Cavalier 16V Ecotec CamBelt Change

Honest John Back Room » Technical matters
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Thu 17 Apr 2003 22:56
Cavalier 16V Ecotec CamBelt Change - howy686
It's the 2 litre 16V ecotec engine (X20XEV) in a '94 cavalier. Can anyone confirm if there is automatic tension adjustment, at fitment of a new belt, on this engine. The Haynes manual is really hazy about which version of the GM 16V engine has this feature.
I want to tackle this job provided that there is no nagging doubt about the belt tension being correct.
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Fri 18 Apr 2003 02:03
Cavalier 16V Ecotec CamBelt Change - Dynamic Dave
I'm 99.9% sure it will have a tensioner. Looking in my Haynes manual confirms that as well. IIRC, if was pre 1991 8 valve engines that didn't have the tensioner and the belt had to be tightened by rotating the water pump body.

A word of warning about how the Haynes manual describes how to tension the belt though. I found that when I did my old 8 valve Cavalier cambelt, the Haynes manual said to turn the tensioner clockwise to tension, and anticlockwise to slacken the tension. WRONG. It was the other way round.

I take it you're going to also replace the tensioner, regardless of it's condition; as strongly recommended by Vauxhall and by other members of this forum?
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Fri 18 Apr 2003 06:34
Cavalier 16V Ecotec CamBelt Change - Andrew Moorey (Tune-Up)
The belt has to be tensioned when installed by setting a sprung tensioner to allow the slack that will develop to be compensated for. It is not difficult but a few special tools are needed. The whole setup is a bit of a contrivance and unless you are really confident I would entrust the work to a professional. Replace the two guide rollers, the tensioner and its' bolt and the water pump as a matter of course and for peace of mind put a drop of thread locking compound on all the bolts.
Andrew



Happiness is a T70 at full chat!
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