How do I calibrate my auto tension belt?

Asked by: Amanda Powell

How do you calibrate a belt tension gauge?

Quote from video: The first method is to measure the force required to deflect the drive belt in the middle of the span. With the machine powered off push the x-rail. And zed carriage out to their end stops.

How do I know if my alternator belt is tight enough?

Quote from video: You want it 90 degrees. So when you grab this belt. You want to be able to spin it 90 degrees at least 90.

How much tension should a alternator belt have?

1. With the engine off and cool, use your thumb to depress the top of the belt in the middle of its longest run between the wheels. Typically the belt should depress no more than half an inch; but consult the manual as placement of thumb and distance of deflection may vary.

What happens if serpentine belt is to tight?

If the belt is too tight, it will cause excessive side loads and overheat the bearings. This in turn causes noise, decreased output and even the seizing of the alternator. If the belt is too loose, it will cause the alternator to slip. This slipping can cause the alternator and the battery to work harder.

How do you check belt tension and pulley alignment?

Quote from video: Using a straight edge as shown measure the distance between the straightedge. And the face of the pulley at the three o'clock and nine o'clock positions. And confirm measurements are the same.

How do you calculate belt tension?

Quote from video: The length of the belt to be 500 millimetres or 0.5 meters. We will take the 80 10 belt to have a belt mass of 20:05 eight kilograms per meter of belt length per centimeter of belt width.

How do I adjust the tension on my alternator belt?

Quote from video: But they can also be located on the power steering pump or even the air conditioner compressor first loosen the pivot bolt and lock bolt. Next adjust the tension bolt.

What happens if you over tighten alternator belt?

If a belt is too tight in a system, it can add stress to your bearings. The added stress to bearings can result into over amperage of your motor and potential motor failure. When a belt is too loose: When a belt sits loose on a pulley, the belt can slip while in motion and cause extra friction.

What happens if alternator belt is too loose?

There is a battery warning light on your dashboard in most car models, which will light up when there is a problem with the charging system. When the alternator belt is loose, the alternator will not spin at its optimal speed, and this can cause the charging voltage to drop, and therefore the warning light will pop up.

How do I know if my serpentine belt is aligned?

Quote from video: Look for the next shortest belt span and spray again where the belt enters the second pulley in the span. If the noise goes away and then returns. You have identified the location of the misalignment.

What causes pulley misalignment?

Angular misalignment occurs when pulleys become “tilted” because their shafts are not parallel. Worn bushings and bearings can allow rotating shafts to become cockeyed in their bores. Premature bearing and bushing wear is often caused by the strain of excessive belt tension.

How do you check belt tension by hand?

Checking the belt tension



Use a ruler to find the midway point on the belt’s longest run between pulleys. Hold the belt between finger and thumb at this point and move it from side to side. See how much it deflects at the centre of the run. If it moves more than 1/2 in.

How do you find a misaligned pulley?

Quote from video: If the beam is out of Tolerance in both directions it indicates parallel or horizontal misalignment. Now that we've checked the power steering pulley and found out it was out of alignment.

How do you check belt tension by hand?

Checking the belt tension



Use a ruler to find the midway point on the belt’s longest run between pulleys. Hold the belt between finger and thumb at this point and move it from side to side. See how much it deflects at the centre of the run. If it moves more than 1/2 in.

How do you calculate the frequency of a belt?

We could calculate the belt pass frequency by knowing the driven shaft speed in rpm, the pitch diameter of the driven sheave and the belt length: BPF = pi*dia*speed/BL. But, we can also measure it and be much more accurate by using a tach or a strobe. We did this for our unit and found the BPF to 577 cpm.

How do you use a timing belt tension gauge?

Quote from video: Find the correct tension setting. Then turn the knurled knob until the beveled edge is on the required tension setting the belt tension can then be read on the internal.

How do you use a tension gauge?

Quote from video: Using consistent speed pull the top thread to see the tension reading. Here you see we have a too-tight showing at a 190 grams our top tension knobs are too tight.

How do you get tension to stay?

Quote from video: Then you just put the stays. In between these two knobs down here at the bottom. And you pull back on this and let it clip in there.

How does a belt tension tester work?

The Tension- Finder is a gauge used to set the correct tension in the belt by measuring the amount of stretch in the belt while in tension.