Oh my GOD! 308 alt. swap IMPOSSIBLE!

Thanks Verrel. I am only trying to replace the alternator belt so I don't think that I have to worry about getting the alternator out of the car. If I use your technique can I just ignore trying to loosen the pivot bolt?

 

Umm, missed that you were just doing a belt change.

Unless the pivot bolt is super tight, or possibly corroded inplace, you should be able to get the alt to pivot on it enough to adj belt tension.

A belt tensioning tip: Get a long (~24")pry bar (not a screwdriver, but a bar with a bent tip), & some thin strips of wood. Once the belt is on, you can insert the pry bar on top of the alternator & leverage it against something that's right over it (the cam cover I believe). Then pry the alternator down while tightening the tensioner bolt. It's best to use a strip of wood to cushion the cam cover. Don't pry too hard, the cam cover isn't super thick, but is strong enough in that area to do the job.

When I first did this, or when working on someone else's car, I hung the box end of a 17mm wrench on the tensioner bolt's nut, then used a ratchet to turn the bolt. The wrench would swing a bit, then jam itself against the side of the alternator so I could tighten the bolt. If I remember correctly, to get it to stay in place, the wrench had to go on the nut 'backwards; ie, with the wrench angled toward the outside of the car. Getting the wrench up & into place involved reaching upwards between a couple of heat shields, & scraping a bit of a blood sacrifice to Enzo. You could remove the heatshield that runs under the alternator, but it's a bit of a PITA so I don't bother.

Hanging the wrench also works for loosening the tensioner bolt, the wrench swings until blocked by a heat shield or the manifold, depending on the car.

Life is a lot easier since I welded some pieces of 1/4" steel rod to the tensioner & pivot nuts to keep them from turning.

 

Thanks Verell. You post was very helpful. A question however is how do you decide upon the amount of tension to put on the belt given that most DIYers do not have the belt tension measuring device that the manual suggests using. Not sure most mechanics use that device either.

By the way see my thread 328 Alt-WP belts for what caused the Alt belt to jump off the pulley and the WP belt to get cut almost entirely through in several places and stop functioning. I have searched the archives and not found any reference to the problem discussed in that thread or even what the rubber pieces glued to the pass. gas tank are for.

Thanks again for your help.

 

I tighten the belt by feel & deflection. Have never been able to find the recommended tensionometer.

The polychain belts need noticably more tension than a conventional V-belt.

The long section of the alternator belt should give about 10mm with a firm push in the middle. The WP belt about 1/4" as it's a shorter belt.

I try to tighten the belts to the point that they just stop squeeling when the engine is 1st started.

Saw your post about the rubber pads on the gas tank, but didn't have a good idea what they're for, so didn't post

Before I saw the picture, I thought maybe the pad was alongside the metal coolant line to keep it from rubbing a hole thru the tank.

Umm, maybe I do have an idea, does your car have the SANDEN type A/C compressor? That upper pad is in just the right place to keep the A/C hoses from rubbing against the tank.

 

Having a beer helps too. (grin)

Bob Wassam

 

I cannot quote a source but at some point I was led to understand those pads were to prevent the sharp edges of the A/C compressor from rupturing the fuel tank in the event of a collision, in much the same way that similar pads were used on the Pintos to prevent the differential from rupturing the tanks on those.

I have never doubted it because I do know as fact with Ferrari as the source that the reason the later and better rotary compressors were never installed on US 308's or 328's was that it would have required having the car crash certified all over again at substantial cost.

As it was for all the years those 2 models were imported they were grandfathered in under the crash testing results of the first cars.

Mondials were not so they came to the US with rotary compressors.

 

Ahhh, that explains why I've only seen the SANDEN compressors on Euro 308s...

 

I had a very stuborn/frozen bolt on the lower engine mount braket.

I ended up cutting the top bracket with a sawz-all and ordering a new one just to get the access I needed.

Bringing back a lot of (not good =) memories here....