Volvo RWD S90-V90 Forum

I just installed a new tensioner (gen. Volvo) and idler and belt. Pretty simple, but the belt is now so slack the tensioner - fully extended - doesn't even touch it. I figured: "Dang, FCP sent the wrong belt". Nope - the new Conti is the same length as the old Goodyear, and both have coding containing "1755" which I presume is length in mm. Reinstalled the old belt, still in A1 shape...exact same result. You would have to lift the PS pump upward about 2in to take out the slack!

To help with diagnosis, here's what I checked (again and again):

-Belt routing as per the Volvo Green Book TP31714/2..checked this so many times I'm cross-eyed. The belt properly seats onto the individual pulleys, once you pull all the slack out by hand.

-New tensioner and idler are correctly mounted; they really can't be otherwise.

-None of the pulleys seem to have moved. They are all solidly bolted and the tensioner is the only movable thing the belt rides on. I looked at their mounting brackets and there's no sign of anything having shifted. Comparing pulleys to the diagram in the manual, they all seem to be in the right positons relative to each other.

Pretty frustrated! This was to be a 40-minute piece of cake and now I have an undriveable car and a situation that is completely baffling to me.

Anyone of you guys had this happen - followed by the AHA! moment? There just has to be something simple that I'm missing here.


TIA, all;

(BTW: the idler is Scan-Tech and obviously not the same quality as OE. Smaller bearing for one thing, and no capability to mount the little OE plastic dust shield over the hold-down bolt and bearing. I've got my fingers crossed.)

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Bob (son's 81-244GL B21F-M46, dtr's 94-940 B230FD, my 83-244DL B23F-M46, 89-745(LT1 V8), 98-S90, 77MGB and four old motorcycles)