Gates 150 Belt tensioner tool | FerrariChat

Gates 150 Belt tensioner tool

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by msouza, May 28, 2006.

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  1. msouza

    msouza Formula Junior

    Mar 14, 2005
    292
    Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Milton Souza
    As you all know Gates no longer makes to belt tension measuring tool.

    I finally found one place that still have some is stock. Total cost with shipping was $20.00

    If any one is interested here is the link

    http://m-and-d.com/GA-91107.html

    Regards,

    Milton
     
  2. Verell

    Verell F1 Veteran
    Consultant Owner

    May 5, 2001
    7,022
    Groton, MA
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    Verell Boaen
    I've been looking for one of these for a couple of years!
     
  3. Wade

    Wade Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Mar 31, 2006
    32,793
    East Central, FL
    Full Name:
    Wade O.
    I was just explaining to my G/F about her squealing a/c belt and that it's best to have tension measuring tool. Plus I've always needed one anyway. Dang, didn't know that they weren't being made anymore but thanks, I just ordered one.
     
  4. Wade

    Wade Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner

    Mar 31, 2006
    32,793
    East Central, FL
    Full Name:
    Wade O.
    #4 Wade, May 29, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Permits user to tension belts during installation, while engine is shut off, to maintain belt service life and performance. Use for tensioning all automotive V-belts up to, and including, 7/8” top widths. Easy to use.

    Instructions packed with product.
    Scale reads in pounds and kilograms. Measures tension from 30 to 160 lbs., and 15 to 75 kg.
    Die-cast aluminum body, nylon Indicator arm and pressure pad.
    Fits in shirt pocket with stainless steel clip.
    Packaging: Individually boxed. Part No. 91107
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  5. Jdubbya

    Jdubbya The $10 Trillion Man
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 28, 2003
    42,467
    PNW
    Full Name:
    John
    That'll take a lot of guess work out or new belts! Thanks for the info. I also found them through Google but they were more $ at all the other sites.
     
  6. robertgarven

    robertgarven F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Feb 24, 2002
    5,284
    Ventura, California
    Full Name:
    Robert Garven
    I got one, it is kind of funky but works I noticed that my tension was way off the scale on the light side. I dont want to burn ot bearings and have never had a screeching sound, however I did have a set of belts that did the snapping sound swithed belts and it was gone?

    rob
     
  7. Lawrence Coppari

    Lawrence Coppari Formula 3

    Apr 29, 2002
    2,184
    Kingsport, TN
    Full Name:
    Lawrence A. Coppari
    I've used this tool for the past 10 years for tensioning the cam belt in my Porsche. It works well for me. Others claim it does not work well. My conclusion is that they are bumping it as they remove it to read it or they are just ham fisted. This tool is the alternative for the $500 Porsche tensioner tool.
     
  8. ham308

    ham308 Formula Junior

    Nov 3, 2003
    358
    NE Switzerland
    Full Name:
    Richard Ham
    I think I could have done with one of these the other evening.

    How does it work? Looks fairly basic ....
     
  9. ham308

    ham308 Formula Junior

    Nov 3, 2003
    358
    NE Switzerland
    Full Name:
    Richard Ham
    Perhaps I should explain the above. We were doing a friend's 328 timing belts and it required a leap of faith to trust the spring tensioners. On their own they couldn't twist the camshafts to take up the slack and even after turning the engine thru one revolution they seemed a bit suspect. With a light helping hand however (an extra push on the tensioner) we seemed to get reasonable results.

    I've heard if you can just twist the longest bit of free belt (sure there's a good word for this) through 90° with your fingers, then the tension is about right. Not very technical I know. Anybody agree / disagree?

    Richard
     
  10. No Doubt

    No Doubt Seven Time F1 World Champ

    May 21, 2005
    72,740
    Vegas+Alabama
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    Mr. Sideways
    No. Offhand I'm thinking that 100 ft/lbs of tension will stop you from twisting a belt 90 degrees (I'll have to actually try it to see some day, though). The timing belt on my Ferrari 348 needs more like 160 ft/lbs.

    I wouldn't recommend the Kricket tensiometer tool for timing belts (too close to the limit/margin-of-error for that tool)...but it should be fine for alternator or A/C belts (that's how I use mine).
     
  11. olehholy

    olehholy Karting

    Nov 12, 2003
    122
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Oleh Holynskyj
    I just got mine a few weeks ago as well. CarQuest still has this Gates part # as an orderable part so your local CarQuest should be able to get them within a day or 2.

    One problem I noticed is that to measure the tension for the alternator belt on my 308 QV, the longest span, where the manual states to measure tension, is too close to the AC bracket and I cant get the Gates tool on the right spot.

    Oleh
     
  12. Verell

    Verell F1 Veteran
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    May 5, 2001
    7,022
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    Verell Boaen
    90° is the test for way too loose.

