Yummybud924

I'm starting to get frustrated as I spend hal the day today trying to tension my timing belt and it does not feel right.

I have both the kricket and the new arnnworx 920x

I think that there is a problem with the directions to use these tools not with the tool itsel.

First of all, with the kricket I can get consistant results with the kricket reading right at 40 pounds. First of all I'm not too sure if this 40 pounds is correct and then if it is 40 pounds I'm starting to think you tension it to 40 pounds on the long span of the belt when the cam / crank are at TDC and not when you turn it CCw 1.5 teeth as the instructions say.

the reason I say this is that I just followed the instrucions and turned it to tdc then back 15 teeth and right away you can feel the long span of the belt go slack ( a lot). so I set the tension at this point when the long side was slack to 40 pounds and then when you turn to tdc the belt feels super tight and the arrnworx at tdc reads 65 pounds. but it'll still read 40 pounds when you pull back 1.5 teeth.

but like I said at tdc and when you're turning it clockwise the long span of the belt has 65 pounds of tension to it which I think is way too much.


Now I tried the arnnworx and yes the arnnorx tool shows that it is way way too tight but then the arnnworx tool seem wrong also when I followed it step by step again pulling back 1.5 teeth which makes sense for the arnnworx as it measures the short span of the belt. Now the belt feels super loose at this point it can be flopped around to touch the belt guide easily and when it is at tdc I can move the water pump pulley a little which again shows that it is way too loose.

I followed the arnnworx tool step by step taking the inital not deflection reading and following the simple addition to get the recommended spec.

I'm pretty disappointed. I like the kricket better but I think 40 pounds after turning the crank anti clockwise 1.5 teeth is wrong.


does anyone who has done this know?

Zero10

There should be 40 pounds of tension on the long span of the belt after rotating the crank 1-1.5 teeth counterclockwise.
You should be able to twist it ~90* with just your thumb and forefinger. I find that the Kricket is a surprisingly accurate tool.

65 pounds of tension when turning clockwise sounds about right. Now you are measuring the tension required to turn the camshaft in addition to a portion of the tension on the belt.

Yummybud924

well when I turn it counterclockwise (buy turning the crankshaft counterclockwise) the cam goes back about 1.5 teeth and the krickt reads 40 pounds now when turned back to tdc about 65 pounds.

the belt feels very tight to me.....

also according to the 920x which I bought and followed all the direction when backed off at 1.5 teeth and tension set with 920x the cricket reads just below 30 pound.

maybe the 920x is faulty as it does feel too loose. but I tought maybe someone had mistaken the porsche 9201 instruciion to turn back 1.5 teeth.

why wouldn't they say what the tension for the kricket should be at tdc? it just says 40 pounds on the site but then in the middle it says to go back 1.5 teeth.


according to my 920x the kricket 40 pounds back 1.5 teeth is way to tight not just a little but a huge difference. I thought maybe the 920x is faulty.

Yummybud924

I just thought the 65 pounds of tension might wreck my water pump pretty fast.

can anyone check their belt at tdc to see if they get around 60-65 pounds?

I emailed Bruce about my 920x giving me a tension that feels way too loose. I could move the water pump pulley a tiny bit when at tdc so that is not good.

Zero10

All belt tensioning should be done with all of the slack along the long span in the timing and/or balance shaft belts. This way it is always done in a consistent state. And for this reason it should be completely independent of the tensioning device being used.

I don't recall if I was able to spin the water pump by hand with the timing belt tensioned. I recall somebody on here complaining of that same thing though.

If you were closer I'd stop in and show you the right way to tension it, that and I'm curious about the 920x tool, I've never seen one IRL.

Yummybud924

thanks. well with the 40 pounds with the cricket when the belt is slack results in the belt being very tight at tdc so I'm not worried about being able to move the water pump. I'm worried about the 65pounds reading at tdc which sounds like a lot and if I do it wrong it could mean my pump failing pretty soon and having to do this all over again which I don't have time for.

