USMC_DS1

Started a DIY to replace my water pump today. Got the airbox out and was about to remove my s-belt. Used a 24mm socket to crack right on the tensioner pulley and that's the problem... it did not move over and loosen the play of the s-belt. In fact, it just turns left and/or right w/o moving the pulley at all. Felt behind the pulley and found a nut to tighten from behind but could not get any of my openbox wrenches to fit in that tight space. Need some shorter wrenches to get in there... Looks like a 16mm nut/bolt back there(someone please confirm) but wondering if anyone else ran into this issue re the t-pulley and if it's just a matter of tightening(is there a proper torque setting) the front and back(nut and screw) or do I need to be mindful of something... BTW, I replaced my s-belt last year. The tensioner worked properly then... so wondering if I may have cracked on it too hard previously and loosen it... hope it's not a stripped issue. Car is an '08 997.1S with 51K miles.

On a side note: I couldn't find my mechanics extending mirror... had to brake into my wife's make-up bag for a small mirror to get back there. You guess it... she came out to check on me and caught me with her "compact" inside the engine compartment. Not a good day for this weekend mechanic.

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Edgy01

You got me on that one. We did a belt the other day and after you get the airbox out of the way you simply place a 24mm long handled combination wrench on the tensioner pulley and turn the thing clockwise. It should cause the tensioner pulley to move to the left up to the other take up or come-along pulley. Once moved over like that the belt will slip right off (or on). But you seem to be suggesting that the tensioner pulley is seized in its position? There's not that much to it. It has a one-tension-fits-all setting.

USMC_DS1

Well, the 24mm tension nut rotates vs. holding in place and moving the tensioner arm to the left like it should. I purchased some shorty open box wrenches today. Will try to get to the bolt in back and tighten it against the 24mm nut in front. I believe that should resolve this issue.

JW, thanks for the PET. That helps me to visualize the parts involved.

wjones1002

Bumping this thread as I am having a similar issue. Vehicle is 2007 997.1 C4.

The tensioner lever moves, but has no spring to it; it will stay in place (left or right) wherever I move it with the breaker bar, vs. springing back right when I release pressure on the breaker bar. So I assume this means I need to replace the tensioner itself (part 2 in the link below).

Has anyone done this? It seems like I'll need to remove the power steering housing to get the tensioner housing off.

FWIW, doing this b/c the belt was squealing a bit; something pickeded up in a PPI. The old belt had a few missing chunks from one of the ribs and I found a tiny pebble wedged between two of the vanes in the crank pulley. I'm hoping that pulley isn't also damaged.

http://www.porsche.com/all/media/pdf...97_KATALOG.pdf

Any guidance/advice is appreciated. I would prefer to avoid a tow-of-same to the mechanic on my first project!