Thread: 300 Tdi belt tensioner and the dime!

Penny Trick???

Originally Posted by KeithMac

That was until I tried the"penny trick". In truth, I used an American Dime (worked out cheaper that an Aussie 5 cents).

Ha don't want to call you tight but that's made my evening that has!!
Good on ya mate glad you got it sorted😃

Originally Posted by AFC1

Penny Trick???

Yea, that's what I thought when I first heard it. "Do I really want to use a penny (spend a penny) to fix my Defender?"

It's used as a shim, under the tensioner.

Suggest you pull the coin out and buy new unit from a non dealer.

I used the coin trick, and a few weeks later the bolt holding the tensioner (through the centre) broke. Tensior in flight hit the aircon pump and broking one of its mount bolts in the process.

And you don't want to lose power steering. I've had a few non power steering vehicles in my life and thought a failed power steering system would not be much different - wrong!

I suspect too much stress on the bolt once you create a gap at the interface of tensioner and engine.

The Teflon gasket, between the two halves of the tensioner, wears unevenly, throwing out bearing alignment. If too worn then the belt may come off.

Originally Posted by Defendozer

Ha don't want to call you tight but that's made my evening that has!!
Good on ya mate glad you got it sorted😃

That's my Scottish heritage coming out!

Originally Posted by workingonit

Suggest you pull the coin out and buy new unit from a non dealer.

I used the coin trick, and a few weeks later the bolt holding the tensioner (through the centre) broke. Tensior in flight hit the aircon pump and broking one of its mount bolts in the process.

And you don't want to lose power steering. I've had a few non power steering vehicles in my life and thought a failed power steering system would not be much different - wrong!

I suspect too much stress on the bolt once you create a gap at the interface of tensioner and engine.

The Teflon gasket, between the two halves of the tensioner, wears unevenly, throwing out bearing alignment. If too worn then the belt may come off.

Oh great! Just what I didn't want to hear.

Anyone else has similar problems?

If it helps i did the dime trick (10 cents)and it stayed like that for 80000 ks with no dramas

Originally Posted by rangieman

If it helps i did the dime trick (10 cents)and it stayed like that for 80000 ks with no dramas

Thanks Rangie, that gives me a but more confidence.

I have read a number of accounts from the UK and I have not come across any problems.