Water pump belt on 1.6TD

[dave cock]

Hi All
Just came up the road with steam pouring out of the side air vents , looking like a Red Arrow (nice)
Anyway , after a little tinkering about I suddenly noticed that the belt from the bottom of the enginge to the water pump was missing !! (that would do it) , I can get a replacement belt but there are no tentioners between the water pump pulley and the bottom pulley so i was wondering how this belt should be changed ?? do i just loosen the 3 allen key bolts and pop it on or is there a technical quick tip for this ,??
Thanks in advance to any replies.Any help would be much appreciated.
Dave

[peasant]

One of the pulley wheels (or both?) splits in half vertically.
When you open the fixing bolts you should also find some loose shims coming off the outside of the pulley.
These shims are to be used to widen or narrow the gap in the pulley where the belt runs in ...thus tensioning it.

It's a bit of a shoyte job that

[dave cock]

One of the pulley wheels (or both?) splits in half vertically.
When you open the fixing bolts you should also find some loose shims coming off the outside of the pulley.
These shims are to be used to widen or narrow the gap in the pulley where the belt runs in ...thus tensioning it.

It's a bit of a shoyte job that

Many thanks 'Peasant' , you were spot on and the job , although a bit dirty and tricky to get at , was quite easy
back up and running now all fixed
cheers

[Dantes]

Hi All, Just a quick ask on this subject. Is it better to add extra shims to the drive wheel that can be seen through the rear oil check flap, or at the water pump, though this looks difficult to get access to. Any advice appreciated as my belts are shreiking when first getting warmed up. Ta.

[noss vanagon]

The shims are to adjust the lower (water pump) belt the alternator belt is adjusted by moving the alternator

[Dantes]

Okay then, so next ask, clearly its allen keys to undo the three bolts for the water pump but what is the best method to hold the wheel in place to get sufficient tork to take the bolts out? a bar across the heads of the other two bolts? can you hold the wheel somehow?

Any answer appreciated as I see this as something I'll have to do again and again . Ta.

[Plasticman]

I usually hold the alternator belt by squeezing the two together, quick and easy, usually works, when doing w'pump up , tighten bit at a time allways at crank pulley side of waterpump and rotate pump/crank so you dont nip the belt, anyhow its all in the wiki
mike

[Bert2]

Hi

If you look on ebay they sell a proper spanner that fits round the 3 allens and allows you to undo them and stop the pulley turning at the same time.

[Plasticman]

You could put a linky up for him
mike

[Russonly]

Previous thread - https://club8090.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=56579

Use 2 spanners and try turning opposing directions. This will leave you with one - I used a material (not chain!) oil filter removal tool to hold the pully on the last one!

Hope this helps!

[Dantes]

Job done. Got the belt tighter by removing all the shims, though it could do with being even tighter. Does this mean that my belt is on its last legs? Held the belt to remove the allen key bolts, could this have stretched the belt? or is there meant to be a little slack in the belt? Well its not screeching so I guess thats half the battle. Ta all.

[Plasticman]

There should bew a little play in the belt , you wont stretch it with what you were doing.
pulleys wear and all shim removal isnt enough sometimes, Ive gone down a siz in belts(625 if I remember) and added an extra shim
mike