I am currently running the 19% pulley and am on my 3rd belt. Each time the belt breaks the belt tensioner slams into the crank pulley...destroying it (3rd crank pulley too). I am going to install the mymini tensioner limit stop tomorrow as well as a new belt tensioner assembly but I was wondering if anyone has seen any product to replace this poorly designed belt tensioner. If you have seen Ryephile's belt tensioner on his turbo only setup this is kinda what I am looking for.

 

GT Tuning has a nice one

 

I have the GT Tunning Tensioner limit stop:



Which is very similar to the MyMINI stop. I have lost one belt while driving and the limit did its job. I had belt all over the engine bay, but the tensioner pulley did not crash the crank pulley.

I highly recomment it!

 

Mine's from Myminiparts and it looks exactly like this one...guess the "patent pending" doesn't apply to over seas...

 

cool the mymini version is going on tomorrow and i wont be scared to visit red line anymore, a broken belt i can deal with but replacing the crank every time is a b!tch

 

Hmm. That stop plate looks like a good idea.
Does the tensioner assembly have a "service life"? ie, should it be replaced at X amount of miles? I ask because I have about 93k miles on the car,60k with the 15% and 45k or so with the 15% and the 2% crank. I'd hate to sieze the tensioner pulley!
Thanks!
Jim

 

In all honesty I doubt it. What's the life of a belt, 20,000 miles? I would recomend chaning your belt if you haven't yet. Even if it looks good...they're cheap enough and worth the comfort of knowing. I've been changing mine less then every 10,000 -- Johan

 

did you buy one of those belt tensioner tools or did you fab your own?

 

I decided on a belt change through DT along with the tensioner replacement at around 54,000 miles (first was around 25k but this was still way late!)...when Chad removed the tensioner, it was nearly shot and started to chew my belt and pullies

Two weeks later, one of our members with fewer miles snapped his belt while we were at MIS...he got two laps in and was flat bedded home

Check your belt and tensioners ladies...flat beds are expensive

 

Actually I've been using someone elses. There easy enough to fab on your own and cheap enough to buy.

 

Now you've all gone and made me (more) paranoid. Since I have a new belt waiting to be installed, I ordered a stop bar- better safe than sorry.

No sense keeping the belt tensioner tool and a spare belt in the boot for roadside repairs, if a broken belt means a trashed crank pulley!

 

I thought factory belt was supposed to be able to make it 60k.

 

With my Mom driving...

 

I can pounce on it at 42.7k without issue. (better go check mine though) I've heard several mention MINI claims for them to be able to last in the 50k-60k mile mark.

 

Yes I have changed the belt twice. Think I'll order a stop bar and a new tensioner, too.
Thanks All!!
Jim

 

I know I know...I was surprised my tensioner was going south...it's cheap insurance to check/replace these parts...belt or tensioner goes, no alternator, no water pump, walk...sucks flat bedding miles away from home...

 

Definitely sounds like a good idea to check regularly and have the stop bar installed. Better safe than sorry.

Adds another item to his "to do" list.

 

can you imagine what the regular *** paysto have this stuff done perodically at what 100.00 an hr?!!!wow!!impatient:impatient

 

Has anyone actually installed this? Photos / directions?

 

Post #4...

 

I must have installed/uninstalled this thing a million times. I eventually just threaded a bolt in from the backside where the slotted end of the stop will go, and used a lock nut.

Park the car with wheels cranked to the right
Remove the four plastic expanding rivets in the fender liner, three in front, one on the inside
Remove the philips head screw directly above the tire, use a stubby screwdiver
Remove the philips head screw that holds the front of the fender liner, it's a little to the right of the fog lamp area, under the bumper cover, use the stubby here too
Gently pull the fender liner away from the body and around the sensor wire

You should be able to see and access the front bolt for the tensioner "shock" the rear one can be reached from behind the engine.

 

I've got the GTT Tensioner Pulley and Limit Stop among other bits of his

Though I've no directions or pics of how to do it, I just paid the man himself to fit it all then drove away rather quicker than I arrived

 

That's my tensioner in #3. I put mine on while I was replacing the crank pulley. It is not required to remove the tensioner to put the limit stop on, but I also added the GT Tuning tensioner and idler pulleys at the same time. I figured while I had it apart, might as well get it all done.

 

So I do not need to release the tension to do it? Just do one side at a time?

 

It can be done without releasing the tension, it's a little easier to do one bolt at time.