[DeTomaso] Air Conditioner Compressor Belt Tension

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 8/1/09 11:45:46 AM, spleen at spamcop.net writes:

> How do I adjust the tension on the belt to the air conditioner 
> compressor?  The 3/4" nut on the front obviously isn't the answer, and I can't see 
> how to get to anything on the other side that would let me loosen it.  I know 
> the answer has got to be simple, but I just can't see it.
> 
It's not simple: there simply is not enough room for any known type of 
wrench to reach into grip the bolt's hex-head. What you need to do is get under 
the car and jam a screwdriver or small pry-bar blade in between the bolt 
hex-head and the ribs on the mount, while a friend untightens the nut. Then you 
immediately make a rectangular piece of 3/8" thick steel that fits inside 
the recess, tap it for the thread of the bolt you removed and use THAT as the 
'nut', running the bolt in from the front. Being rectangular, the chunk of 
steel won't rotate inside the mount ribs when adjusting tension. Or if you 
don't do this back-yard stuff, all the vendors have such a part already made. 

Second possibility: if you have not yet converted from the ancient-tech 
York A/C to a lighter more efficient rotary unit, when you do so, the rotary 
compressor's necessary adapter bracket can be made to slide back and forth on 
the mount (by slotting the bracket holes) to adjust belt tension by moving 
the whole   compressor. This eliminates the idler pulley and the whole 
problem goes away, although you do need to line the pullies up pretty close by eye 
or you will throw a belt. 
Finally, I dunno whether the vendors have solved the problem or not, but it 
used to be impossible to find a replacement bearing for the idler bearing 
when it went out- you had to replace the entire idler assembly; just another 
reason to eliminate the idler. My 2¢- J Deryke


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