Author Topic: getting the alternator belt off!! (Read 2919 times)

gforceaddict · « **on:** January 16, 2008, 07:03:48 am »

How do you get the alternator belt off a 1.6gtd with power steering? Where is the tensioner for the power steering belt? Please help asap as my car is unusable at the moment and I need it!! Many thanks in advance.

burn_your_money · « **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2008, 07:44:58 am »

Just cut the PS belt, you don't need it for anything :lol:

Vincent Waldon · « **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2008, 08:54:25 am »

IMHO the MK2 power steering pump setup is an engineering abomination second only to the bizzare set of springs on the throttle... :wink:

Technically there is a tensioner adjustment.. you loosen a couple of bolts on the front of the pump, one that you reach with a really deep socket thru the maze of coolant pipes by the water pump, and then loosen the adjuster clamp that's built into the left hand side of the big mounting bracket.

In practice my experience is that the bolts are rusted, you can't reach the weird one behind the water pump, etc etc etc... so I like to remove the two long 13mm bolts that attach the power steering pump to the block, and the two 13mm bolts to the left of the crank pulley that bolt the front powersteering bracket to the block, and drop the whole assembly out of the way.

Once it has been dropped down it's much easier to loosen the bolts that will be needed to retension the bolt, remind myself how the crazy adjuster design actually works, etc.

Plan B is pull the hex bolts off the powersteering pulley and remove the belt that way.

BlackTieTD · « **Reply #3 on:** January 16, 2008, 12:16:06 pm »

you take the power steering off and throw it away and not worry about that

rubadubdub · « **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2008, 04:40:45 pm »

If you look to the left of the power steering pump pulley you will see a vertical bolt running through the centre of another bolt whose locking nut is on the reverse side. These are the ones you need to remove, plus loosen the long horizontal bolt which the pump pivots on and holds it in place. The latter is underneath the alternator.

I'd jack up the drivers side and take a look as once youre underneath you should be able to work out where they are. In order to get my pump to shift (once the above bolts were off) i had to get a spanner on one of the other bolts on the pump beneath the belt and use my foot to lever the pump towards the firewall and loosen the belt as it was really stiff. If you need a picture i can take one, or check on www.vagcat.com. The tensioner bolts are numbers 22, 24 and 26 on the pump diagram, long horizontal one is 18.

Id give everything a damn good spray with WD40 the day before and make sure youve got a 12 or 13mm spanner (not sure which) as i didnt have enough room to use a socket for one of the nuts and it made levering the pump out much easier.

If all else fails take it off as Vincent said.

dieselsnowmobile · « **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2008, 07:15:08 pm »

Don't listen to them about ditching your power steering, I love my power steering.

gforceaddict · « **Reply #6 on:** January 18, 2008, 03:27:20 am »

i looked on vagcat.com but cant find the diagram I need! Does anyone know where it is on the site? Or are there other websites that show the diagrams?

rubadubdub · « **Reply #7 on:** January 18, 2008, 02:12:00 pm »

Heres the one on my car. The single arrows are the bolts you need to loosen. Curved means its on the reverse side.

That double arrow is the bolt i got a spanner on and used to rotate the pump away/towards to tighten/loosen the belt. On the far side you can see the groove it runs in when you move the pump.

Theres also the horizontal bolt but got no picture for that. Looks just like the one holding the alternator on except its on the pump, just under the alternator. It only needs to be loosened. I removed the alternator as it gave me more room and if youre changing the fan belt its all loose anyway.

rubadubdub · « **Reply #8 on:** January 18, 2008, 02:14:04 pm »

on vagcat go to 'engine' then scroll down to 'vane type power steering pump'.

good luck.

shegel · « **Reply #9 on:** January 18, 2008, 06:18:06 pm »

can i safely remove the pump and just plug the lines? its rather annoying for me to change the alt belt. remove the ps belt then the ac belt then the alt belt.

BlackTieTD · « **Reply #10 on:** January 18, 2008, 06:58:31 pm »

ya you can and it should be fine but you might want a manual rack which will make it a bit easier to steer but more turns lock to lock. mkIs don't need power steering unless its an electric powered car or something heavy like that. a mkII maybe. i need to tighten my alternator belt thanks for the reminder.