Honda civic 1.6 mk7 2004 Timing belt tensioner question

[graeme55]

Honda civic 1.6 2004 EU8 vtech petrol engine,

I need to know if the whole timing belt tensioner wheel assembly including the backplate, should loosely pivot on the central mounting bolt (after torquing the bolt to the correct torque),

Or should the tensioner assembly be secured in a fixed position after torquing the bolt (meaning the tensioner backplate would be pinned hard against the cylinder block, and would not be able to pivot on the mounting bolt).

If someone could clear this up for me please, I would be very grateful.

Thanks

[valhalla]

Do you have the sort of tensioner that has a pin to hold the tensioner pulley arm relative to the main backplate, whilst you fit the belt?

I'm pretty sure that the main tensioner backplate has a lug or something that locks it into the engine block, or stops it from turning completely around the bolt through the centre of the pulley?

[graeme55]

Hi
Yes, the tensioner has a locking pin which needs to be removed, but only after the belt is fitted and the tensioner spring is attached to the post, followed by the tensioner bolt being tightened to the correct torque.
There is nothing to lock the backplate onto the block to stop the tensioner assembly spinning on the bolt, besides the tightness of the tensioner bolt (no lugs / pins etc).

[Rhubarb]

Look at the old part and compare it to the new one. That'll give you the answer.

[valhalla]

I'm pretty sure that this design of tensioner relies on the backplate lug to engage against a lug on the front of the block, and for the sprung tension between the tensioner bearing and its backplate to react against one-another to wind the tensioner pulley around on an eccentric to achieve precise tensioned forces in the belt - meaning also that the tensioner remains free to continue tensioning the belt accurately as the belt stretches over the years. In other words, and I don't have a handy Honda engine to check this, the tensioner is not gripped tightly by the fixing bolt through the middle, but remains in spring-mode throughout its life.

The best advice is exactly as Rhubarb says above, which is that you should try to fit the old components exactly as they were back onto the engine, and assess whether they give a gripped condition or not - I suspect (if I'm right) that you would be able to turn the tensioner roller about the central, or near-central, bolt through it, without the eccentric action being inhibited at all.