **arry_b** » 19 Jan 2004, 21:38

The general rule of thumb is the belt should be able to turn 90 degrees under firm finger pressure at the mid point on the longest run. If the belt "whirrs" it's too tight.
Works for me.
I suspect most belts never get checked with the proper tool, even in a main dealers.

monkeyman · Post by **monkeyman** » 20 Jan 2004, 03:15

[quote]<i>Originally posted by surfer</i>

Hi,
The Haynes manual for the Xantia mentions that the cambelt tension is measured with an electronic tool which has made-up units called SEEMS.
Has anybody seen one? How does it work? Anybody who has changed their own cambelt has presumably checked the tension by some other means?
Grateful for any insights.
Simon.
[:)] Hello! I have the SEEMS tool and it works quite well for measuring belt tension. Its not really worth buying for a single job, maybe u can borrow one? If not what arry_b suggests will suffice! Good luck[:)]

bob754 · Post by **bob754** » 26 Nov 2005, 22:21

Hi all

Does anyone know if the above relates to the HDI Engine, I have a cambelt change coming up and no access to the "correct electronic tool"

Thanks in advance

fatboyslimfast · Post by **fatboyslimfast** » 27 Nov 2005, 13:57

If it's the old XUD engine the tension is controlled by the spring-loaded adjuster inside the engine mount - on the HDI the belt does need tensioning with a Seems gauge as it is first pretensioned very tight then slackened off to the corect tension. You could do it the old fashioned way (90 degree twist) but I wouldn't do it - beg, borrow or steel a tension gauge.

alan s · Post by **alan s** » 27 Nov 2005, 22:30

We've been down this road a few times.
A few years back when this magic tool was all the go, we tried to find one. Every man and his dog spent ages looking for one to see how they all worked.
Result was that one was eventually found in I think it was Rugby, but the rest either didn't have one, had one but it was broken, used to have one but nobody knew how to use it so they sold it, lost it, found in many cases due to the inaccessible location of the cambelt that it couldn't be used or if it was, it was used inaccurately.
When we eventually got hold of the official Cit manual on fitting, we discovered that the direction the tensioners were adjusted and the order in which they were adjusted, was more critical than the checking (and that's all it is) of the tension by this gadget.
Given that we are now using the third generation of cambelts which are non stretch types, the use of the tester is even less of a necessity providing good workshop practices are used as regards setting tension. They were never a real genuine safeguard anyway due to the fact that the early belts began stretching almost from day one, so why did they need to be so deadly accurate?
The conclusion we drew based on the Citroen recommended method of fitting was that these tools did little more than cover the fitters arse if one snapped and questions were asked about what tension it was fitted at.
Follow fitting instructions to the letter and you should have no worries.

Alan S

bob754 · Post by **bob754** » 28 Nov 2005, 20:13

Thanks Alan
I suppose I have a lot of reading to do to get the order straight in my head before I start. never had this trouble with the XUD.

Thanks for the input

bob754 · Post by **bob754** » 28 Nov 2005, 20:16

By the way
Can anyone point me at an "official" Citroen manual covering the cambelt change, I only have the haynes one, does anyone know of a beter one covering the HDI engines ???