Auxiliary belt, tensioner arm failure.

[duncan]

Link below from 911UK and the poster, deMort, is an independent service owner.

The tensioner arm is common to all 9A1 engines, 987.2 and 981, I think it may also appear on the engines on 982/718 models.

 

http://911uk.com/viewtopic.php?t=132158

 

Routine annual service including a ‘belt check’, in the past I’ve limited this to a visual inspection for cracking.
This time: I tried a 30mm spanner on the tensioner arm, the arm rotated but did not spring back. The pivot of the arm was seized as described above, oh bu**ger.

In a fit of ‘while you’re in there’ the replacement of the arm grew to include a new belt, roller, tensioner spring, water pump and coolant flush. Whilst the replacement of the arm is fiddly but doable I didn’t fancy doing the water pump and coolant flush myself. Total cost inc VAT was just shy of £1000 at my local Indy.

 

The pivot is recoverable; with the complete arm removed, the ‘washer’ is a press fitted to the ends of the pivot pin, these ends can be prised (hammered) off, the pin driven (hammered) out, internal corrosion removed, everything greased and reassembled with the retaining end/washer peened over. 
Did the water pump need doing (2010 car with 50,000) miles, maybe not, but with a failed arm I hadn’t any idea of extra loadings.

My thanks are to 911UK and deMort . . . 
- for 987.2 and 981 owners it’s a quick and easy check to confirm that all is well or not,