urgent help with timing belt replacement please

[wellyman]

hey all:

I'm in the middle of replacing my timing belt on a 94 infiniti j30. I was trying to relieve the tension on the tensioner with a 10mm bolt, and the bolt and the casting on the tensioner broke off. I know you're supposed to go very slow so this doesn't happen, but it did. I don't know how this tensioner works or how it's assembled, and I'm not sure what I can do now to remove it. The how to I have says its not a "deal breaker" if this happens, just pry on the backside. I don't know what this means. Any help with how I go about removing the tension would be greatly appreciated.

[elwesso]

Well im sorry I cant help but I am having one of the other more knowlegeable guys on the VG30 motor come and help.

[wellyman]

Thanks. I appreciate it. A little more background on it that relates to this. The car jumped timing 2 teeth at the crank. I'm following this, http://www.ttzd.com/tech/timingbelttech.html, for guidance. I'm at the part where it says to remove the tensioner, and it says "put the retention bolt back in the auto-tensioner to remove tension on the belt. Slowly tighten the retaining bolt to relieve tension. If the retaining bolt is tightened too quickly, the casting on the tensioner will break. If it does, it's not a deal breaker. Just maintain tension on the belt and pry the backside of it instead of using the retaining bolt to retract the pulley. Loosen the two bolts and nut on the auto-tensioner, re adjust the position of the tensioner, tighten the bolts and nut again."

I'm looking for clarification as to what this all means. Pry the back of the tensioner and push it down? I've applied some pressure with a pry bar, but there's not much to pry against and the bar wants to push on the belt. I'm not sure what's supposed to happen here. Will the tensioner move enough that the belt will flop off, or is there still some tension and you just slide the belt off when you can? I don't know what the cams are going to do when I remove the tension and belt. I read to take the belt and rotate then so they are settled, but could they rotate before I get the chance to rotate then gently? I'd also like to know how to tell if the tensioner needs replacing. Trying not to dump a lot of money in it. Car has 120 k on it, but the belt has only 5,000k. It looks fine but the seals need to be replaced, and it looks like I'll have to ruin the belt to get the cams off, so there's a new belt I didn't expect to have to buy. And tensioners are quite a bit more. I'd like to know how I'm supposed to get the old tensioner back on without that retention bolt.

Sorry so long and sporadic. I'm trying to be as descriptive as I can. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. I'm stuck and not going to do anything until I'm sure how to do it. Thanks.

Jeff

[evildky]

when I did my TT I replaced all the idlers and the tensioner, I suggest once it's apart you free spin the idlers and be sure they spin freely without resistance, if in douby replace them! it's cheaper than a new engine, I also suggest the studs be replaced along with any tensioner or idler replaced, as for the tensioner, seeing as you broke it, I'd replace it back to the trouble at hand, I'd loosen the mounting and adjusting bolts for the tensioner and apply as much force to the tensioner as possible and try to work the belt off at one of the idlers, and it woud be a real pain to reinstall with the broken tensioner so I'll suggest again to replace it

just to be clear you did the belt and put it on 2 teeth opff and drove it for 5 k miles like this!?

[wellyman]

I didn't do the timing belt myself. It's not my car, and the work was done by a shop. The belt jumped timing just recently. I long story but anyways this is what happened. I'm just very unclear as to how the tensioner works/moves, and what is meant in the instructions by pushing on the backside of the tensioner. I guess I'll pry and do what I can. Thanks.