I followed the 920x step by step and I have to make it way looser than when setting it with the kricket, that's why I thought maybe I was using the kricket wrong and maybe the 40 pounds is suppose to be at tdc.

but following the 920x instructions it seems faulty, I can feel that the belt is too loose and I would be too scared to run it like that. I emailed Bruce so I'll see what he says.

I thought maybe you ajust the the belt's tension at 1.5 teeth back but you're suppose to set it so it reads 40 pounds at tdc not at 1.5 teeth back.

Techno Duck

Zero.. the 920X requires that the slack be placed on the lower span of the belt, this is where it takes its tension reading. Thats why you need to rotate the cam back roughly 2-degrees. You are supposed to have the cam already at TDC, then rotate it CCW with the flywheel lock inplace or the car in gear. This will get you back roughly 2-degrees and stop.

Its different from the 9201 because it takes the reading on the lower span instead of the upper span, it uses the same idea of measuring the belt deflection though. Ive compared it against the 9201 and never had problems.

Zero10

Weird, on the lower span?.....
Now my brain hurts.

Yummybud924

well I tried method one also for the 920x and it dosn't seem right,the belt feels really loose.

it's strange method 2 makes the short span (on the water pump) go slack which method two adds more tension.

for method one I went to tdc then put the car in gear then used a large wrench to turn the cam back and you can only move it a bit then it stops.

then I took the initial non deflection reading getting .984 on the scale then I add .173 which should become .150 approximately because after .9 it's O again.

when I set the belt to .150 I wouldn't trust running it, at some point I can move the water pump pulley by hand and the long span of the belt when I go bakc 1.5 teeth is really loose like the kricket won't even read 30 pounds.

with the kricket i'm too scared that it is way too tight, when I set it to 40 punds when 1.5 teeth back it reads 55 pounds when at tdc and it feels super tight.

not sure what to do now, I gave up with the 920x because it's reading gives me a really loose belt.

I just want to use the kricket now but I want to confirm that you set the belt to 40 pounds at 1.5 teeth back (by turning the crank back which makes the long span slack where the kricket reads.

so at tdc 55 pounds sounds right? this is for the kricket onthe long span when you remove the belt guide and roller.

Yummybud924

anyone mind checking their belt with a kricket at tdc and 1.5 teeth back to see if they get around 40 pounds (1.5 teeth back ) / 55-60 punds (at tdc)

thanks. I want to get my car running but this tensioning is just making me more and more confused.

Yummybud924

also with the kricket are you suppose to go back 1.5 teeth by turning the crank ccw when in neutral?

Zero10

You should definately have the transmission in neutral if you're turning the crank.

Yummybud924

yes I know but when turning the cam for the 920x it says to put the car in gear so the cam only moves a few degree

Zero or anyone else who uses the kricket could you tell me what you get on the kricket when you test the belt at TDC? 60 -65 pounds seems like a lot.

also can anyone else confirm that the 40 pounds setting if for when you go back 1.5 teeth?

I'm not even using the 920x anymore, when using it the belt is realy slack when turned back 1.5 teeth

I'll probably sell the 920x on ebay or if anyone here wants it I can sell it to you, I just got it this week.

moronputz

Sorry can't help with the Kriket issues, but I suspect you've misread Bruce's instructions about the use of the 920x (or are mixing them up with the P9201/Kriket instructions).

What he says is to find TDC, lock the crank (in gear or use the flywheel lock), then rotate the CAM counterclockwise to place all the slack on the underside. You are not supposed to rotate it 1-1/2 teeth (especially using the crank pulley), just whatever is needed to place all slack on the lower length. He does say that it will take quite a force. Set the tool in place and use the calibration bar to get your initial reading and then remove the bar, recheck that all slack is on the lower span and take your readng.

A link to Bruce's instructions is here

Yummybud924

yes I know , I did exactly that but the setting with the 920x made the belt very slack when I pulled back 1.5 teeth to check with the kricket, it would not even read 30 pounds on the kricket so this is definately way too loose.

My other tools I got from arnnworx are great but this belt tensioning tool is not working for me, I can see that the belt is too loose when I follow the instructions.