    35° to 45° is about right.

    Am in the middle of a belt change on an '82 GTSi. One of the belts was obviously too loose, you could easily rotate the tensioner with your fingers w/o moving the belt. The belt twists to about 70°, but since the engine was on PM1-4 ready for the cams to be locked down, we didn't try to take the slack out of the tensioner side to see how much more it would twist. Suspect still wouldn't be all the way to 90° tho.
     
  13. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Sep 15, 2004
    5,465
    VIR Raceway
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    Peter Krause
    That's so funny. I bought the one in my toolbox about two decades ago. It's great and works well. Larry, I'm not surprised you have one!

    -Peter
     
  14. J.P.Sarti

    J.P.Sarti Guest

    May 23, 2005
    2,426
    I wouldn't use one of those for timing belts, they are not that accurate
     
  15. ndnguyen

    ndnguyen Karting

    Jul 27, 2005
    166
    When a belt (water, alternator, or AC) makes a snapping sound, is it too loose or too tight? When it screeches, it's too loose right? Thanks.

    - Nguyen
     
  16. ProCoach

    ProCoach F1 Veteran
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    Sep 15, 2004
    5,465
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    Peter Krause
    Snapping sound on Polyflex (hard rubber, very narrow) is too loose.

    Screeching is a bad noise but that is normal for a too loose conventional V-belt.

    -Peter
     
  17. robertgarven

    robertgarven F1 Veteran
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    Feb 24, 2002
    5,284
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    Robert Garven
    #17 robertgarven, May 30, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  18. sp308qv

    sp308qv Karting

    Nov 20, 2003
    101
    South Jersey
    Full Name:
    Steve Ponzetto
    I've been searching the earth for one of these, Thank You so much!
     
  19. Verell

    Verell F1 Veteran
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    May 5, 2001
    7,022
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    Verell Boaen
    Just got this response back from my order, why do I have this feeling about what they'll tell me in a couple of weeks:

     
  20. ham308

    ham308 Formula Junior

    Nov 3, 2003
    358
    NE Switzerland
    Full Name:
    Richard Ham
    Hi Verell,
    in this case you give more than a gentle helping hand to the timing belt tensioners, right?

    In my freind's case it would need considerably more tension if it should only be possible to twist the longest span by ~40°. The manual recommends leaving it up to the tensioner springs alone, having turned the engine over one revolution and that would seem to give far too little tension.


    "ham-fisted"? Robert, I hope your not casting nasturtiums.... :)

    Richard
     
  21. Verell

    Verell F1 Veteran
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    May 5, 2001
    7,022
    Groton, MA
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    Verell Boaen
    WRONG. My experience to date is that the tensioner springs have been sufficient. I've mostly done QVs & 328s, but the 2Vs I've done the tensioners did fine themselves.

    Here's what may be the difference:
    After everything's setup to my satisfaction, I rotate the engine a couple of turns, sometimes more.

    Then, while keeping some pressure on the crank damper to ensure the long belt section is stretched tight, I tighten the tensioner down.

    If you don't keep the long section tight while locking the tensioner down, the belt will be too loose, as the tensioner spring can't work on any slack that's in that long section as both the drive gear, & both cam gears are providing resistance.
     
  22. msouza

    msouza Formula Junior

    Mar 14, 2005
    292
    Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Milton Souza
    Verell, sorry to hear that M & D run out of the Gates 150 tool, hopefully they are able to order from another source to fullfill your order.

    As for CarQuest, I just spent 1 hour at the local store while they were trying to locate a store that had them in stock. No such luck. According to them, this tool is no longer made by Gates, and CarQuest in unable to order it.

    If I find another source, I'll post it here.

    Regards,

    Milton
     
  23. EDoug

    EDoug Formula Junior

    Apr 19, 2005
    261
    Southern Florida
    The first time I heard about the Gates Krikit Tension gauge was years ago from a Ferrari factory trained mechanic. He was servicing a new F40 while we discussed my 308 timing belts that I was going to change myself, and did. He had a Gates Krikit in his shirt pocket on a clip with a Ferrari logo that the factory gave him. I think the setting was 38 KG for the new 308 belts as I remember. E. Doug
     
  24. No Doubt

    No Doubt Seven Time F1 World Champ

    May 21, 2005
    72,740
    Vegas+Alabama
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    Mr. Sideways
    I bought mine on eBay.
     
  25. Verell

    Verell F1 Veteran
    Consultant Owner

    May 5, 2001
    7,022
    Groton, MA
    Full Name:
    Verell Boaen
    Krickets used to be all over the place.

    My biggest frustration is that I didn't know that the Gates 150 tool was the same as the 'krikit'.

    I've had an eBAY search for 'Gates 150' & 'tool' running ever since eBAY started saving searches(sigh).
     

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