Advice needed (AUX BELT)

[Stu-]

Alright chaps. I've recently replaced the Aux belt, tensioner and guide on my 172. All genuine renault parts.

The problem is, it seems to be coming off the top pulley, PAS if i remember correctly? Even though it's sitting correctly on the rest of the pulleys. What could be causing this? I've checked the altenator pulley and that seems to have no slack movement also same with the PAS and the Air con pump.


It's quite annoying and i need to sort it. Any advice/help would be greatly apreciated.


Cheers, Stu.

 

[MicKPM]

Are you 100% sure everything is done up tight and aligned so the belt is running correctly.

 

[Joe R26]

Double check you've got the belt over the pulleys in the right order. I know its pretty self explanitory but I can't see why it would be coming off the PAS pump unless all the pulleys aren't in line?.

When I done mine, the belt was quiet tight before I even pushed the alternator back up into its top mounting hole. That belt shouldn't be going anywhere once its all tightened!.

 

[Stu-]

Yeah, I've took it all back off today, then put it all back on again, making sure everything was tight. It's only been on a week so will see how it goes over the next couple of days.

I'm just hoping it's going to be ok, got a 450 mile round trip to alton towers next weekend haha !

 

[Stu-]

Double check you've got the belt over the pulleys in the right order. I know its pretty self explanitory but I can't see why it would be coming off the PAS pump unless all the pulleys aren't in line?.

When I done mine, the belt was quiet tight before I even pushed the alternator back up into its top mounting hole. That belt shouldn't be going anywhere once its all tightened!.

Yeh mate, I've checked everything. It's all in line. It was before hand when i first fitted it too. That's why i've posted for a bit of advice/people's know how.

It had came off the Powersteering pump by 1 tooth, it wasn't fully off, just moved over.

 

[Joe R26]

Maybe it wasn't quiet on one of the pulleys properly the first time?. Would be easy done. The access is pretty dia.

Did you renew the tensioner? Them things are silly tight.

 

[Stu-]

Yeh, that and the guide at the bottom. Fingers crossed it was something that simple. I'll keep an eye on it over the next week and hope it stays put haha.

Yeh, there's not much room down the side of the engine, madness.

 

[lemonnobby]

have you ever had a pas pump? there is a tn about this ill look at it tomorrow

 

[Joe R26]

Oh yeah I seem to remember Fred saying somthing about the pulley should be offset on the pas pump or somthing. And alot of patterned ones arent.

 

[Stu-]

I don't think so? I've checked through the cars history (there's a lot of it) and there's nothing there to indicate it's had one. I can take a couple of photo's if it helps although there's not much to see as the belt is on it haha !

 

[Stu-]

Bit of an update. I refitted the belt and it lasted a week or so. It seems to be coming off when i go above motorway speeds. Is the power steering pump adjustable does anyone know? As it seems that's the only one it seems to be coming off? I'm thinking maybe i need someone to have a look at it for me really..

 

[Joe R26]

Power steering pump isn't adjustable mate. You might wanna check the pulley for movement incanse the bearing is knackered. Did you remove/change anything else prior to fitting the new belt?.

 

[Stu-]

I removed the bottom guide, and the top pulley with the damper on it. Replaced those with genuine renault parts. I've checked that there's no movement when it's running but obviously there's something not right.

It's got me puzzled this.

 

[Joe R26]

If its only started doing this since you changed the belt and tensioner you must have put something back wrong.

If its slipping off I can only assume the belt isn't tight enough indicating that theres a problem with the tensioner, I don't really see how this could be fitted incorrectly though.

Maybe it might help if you can get some pics of the belt, pulleys and tensioner in situ so we can see if their are any obvious problems.

 

[Stu-]

No, it done it before, that was why i replaced it. The belt is tight but as you say.. there's something off somewhere. Yeh I'll get some photo's when i take it to bits again because i need to sort it before sunday haha! The Altenator pulley has a litte chip off the outer edge but the belt isn't even coming close to that so i assume it could only be the PAS or the crankshaft pulley at the bottom (i really hope it isn't)

 

[Joe R26]

Ahhh. I still wonder if a pulley/bearing is shot and has dropped a fraction leaving the belt loose.

Or weather the PAS pump isn't the right one.

 

[Stu-]

I'll take a photo in a min of the pas pulley with the belt hanging off it. Probs won't be able to tell though as there's not much room.

 

[Stu-]

(in this picture, the pulley is new, but the damper on the pulley is the old one)

 

[Joe R26]

So you didn't replace the spring?.

It might just be the way the pic looks but in the first photo it looks like the PAS pulley isn't inline with the water pump pulley. Which would mean the belt isn't running straight.

 

[Stu-]

Yeh i replaced it but it was far too tight The spring was bent right over and had no movement what so ever, it was about an inch and a half longer than the original. so waiting for new one coming from renault.

I'll have a good look in the light in the morning.

 

[Joe R26]

Thats probably the problem then mate. Your springs probably had it. The new ones are stupid tight.

When I done mine I had to fit the new tensioner pulley/spring without fitting the top spring bolt, take the top mounting bolt out of the alternator so the alternator drops a tad. Without doing that I couldn't get the belt over the last pulley, it was too tight even though the spring was fully compressed with a jubilee clip.

Once the belt is over all the pulleys, you then you use a Serpentine belt tool (or equivilant) to push the tensioner down to get the top spring bolt in the mounting hole and tighten it up, then I used a bar to push the alternator back up to line it up with the top mounting hole, put the bolt in, do it up and then remove the jubille clip from the tensioner.

It is mega tight. I think that explains your problem.

 

[Stu-]

It done it with the new one in too. I thought it might have been too tight that's why i took it back off. Seems i was mistaken. I think the problem lies in one of the pulleys somewhere.

I'm off work tomorrow so i'm going to take it all back apart again, maybe try and get some new bits. Soo frustrating haha!

I appreciate all your advice too, Thanks.

 

[Joe R26]

Ahh ok. Good luck mate. I hate having problems like this!. Hope you get it sorted soon, let us know how you get on.

 

[Stu-]

I will do. I'll take plenty of photo's and stick some up.

Cheers, again.

 

[Fred@BTM]

i'll bet £1 the belt is on the wrong side of the idler

 

[Stu-]

i'll bet £1 the belt is on the wrong side of the idler

You'd have lost your £1 lol.

For what ever reason it's had the wrong power steering pump/pulley. So now i've changed that it's sorted the problem.

Thanks for all the help and advice posted in here though.

 

[sideways danny]

You'd have lost your £1 lol.

For what ever reason it's had the wrong power steering pump/pulley. So now i've changed that it's sorted the problem.

Thanks for all the help and advice posted in here though.

do you mean the pressed on flange was wrong? I've had to rectify one just like that recently, looked like the belt had been running with 1 rib over hanging the pulley for a long time

 

[Joe R26]

i'm glad you finally got it sorted mate