I need a decent way to change the belt WITHOUT the tensioner tool
AND without disassembling half the engine and jacking it up.

i guess i'm looking for a way to compress the tensioner without mangling anything. i think i can wiggle the belt on and off through the low-clearance areas without jacking the engine. --maybe i'm wrong.

someone must have figured a way to do this by now without the tool and without mangling the pulley and/or other body/engine parts.

 

We got it down to maybe 30 minutes now using the jacking method... just remove the bolts/nuts you would for the pulley install, jack up the motor, and use a prybar or large screwdriver to push the tensioner back - and have a buddy drop a pop rivet or something in the 2nd hole on the tensioner arm to hold it out of the way.

We had to learn how to do it quickly at the last track day, when a 15% pullied car spit one... and then a 19% pullied car followed suit about 1 session later. Nobody wanted to miss their next run group! :smile:

 

There's no need to jack up the engine. I remove the right front tire and the inner fender cover. Then use pry bar to push the tensioner back - and have a buddy drop a pop rivet or something in the 2nd hole on the tensioner arm to hold it out of the way.

 

am i to assume that removing the inner fender cover is easy to do??

a handful of screws?

thx for the advice so far.:smile:

 

for the fender connections, Mini uses these all plastic, two part expanding fasteners, phillips drive. they get FU with dirt, stripped phillips', splayed tabs, etc. do yourself a favor and go buy 10 or 20 new ones from the dealer; they cost peanuts.

 

thx JLM i'll call peabody on monday and have them ship me a handful.