tensioner assembly tdi 300

[Bill Flyer]

help needed my tdi 1998 keeps chewing up main serpentine belt tried new belt but it started to roll belt off pulley cutting outside edge can anyone advise me if i should change tensioner assembly and is there any special way or tools needed to take:D off and put back on hoping you can help

[BigJon]

15 mm socket, from memory. When the belt is off, there isn't any tension in it so it is easy to replace.

[discomuzz]

My '98 Tdi kept doing the same thing; inside edge.

Turned out to be the PAS pump pulley/main shaft had around 10mm end play (i.e. knackered)!

Grab the PAS pump by the pulley and see if it moves in and out.

If so replace immediately, I couldn't be bothered and, as a consequence, the belt went again and wrapped itself so tightly around the water pump pulley it wrecked the internal seal in the pump.

Also, a mechanic mate of mine told me that sometimes, when the main belt goes, it can take the A/C belt with it and that when the A/C belt goes it can, sometimes, shear the control wires from the front of the A/C compressor (non-repairable)!

So, if the problem is PAS pulley. Don't mess with it.

Cheers
Murray
(P.S. PAS pump was $295.00 and took around two hours to change.)

[Taz]

It may be worth double checking that you have the correct belt. They changed them in 96 and there is only a 10mm length difference between the two. Yours sounds like it's too tight. Just a thought.