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From: condor_222 on 17 Feb 2010 19:01
Dear Experts,


I have a 1999 ES300, V6. Very similar to the Camry V6.

I'm visiting Canada now (with the car), and it's really cold.

For those of you who don't know, rubber is contrarian;
rubber actually expands in the cold.

So, my timing belt has stretched. When I press
my finger beside the alternator, the belt has a lot
of movement and give. It needs to be tightened.
(Tires need to filled with more air too, and readjusted
in the spring.)

On the two Fords that I used to own, there were two
different ways to adjust the belt.

One had the old style, with a belt dedicated to the
alternator. To tighten the belt, you loosed an alternator
bolt, levered the alternator to make the tension high,
and then tightened the bolt down. Similar to this:
http://forums.motivemag.com/zerothread?id=3490925

Another Ford had a big serpentine belt. To make
more tension, you first loosened the lock bolt,
turned a screw assembly to push a pulley into the
serpentine belt, creating tension, and then
tightened the lock bolt.

Questions:

1)
on the 1999 Lexus es300, the belt for the alternator is
actually a serpentine belt, correct? Meaning, that it
connects multiple components.


2)
How do I create more tension on the 1999 Lexus alternator belt?
- move the alternator, or
- move a pulley into tension, or
- something else? what's the secret?


Thanks a lot!
From: jim beam on 17 Feb 2010 19:22
On 02/17/2010 04:01 PM, condor_222(a)yahoo.com wrote:
> Dear Experts,
>
>
> I have a 1999 ES300, V6. Very similar to the Camry V6.
>
> I'm visiting Canada now (with the car), and it's really cold.
>
> For those of you who don't know, rubber is contrarian;
> rubber actually expands in the cold.

incorrect on two counts:

1. rubber has a positive linear thermal expansion coefficient, not negative.

2. belts are not simply rubber - they have longitudinal aramid/glass
fiber reinforcing that dominates their linear properties.


>
> So, my timing belt has stretched.

1. the alternator belt is not a timing belt.

2. your belt has not stretched [see #2 above], it has simply worn. this
is common in cold climates where alternator loads are higher, especially
on startup. simply adjust or replace.


> When I press
> my finger beside the alternator, the belt has a lot
> of movement and give. It needs to be tightened.
> (Tires need to filled with more air too, and readjusted
> in the spring.)
>
> On the two Fords that I used to own, there were two
> different ways to adjust the belt.
>
> One had the old style, with a belt dedicated to the
> alternator. To tighten the belt, you loosed an alternator
> bolt, levered the alternator to make the tension high,
> and then tightened the bolt down. Similar to this:
> http://forums.motivemag.com/zerothread?id=3490925
>
> Another Ford had a big serpentine belt. To make
> more tension, you first loosened the lock bolt,
> turned a screw assembly to push a pulley into the
> serpentine belt, creating tension, and then
> tightened the lock bolt.
>
> Questions:
>
> 1)
> on the 1999 Lexus es300, the belt for the alternator is
> actually a serpentine belt, correct? Meaning, that it
> connects multiple components.

no, serpentine means it has a run with rollers on both sides of the
belt, not just one - it loops back on itself. multiple components can
still run on a non-serpentine belt.


>
>
> 2)
> How do I create more tension on the 1999 Lexus alternator belt?
> - move the alternator, or
> - move a pulley into tension, or
> - something else? what's the secret?
>
>
> Thanks a lot!


