Think I have a noise from the drive belt tension idle bearing, I would like to know can you replace the bearing and pulley only, or do you have to replace the full thing that's including the spring housing
Nad
Drive Belt Idel Bearing
Re: Drive Belt Idel Bearing
You'll soon know if yours is faulty - it you spin it by hand and it feels smooth, silent and just rotates about half a revolution it is OK. Conversely if it freewheels for a few seconds and sounds like an rattly, old roller skate wheel - it could do with replacing.
I've never managed to separate the wheel from the spring on these things - the front bolt or torx just seems to be there to allow leverage for belt removal/replacement. I overhauled my cooling system this spring on my 1.9 (m44) and replaced the tensioner (sounded like the roller skate) and I bought it from GSF. From memory it was around £40 and was made by INA who is a premium/OE bearing manufacturer. The BMW was about £90+
I've never managed to separate the wheel from the spring on these things - the front bolt or torx just seems to be there to allow leverage for belt removal/replacement. I overhauled my cooling system this spring on my 1.9 (m44) and replaced the tensioner (sounded like the roller skate) and I bought it from GSF. From memory it was around £40 and was made by INA who is a premium/OE bearing manufacturer. The BMW was about £90+
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Re: Drive Belt Idel Bearing
Belt tensioners are complete units... as suggested above, there are alternatives to BMW... Meyle also make them and from what I gather are the suppliers to BMW of these parts... if you find a Meyle stockist, it'll likely be around 1/2 price vs BMW.
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Re: Drive Belt Idel Bearing
I bought the bearing by its self from Europarts I think it was about £20. I have the 2.8 engine.
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Re: Drive Belt Idel Bearing
Just had both tensioners replaced and a new drive belt on the M and it came in at £194.
Ok I thought to get rid of horrid squeal and potential front end meltdown, the top one was the noisy one (I could oil it for temporary relief) but when they got access to the lower one it was really shot.
Ok I thought to get rid of horrid squeal and potential front end meltdown, the top one was the noisy one (I could oil it for temporary relief) but when they got access to the lower one it was really shot.
Re: Drive Belt Idel Bearing
Well that's it changed ! that is the Drive belt tensioner and bearing I mean, £42.60 from Eurocarparts Wasn't a hard job, the only hick up was having to remove the power steering pump pulley in order to remove the tensioner unit from the engine, but that's it and all is quiet again.Nad wrote:Think I have a noise from the drive belt tension idle bearing I mean, I would like to know can you replace the bearing and pulley only, or do you have to replace the full thing that's including the spring housing
Nad
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- Joined: Fri 14 Aug, 2009 10:24
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Re: Drive Belt Idel Bearing
Glad you got it all sorted
now you'll have a much quieter drive
now you'll have a much quieter drive
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Re: Drive Belt Idel Bearing
My air con belt tensioner was making quite a rattle - worse when the a/c was operating, and the tensioner bearing had more load on it. The bearing had only the smallest amount of play in it, and would have been passed as OK by most people. When I pulled the shield off the bearing I found that it was totally dry. Mileage was 120,000 but the A/C had been in use for a high proportion of this distance, sue to living in the damp SW of England, and the hot Sw of France.
There are two different types of tensioners - the coiled spring type, and the 'hydraulic' pattern fitted from Sept 1998 on the M52TU engines. The pulley with bearing is available from BMW dealers as a seperate part, and probably from GSF etc too.
It is an easy job to change the pulley, and a good opportunity to also grease the needle rollers on which the tensioner pivots.
I would have put a bit in the Knowledgebase, but cannot see how to these days.
There are two different types of tensioners - the coiled spring type, and the 'hydraulic' pattern fitted from Sept 1998 on the M52TU engines. The pulley with bearing is available from BMW dealers as a seperate part, and probably from GSF etc too.
It is an easy job to change the pulley, and a good opportunity to also grease the needle rollers on which the tensioner pivots.
I would have put a bit in the Knowledgebase, but cannot see how to these days.
A Z3 is not just for Christmas - it's for life!
Re: Drive Belt Idel Bearing
Mike, if you have any new articles for the KB, please just post them in Z3 Roadster and one of the mods will move them to the KB.Mike Fishwick wrote:I would have put a bit in the Knowledgebase, but cannot see how to these days.
Many thanks, R.
Arctic Silver '99 Z3 1.9 & Black '59 Frogeye 1275cc