[Pmat]

Recently, my alternator bearings froze up. When I went to change it I found that the belt tensioner was also froze up and the belt was extremely tight (I think that might have been the reason the alternator bearings burned up.) I went to remove the tensioner. I removed the large bolt at the center of the pivot point no problem. The second bolt was very hard to crack loose, but I got it. Now it threaded out and I can pull it loose about 1-1/2 inches and then it is stuck. ??? This bolt will turn until I try to pull it out. Once it jams, it is also very hard to turn. I have no idea WTH is going on and am wondering if I am going to have to remove my oil filter bracket now (it seems that the bolts for the tensioner go through the bracket and thread into the engine block underneath the bracket. My worst fear is the the threads stripped out of the engine block and are stuck on the bolt and that is what is keeping it from coming out all the way. Any ideas?

 

[pcfreak4]

GS or Gt?

My GS has an auto tensioner

 

[Pmat]

It's a GS and yes it is supposed to be spring loaded, but it is froze up. I had to use a big pry bar to get it to loosen up and it didn't spring back. Here is a picture to show what I am talking about. The long bolt will not pull out!

 

[Pmat]

Here is another picture showing the tensioner pulled back as far as it will go

 

[Sabertooth^2]

Once the bolt is half way out, the threads catch again every time. You'll need to spin it while pulling back on it if it's really fighting you. I use an impact gun and it works fine every time though

 

[pcfreak4]

You don’t have a pin in the tensioner used for holding it while u change the belt do u?

 

[Pmat]

No pin. Just a square hole that fits a 1/2 drive rachet. This bolt gets very hard to turn if I pull on it turning. Did the engineers at Mitsubishi make that clearance hole in the oil filter bracket a little too tight?

 

[pcfreak4]

No pin. Just a square hole that fits a 1/2 drive rachet. This bolt gets very hard to turn if I pull on it turning. Did the engineers at Mitsubishi make that clearance hole in the oil filter bracket a little too tight?

You put the 1/2 ratchet to pull the tensioner back, then stick something inside the holes once lined up to hold the tensioner in place

Or is this just a bolt that holds it on?

 

[Pmat]

There are two mounting bolts. One at the center of the "circle", which is removed in my pictures (you can see the hole). The other is the bolt which is halfway out. As I said, it was tough getting to crack loose and I had to use an impact gun. It unscrewed until it would pull loose, but only pulled out to the point you see in the pictures. the bolt can be turned by hand until I try to pull on it while unscrewing it. It then gets tight again. I don't see any holes where a pin could be inserted to hold the tensioner in place, just the two mounting bolts and the square hole

 

[Pmat]

I vaguely remember pulling off this tensioner when I did the timing belt. I say vaguely because it was seven years ago. I don't remember having any of these problems however.

 

[Sabertooth^2]

Did you consider putting the first bolt back on and taking them off in the other order?

But really, it snags, yes. But then it unthreads a second time once it catches

 

[Pmat]

Got it out! I was right, the engineers at Mitsubishi should have made the clearance holes in both the tensioner and the oil filter bracket a little bigger.