Timing belt tensioner q's a6
 

98 2.8 30 VALVE QTTR

hello all, doing the whole timing deal and have a question about the tensioner.
is the tension put on by the hydrolic pin system and you leave the tensioner not cranked tight by its bolt or do you rotate the tensioner by the hex hole to tighten the belt and then crank the bolt that is through the tensioner? if it's the latter then how much do u rotate the tensioner before u tighten the bolt?
thanks!

the bolt that is thru the tensioner roller just holds it in place...with it cranked down you can still freely move the roller (it still swings back and forth). are you installing a new tensioner with the pin still in it, or are you reusing the old one? you need the hex hole to retract the tensioner piston and put the pin back in if you are reusing the old one. once you get all of those parts back on and belt on you pull the pin and again use the hex hole to help the the tensioner piston fully extend out (can't recall off the top of my head but the bentley book says something 15 ft-lbs i think)

ok thanks, no i did not get a new tensioner (piston system with hammer) only new rollers and tensioner roller. I did not see that when I bought the parts as being an option. I had done exactly the scenario u described using the hex hole to push in the piston and then help it back out but how do u adjust tension? belt seems fairly loose.
does everything tighten up once engine gets rolling?

no! somethings wrong if its loose....should be pretty darn tight. the piston is really slow so that is the reason you use the hex hole to help it fully extend and that in turn should tighten the belt.

OK, thx . back at it shortly and will check out the piston. I have a feeling that maybe the piston is toast. when i force it back down (using the hex in the roller) it does not need to be pinned to make it stay down . it just stays there on it's own.
when i "help" it back out maybe it's not popping all the way back up hence giviing me "play"........

yea that sounds like it might be the problem

will post later..thx!!