1.9 AAZ tensioner

[dieselsmoke]

So I have to change the tensioner for the serpentine belt on my car, I got a new tensioner roller, arm and the tensioner itself. the problem I have is that there is a bushing in the housing where the tensioner arm goes in and that bushing is shot. I asked VW and they don't sell the bushings for it and that you have to buy the whole mounting braket with the tensioner and everything on it for $600+. I found that to be quite dumb on vw's part. So, has anyone come across this problem before and what did you do to fix it? The only thing that I found that would fit is 1/2 inch copper pipe that is used for water lines but since copper isn't very hard I don't know how long it would last for.

[Rabbit TD]

So I have to change the tensioner for the serpentine belt on my car, I got a new tensioner roller, arm and the tensioner itself. the problem I have is that there is a bushing in the housing where the tensioner arm goes in and that bushing is shot. I asked VW and they don't sell the bushings for it and that you have to buy the whole mounting braket with the tensioner and everything on it for $600+. I found that to be quite dumb on vw's part. So, has anyone come across this problem before and what did you do to fix it? The only thing that I found that would fit is 1/2 inch copper pipe that is used for water lines but since copper isn't very hard I don't know how long it would last for.

If you can get the bushing out, {I don't know were or what it looks like} but if you can just take it to your nearest bearing supplier and let them measure it and they can probably get you one pretty close.  If nothing spins in this thing then your copper tubng idea will probably be fine, a little 180 wet or dry sandpaper and some oil should make it fit if it's too tight wherever this thing is.

[handedyourhat]

Yes I have came across this very same problem last week, I found out that you cannot even use a gas engine tensioner they are different even the bend in the arm is different..... the way I fixed mine was go to the auto wecker and remove the bushings from a gas 8v engine by hack-sawing off with the alum housing about 3" after you pull out the tensiner rod, then press out the good bushing from the backside and install them in your housing. I had to modify the 8v tensioner arm / had to cut it in half and put it in the same alignment as the diesel arm and then weld it back togeather (mine was really worn ) one more thing you will want to do is drill a small hole in the aluminum housing , somewhere in the middle and install a grease nipple and fill it full of grease...

 

[dieselsmoke]

The funny thing is that I have 2 spare 1.9 AAZ engines in my shop and on both of the assemblies the bushing closest to the tensioner pully was shot but the bushing closest to the tensioner itself was good. I think I changed the tensioner 6 times now. The first few times I had the 2 spare tensioners from the spare engines but they were both shot so I had to go and buy a new one. I think the one they gave me was for a gas job since the tensioner made the pully sit to far towards the front of the car and the bolts were too short to even bolt it on. It was a dayco tensioner. So I have to go back and get another tensioner. I put a piece of copper pipe in the housing where the tensioner arm goes in and it fits pretty good. I filled the housing with white lithium grease. I tried to get the other bushings out from the spare housings but those bastards are in there good, it looked as though they would get mangled if I were to try to pull them out. What did you use to pound them out?

[handedyourhat]

just look for some round stock that fits in the hole nicely, and with a little pounding the little bushing will come right out....I actually went to the autowrecker and if you remove the belt tension wheel and pull the arm out ,  if you hit the aluminum housing just in the right spot you will break off the end peice with the bushing still in it, and if you really have some horse-shoes you will break it off and the bushing will fall out on the ground :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  both sides use the same size bushing...

Good luck

[dieselsmoke]

So I ended up finding an old broken bracket and smashing out the bushing and using that one. The copper pipe would have worked as well but I found this broken bracket so I used the bushing from that instead. All is good now. Too bad VW dosen't sell the dam bushings though.

[erice1984]

The part number for that bushing is 028 903 313

I pulled the good bushing out of one of my AAZ brackets and that number was stamped on the back.  ECSTuning has them for ~$8