[V8] Serpentine Belt

[Ron Wainwright]

I'm going to have to disagree... 

.... while I agree that the bearings inside the tensioner housing "can" get gummed up ect & not be as smooth as they should be..... if the serp belt tensioner damper isn't doing what it's supposed to do then the tensioner/spring won't have any resistance. 
If you remove the top bolt on the P-side t-belt cover that holds the damper shock to the cover, with a good damper the tensioner spring will release the tension that the damper provides & bottom out the spring loaded tensioner bracket causing the belt to be looser than it should be.

 As far as serp belt routing...... I'm guilty as charged as well... 1st time I replaced the belt I had an extra foot of belt & for the life of me couldn't see were I went wrong. After about 1hr of messing with it I remembered I had the manuals & just looked in it for the routing.
 I'll never again forget how it goes ;-)

 Ron


--- On Mon, 2/2/09, Dave Saad <dsaad at icehouse.net> wrote:

> From: Dave Saad <dsaad at icehouse.net>
> Subject: Re: [V8] Serpentine Belt
> To: "Audi V8Q Mailing list" <v8 at audifans.com>
> Date: Monday, February 2, 2009, 12:54 AM
> The "tensioner" is a big spring inside the RHS
> timing cover.  There  
> is a bearing surface that could get sticky but as I recall,
> you can  
> take it apart and clean/lube as needed. Of course, this
> means taking  
> off the RHS timing cover which is a big chunk of a full
> timing belt job.
> However if you are talking about the little shock like
> thing by the  
> alternator, it is only a damper.  It does not tension the
> belt at all.
> 
> Heed the advice about belt routing too - it is weird.
> 
> Dave
> On Feb 1, 2009, at 8:13 AM, Tony and Lillie wrote:
> 
> > I replaced both of the idlesr on mine when I did the
> serpentine  
> > belt. You
> > don't have to remove the fan. However, if you
> don't have the  
> > manual, make a
> > drawing on how the belt is routed (or look at one of
> your other  
> > cars ;-).
> > When I first did mine, I had about a foot of extra
> belt. The  
> > routing made no
> > sense to me. But, once I got the manual out, I
> understood it  
> > completely.
> >
> > As for the tensioner, I've never replaced mine,
> but if it seems  
> > weak, maybe
> > it's time. I think I'd do the belt first,
> though. Also, your  
> > regulator can
> > be replaced on the alternator, usually it's the
> brushes that wear out.
> >
> > Tony
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> When replacing the belt should I replace all the
> tensioners and idler
> >> pulleys also?? Does the fan have to come off or
> can you slip it  
> >> over the
> >> fan?
> >>
> >> Thanks in advance for any input as I am running
> out of V8's to drive
> >>
> >> Bob Blake
> >
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