Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Any difference between B3 and B6 timing belt tensioners?

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 1
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous template Next
  • #1

    Any difference between B3 and B6 timing belt tensioners?

    This baffles me, when looking up on rock auto between a 89 Tracer, and a 91 Festiva, the timing belt tensioner pulleys, and kits have completely different part numbers, but as far as I have known that everything should be identical between a first gen B6 (or maybe all?), and a B3, at least with external parts.

    I only am asking this as the Festiva pulley is a few dollars cheaper than the cheapest 323/Tracer.

    Also there is an extremely annoying chirping/squeaking noise at idle after the engine is completely warmed up. Noise is still there after running it without the water pump/alternator belt. So it is either that pulley, or something internal, and I never heard of engine internals squeaking. But yeah this is why I want to change out that pulley.

    Thinking of maybe squirting some wd40 into it and see if the squeaking changes, or goes away. lol
    1991 Ford Festiva BP (Full Aspire/Rio Swap) (337k Miles) (Around 95k Engine)
    2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport 2.2L DOHC Ecotec (Threw a Rod)
    1998 Chevy Monte Carlo LS 3.1 V6 (225k miles) Best MPG = 28
    Tags: None
  • #2
    89 Tracer and Festiva (and 91 323 with the gen2 B6) have identical part #s for timing belt tensioner. You're right, they should all be the same. Kit #s might be different for inventory reasons, or something. Not to worry.

    I've noticed the same thing with my 87 323's tie rod ends. Different part #s for manual and power steering--but the manual steering one (same part # as for a Festy) fit the PS tie rod's thread, and I can't believe the taper in the knuckle would be different between manual and power steering, i.e. two different knuckles. Makes no sense.
    90 Festy (Larry)--B6M (Matt D. modified B6 head), header, 5-speed, Capri XR2 front brakes, many other little mods
    09 Kia Rondo--a Festy on steroids!

    You can avoid reality, but you can't avoid the consequences of avoiding reality--Ayn Rand

    Disaster preparedness

    Tragedy and Hope.....Infowars.com.....The Drudge Report.....Founding Fathers.info

    Think for yourself.....question all authority.....re-evaluate everything you think you know. Red-pill yourself!

    Comment

    • #3
      The tensioner will make noise if the belt is to tight, or if the bearing is on its way out.
      Last edited by Advancedynamix; 12-29-2014, 09:11 AM.
      Driving for me is neither a right nor a privilege. Driving is my passion, as it was for the people who invented the automobile, the people who paved the first roads and the people who continue to improve the automobile. Please respect this passion.

      Comment

      • #4
        Originally posted by Advancedynamix View Post
        The tensioner will make noise if the belt is to tight, or if the bearing is on its way out.
        How would the belt get too tight? Wouldn't the spring in the tensioner just return it to where it needs to be, after you loosen the bolt that held it retracted so you could install the belt?
        90 Festy (Larry)--B6M (Matt D. modified B6 head), header, 5-speed, Capri XR2 front brakes, many other little mods
        09 Kia Rondo--a Festy on steroids!

        You can avoid reality, but you can't avoid the consequences of avoiding reality--Ayn Rand

        Disaster preparedness

        Tragedy and Hope.....Infowars.com.....The Drudge Report.....Founding Fathers.info

        Think for yourself.....question all authority.....re-evaluate everything you think you know. Red-pill yourself!

        Comment

        • #5
          Make sure your crank pulley bolt is torqued properly. Don't ask how I know this!

          Comment

          • #6
            Originally posted by TominMO View Post
            How would the belt get too tight? Wouldn't the spring in the tensioner just return it to where it needs to be, after you loosen the bolt that held it retracted so you could install the belt?
            I'm not real experienced on the single cam engines, but you have to set tension on the dohc engines at operating temp or the tensioners whine when the engine is warmed up. These belts run fairly slack compared to other engines I've built.
            Driving for me is neither a right nor a privilege. Driving is my passion, as it was for the people who invented the automobile, the people who paved the first roads and the people who continue to improve the automobile. Please respect this passion.

            Comment

            • #7
              Originally posted by Advancedynamix View Post
              I'm not real experienced on the single cam engines, but you have to set tension on the dohc engines at operating temp or the tensioners whine when the engine is warmed up. These belts run fairly slack compared to other engines I've built.
              Interesting, never knew that.
              90 Festy (Larry)--B6M (Matt D. modified B6 head), header, 5-speed, Capri XR2 front brakes, many other little mods
              09 Kia Rondo--a Festy on steroids!

              You can avoid reality, but you can't avoid the consequences of avoiding reality--Ayn Rand

              Disaster preparedness

              Tragedy and Hope.....Infowars.com.....The Drudge Report.....Founding Fathers.info

              Think for yourself.....question all authority.....re-evaluate everything you think you know. Red-pill yourself!

              Comment

              • #8
                Originally posted by TominMO View Post
                Interesting, never knew that.
                Neither did I. I think I will have to try that. Just take it for a drive, bring it back home, loosen the bolt and let the spring apply the proper tension at operating temps, then tighten it back down.
                1991 Ford Festiva BP (Full Aspire/Rio Swap) (337k Miles) (Around 95k Engine)
                2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport 2.2L DOHC Ecotec (Threw a Rod)
                1998 Chevy Monte Carlo LS 3.1 V6 (225k miles) Best MPG = 28

                Comment

                • #9
                  Originally posted by TorqueEffect View Post
                  Neither did I. I think I will have to try that. Just take it for a drive, bring it back home, loosen the bolt and let the spring apply the proper tension at operating temps, then tighten it back down.
                  Pretty much. When it is properly adjusted and the engine is cold the belt will seem to loose, but when the engine is hot it will tighten up. I guess these engines expand vertically a lot. That's my only explanation. When I first started messing with these B series DOHC engines, I fussed with the tension over and over because I was worried the belt was to loose, but I didn't want the idler and tensioner to whine. Now, after years of abusing these engines and never having a belt slip a tooth, I'm more accustomed to the slack of the belt.
                  Driving for me is neither a right nor a privilege. Driving is my passion, as it was for the people who invented the automobile, the people who paved the first roads and the people who continue to improve the automobile. Please respect this passion.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Hmm, well I think the spring is missing. lol

                    After driving it today, I loosened the bolt and the belt pushed the pulley all the way to the left, and it then it was very loose.

                    But now I know 100% that it is the pulley making that noise, because when it was loose without the bolt tightened down, the chirping was more frequent, and more sporadic. But when I tightened the bolt down with the pulley in the extremely loose position, there was no squeaking at all, but the belt was flapping around like crazy. So to keep it from jumping a tooth from being too slack, I had to put pressure against the pulley with a breaker bar,since the spring was missing, so I could tension the belt.

                    Squeaking is back, but I had to get to work so I didn't have much time to screw with it. If I play with the tension a bit, I can probably get the proper tension on it to keep it from squeaking, and keep the belt from being too loose.
                    Last edited by TorqueEffect; 12-30-2014, 11:27 PM.
                    1991 Ford Festiva BP (Full Aspire/Rio Swap) (337k Miles) (Around 95k Engine)
                    2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport 2.2L DOHC Ecotec (Threw a Rod)
                    1998 Chevy Monte Carlo LS 3.1 V6 (225k miles) Best MPG = 28

                    Comment

                    Previous template Next
                    Working...
                    X