--
nomina rutrum rutrum
From: ransley on 17 Feb 2010 19:35
On Feb 17, 6:01 pm, condor_...(a)yahoo.com wrote:
> Dear Experts,
>
> I have a 1999 ES300, V6.  Very similar to the Camry V6.
>
> I'm visiting Canada now (with the car), and it's really cold.
>
> For those of you who don't know, rubber is contrarian;
> rubber actually expands in the cold.
>
> So, my timing belt has stretched.  When I press
> my finger beside the alternator, the belt has a lot
> of movement and give.  It needs to be tightened.
> (Tires need to filled with more air too, and readjusted
> in the spring.)
>
> On the two Fords that I used to own, there were two
> different ways to adjust the belt.
>
> One had the old style, with a belt dedicated to the
> alternator.  To tighten the belt, you loosed an alternator
> bolt, levered the alternator to make the tension high,
> and then tightened the bolt down.  Similar to this:http://forums.motivemag.com/zerothread?id=3490925
>
> Another Ford had a big serpentine belt.  To make
> more tension, you first loosened the lock bolt,
> turned a screw assembly to push a pulley into the
> serpentine belt, creating tension, and then
> tightened the lock bolt.
>
> Questions:
>
> 1)
> on the 1999 Lexus es300, the belt for the alternator is
> actually a serpentine belt, correct?  Meaning, that it
> connects multiple components.
>
> 2)
> How do I create more tension on the 1999 Lexus alternator belt?
> - move the alternator, or
> - move a pulley into tension, or
> - something else?  what's the secret?
>
> Thanks a lot!

Replace if its near time, its worn. Its not the timing belt, but how
old are both, maybe both are overdue for new ones.
From: Tegger on 17 Feb 2010 19:45
condor_222(a)yahoo.com wrote in news:0f597bb2-4c78-4978-b780-d000f887b0f4
@o3g2000yqb.googlegroups.com:

> Dear Experts,
>
>
> I have a 1999 ES300, V6. Very similar to the Camry V6.


Identical, actually.


>
> I'm visiting Canada now (with the car), and it's really cold.



That's Canada for ya. Too cold. Way colder than, say, DC just now...



>
> For those of you who don't know, rubber is contrarian;
> rubber actually expands in the cold.



It shrinks, like anything else.

It also gets /harder/ and s/slipperier/, which you're misinterpreting as
expanding.



>
> So, my timing belt has stretched.



T'ain't a timing belt. It's an accessory drive belt.



> When I press
> my finger beside the alternator, the belt has a lot
> of movement and give. It needs to be tightened.

<snip>

>
>
> 2)
> How do I create more tension on the 1999 Lexus alternator belt?
> - move the alternator, or
> - move a pulley into tension, or
> - something else? what's the secret?
>



The secret is: one bolt above the alternator and two underneath it. I
think they're all 14mm, but I'm not certain.

The one above (points to the SIDE) must first be loosened slightly.

The one below that points towards the SIDE of the car (same as the one
above) also needs to be loosened.

After that, you turn the one below that points to the FRONT of the car
until the alternator belt has the right amount of tension. Clockwise
will tighten.

Then you snug 'em all back up again. Piece of cake.


--
Tegger

From: Jeff Strickland on 17 Feb 2010 22:34

<condor_222(a)yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:0f597bb2-4c78-4978-b780-d000f887b0f4(a)o3g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
> Dear Experts,
>
>
> I have a 1999 ES300, V6. Very similar to the Camry V6.
>
> I'm visiting Canada now (with the car), and it's really cold.
>
> For those of you who don't know, rubber is contrarian;
> rubber actually expands in the cold.
>
> So, my timing belt has stretched. When I press
> my finger beside the alternator, the belt has a lot
> of movement and give. It needs to be tightened.
> (Tires need to filled with more air too, and readjusted
> in the spring.)
>
> On the two Fords that I used to own, there were two
> different ways to adjust the belt.
>
> One had the old style, with a belt dedicated to the
> alternator. To tighten the belt, you loosed an alternator
> bolt, levered the alternator to make the tension high,
> and then tightened the bolt down. Similar to this:
> http://forums.motivemag.com/zerothread?id=3490925
>
> Another Ford had a big serpentine belt. To make
> more tension, you first loosened the lock bolt,
> turned a screw assembly to push a pulley into the
> serpentine belt, creating tension, and then
> tightened the lock bolt.
>

I don't know what Ford you had, but my Fords have a spring loaded tensioner
that never needs adjustment.

Me thinks your Toyota might be the same.






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