How much deflection should you have when you press on the timing belt between the cam gears with moderate force? It seems kinda slack. Everytime I've installed the belt I've used 21 lbs of torque on the tensioner as the manual states, but it doesn't seem tight enough.

Could someone else check theirs? Maybe I'm just paranoid.

i just tighten it down till i think its not gonna move.

If the tensioner is working properly (i.e. not too old or broken), and you can slide whatever you are using as a "grenade pin" in and out of the hole in the side of the tensioner, and you torque the tensioner to the required specification, then you'll be fine.

I would not simply tighten until it doesn't move. The timing belt was designed to work at the proper tension. Too little and it will slip. Too much it will break and it's not like throwing your PS belt which has little concequence. If the timing belt goes you get to spend money on fixing your valves so I'd make sure that it is set proberly. I always check, double check and then have whoever is helping me check my work when doing the timing belt (which reminds me I'll have to do again soon)

When you shut the motor off, depending on how the cams stop, you can have a little belt slack if you are pushing on it between the cam gears...Start it up,then shut it off again, it will prob be tight again..just how one of the cams can kind of "come back" the other direction when it stops after the motor is shut off..perfectly normal

put it all on and put 21-22 lb's on the tensioner pulley bolt. slide the tensioner with pin still depressed flush up to the bottom of the pulley and tighten the 2 tensioner bolts down, 22lb's i believe. meanwhile keeping the torque on the pulley. you can release the torque now and with some pliers, pull out the nail or whatever you used to depress the tensioner pin. the nail it should freely slide in and out of the hole now if it has the proper tension. give the motor two full rotations and check to see if its still on, if it is...you're golden.

_________
96 talon esi-t
san clemente, ca


as needles of ice
are the ill winds' talons

Originally posted by XtremeRS
When you shut the motor off, depending on how the cams stop, you can have a little belt slack if you are pushing on it between the cam gears...Start it up,then shut it off again, it will prob be tight again..just how one of the cams can kind of "come back" the other direction when it stops after the motor is shut off..perfectly normal

Awesome, that would explain it. I forgot about that little "snap back".