ive tightend mine purely by guesswork on my zetec and worried ive done it to tight. had a the previous tensioner fall appart on me on saturday (VERY lucky the belt never skipped!!!!) and its just struck me that it might be my own fault for over tighening the belt? think this would cause the tensioner to fail?

 

Possibly, but you'd have to massively over tighten it!

Basically if with the index finger and thumb you can just about turn the belt 90 degrees its fine. So when you look down on it its normally - that way. You can turn it to I that way If its very tight it will make a noise when running. A sound like its rubbing on something.

 

mine made a screetching noise when i over tightened it, but YES the tensioner will fail if its too tight.

as said, should turn 90 degrees with fingers

 

It can wear your cam bearings/journals.

 

id get it checked asap if your not to sure mate

as the tensioners are only made of plastic aswell and would end up not so lucky nxt time

 

i think it might be a little to tight then! will check it tomorow i think!

cheers dudes, thought so but wanted to ask 2nd opinions!!

 

also if overtightened, it can strip the teeth off the belt aswell, and you will only realise it has done it once you start the car

 

I normally use the "90 degree twist" test as well.

 

Yes matt, thats a perfectly valid point, its just something you get a feel for over the years really.

 

On the longest span of the belt obviously, not between the pulleys

 

doesn't the tensioner have a mark or anything to line up with like VW's do?

 

I never trust those anyway, same goes for the "autotensioning" springs found on some engines.