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Belt Tightening 200 1987

How do I tighten the belts on my 1987 Volvo 240 2.3L ?

They have been squealing, and need to tighten them. Still working on getting a manual....








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Belt Tightening 200 1987

First realize that you shouldn't overtighten the belts -- i.e., tighten them up just because the belts are squealing -- too much tension can destroy bearings on the pulleys. First find out if they have the correct tension by pressing on the middle of a spanning segment -- it should deflect no more than 1/2 inch. If it checks OK, then the problem is something else.

Know that one common problem are the "accessory bushings" -- these are rubber (or you can upgrade to firmer 'blue poly') mounts to which the alternator, A/C, and P/S are all mounted (only the waterpump doesn't have these bushings). The problem is that you can check the belts (as above) and think they have the correction tension, and yet under a load, these bushings flex and let the belts loosen anyway. It's hard to diagnose because you can't push on the belts when they're moving (watch the fingers!).

Another problem is worn belts -- they can have a glaze that makes them more slippery -- look carefully at the undersides of the belts and the surfaces of the pulleys for this possibility.

If all the rest (except tension) check out OK, then you have to tighten the belts to the correct tension (a little less than 1/2 inch is ideal). To do this, you have to visually find both the adjusters and the locknuts. The locknuts hold the accessories (alternator, A/C compressor, P/S pump) in place on their brackets; the adjusters are contraptions that are L-shaped, with a long screw held in a slider -- you turn the screw to tighten or loosen the belt. But don't rely on that to hold the accessory; retighten the locknut after the belt reaches the proper tension, and then unscrew the adjuster a few turns to take the tension off of it. And put some antiseize on the threads of the adjuster -- they tend to rust and freeze solid, and you then have to replace the whole bracket.

That's a general explanation -- you have to find out which belt is squealing first, and then more specific instructions (depending on which accessory needs adjusting) can follow. To distinguish between the culprit and innocent belts, splash some water on the belts one at a time to see which one affects the squealing sound -- but do not use any oily substance (for obvious reasons, slippage).

Good luck.








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Belt Tightening 200 1987

I had excessive belt squealing on my 240, I happened to be by my Volvo shop and I asked the mechanic about it, he grabbed a can of WD-40 and opened the hood. He checked the belt tension and found it correct, then he sprayed the belts a bit with the WD-40 and sent me on my way.

Also, if the tension seems right (.5 inch movement when you press on the belt) then you should have a look at the bushings on the alternator etc, to see if they are worn causing the appliance to put pressure on the alignment of the belt.







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