Belt tensioner
- Asylum
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Re: Belt tensioner
You want the tensioner off or the belt? Assuming it's a 2.8! Info never hurts!
Eric
Asylum Motorsports
"Where we're not happy 'til YOU'RE not happy!
'91 California Quad (Gone with just a bit of "Seller's Remorse".)
'92 3500 GT gone and not really missed. It was fun. Documented 13.47 N/A.
Asylum Motorsports
"Where we're not happy 'til YOU'RE not happy!
'91 California Quad (Gone with just a bit of "Seller's Remorse".)
'92 3500 GT gone and not really missed. It was fun. Documented 13.47 N/A.
Re: Belt tensioner
'89 GT = 2.8, stock...
IIRC, it is a 13mm bolt-head. You might have to have a low-profile ratchet to sneak in on it due to the proximity of the frame-rail. I don't believe it sticks out far enough to use a flat-wrench. "Titan" made one of the first pass-through style socket wrenches, I believe Craftsman made a decent quality rip-off design (as they tend to do) that might also be very low profile. Just be careful not to trap your wrench between the bolt and the frame if it is a one-way ratchet like the Titan (made by "Gear Wrench", I believe -awesome set, I wish I had two or three more just like it). Aside from that, you might be stuck putting a socket on the bolt and trying to turn the socket with a small pipe-wrench or something stupid like that, or you could drop the left (driver's side) sub-frame and lower the transmission a few inches until you get enough clearance to access the bolt. I've found over the years that having special tools that reach awkward hardware is the first key to successfully working on poorly engineered crap. Good luck.

IIRC, it is a 13mm bolt-head. You might have to have a low-profile ratchet to sneak in on it due to the proximity of the frame-rail. I don't believe it sticks out far enough to use a flat-wrench. "Titan" made one of the first pass-through style socket wrenches, I believe Craftsman made a decent quality rip-off design (as they tend to do) that might also be very low profile. Just be careful not to trap your wrench between the bolt and the frame if it is a one-way ratchet like the Titan (made by "Gear Wrench", I believe -awesome set, I wish I had two or three more just like it). Aside from that, you might be stuck putting a socket on the bolt and trying to turn the socket with a small pipe-wrench or something stupid like that, or you could drop the left (driver's side) sub-frame and lower the transmission a few inches until you get enough clearance to access the bolt. I've found over the years that having special tools that reach awkward hardware is the first key to successfully working on poorly engineered crap. Good luck.
1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
- Burning_Beard
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Re: Belt tensioner
Meier4356 wrote:How can I get the belt tensioner off of my 89 gt I can't get in there to loosen the bolt I've tried everything
To get the belt off first, you need a tool that any auto parts store should lend you, its a flat bar with a square socket, to stick in the tensioner arm and pry the tensioner up to remove the belt.
They also have them at harbor freight:
http://www.harborfreight.com/serpentine ... 66344.html
To get the tensioner off, take the wheel off and the wheel well shroud and you'll have plenty of clearance from there, from underneath.
1989 Beretta GTU 2.8 w/77k, auto.
Re: Belt tensioner
Burning_Beard wrote:Meier4356 wrote:How can I get the belt tensioner off of my 89 gt I can't get in there to loosen the bolt I've tried everything
To get the belt off first, you need a tool that any auto parts store should lend you, its a flat bar with a square socket, to stick in the tensioner arm and pry the tensioner up to remove the belt.
They also have them at harbor freight:
http://www.harborfreight.com/serpentine ... 66344.html
To get the tensioner off, take the wheel off and the wheel well shroud and you'll have plenty of clearance from there, from underneath.


1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
- 3X00-Modified
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- Location: Brooklyn CT
Re: Belt tensioner
No one reads before they post anymore... get used to it.
Re: Belt tensioner
I wasn't being sarcastic -yeah he repeated some of the info I already provided, but I forgot you can get to the tensioner through the wheel-well on some of the cars (it is worth mentioning, even if it isn't reachable that way, I haven't had to swap tensioners on a 60-degree engine while it is still in the car yet). I just thought his post had a better answer to the question than mine did overall.3X00-Modified wrote:No one reads before they post anymore... get used to it.

1989 SuperCharged 3800 Srs-II (First)Six-Speed GTU
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26
1990 Turbo 3.4 5-Speed T-Type
1990 4.0L 4-Cam 32-Valve V-8 5-Speed Indy GTi (Project)
1990 Stock(!) 3.1 MPFI Auto Indy
1995 LA1/L82 4T60E Z-26
1995 3.4 DOHC Turbo 5-Speed Z-26