Desperately Seeking Serpentine Belt Tool for R50-53 Justa

[ragtopday Johnna]

Looking for the serpentine belt tool for a non-S R52 (R50, R53). Have one you want to sell or loan?

[davester]

See this post from Hagar46 5/16/12



Re: The Club's Tools - Updated 1/2012

Postby Hagar46 » Wed May 16, 2012 12:02 pm
Does the Club or anyone in the Club own a serpentine belt tensioner release tool for Just-a-Cooper (not Cooper S) that they would be willing to loan out to me? I need to replace my serpentine belt (and maybe the tensioner).
http://www.promini.com/product_huge_ima ... 9sZy5qcGc=
Last edited by Hagar46 on Wed May 16, 2012 1:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
George

03 Cooper, Silk Green, CVT, ProMini CAI, Borla Exhaust, Unichip ECU, Schroth 4-pt Harness, Sportlink, 215k+ miles

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Hagar46
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Location: Liberty, MO

[Minidave]

He musta had Baron do it, he doesn't have the tool either.....nor do I.

[ragtopday Johnna]

He must have had Baron do it, he doesn't have the tool either.....nor do I.

MiniX2 spoke to Hagar yesterday and he didn't have the tool. Baron has only one in the shop and we wouldn't expect them to loan it to us. So the tool has been ordered and will be here by July-ish. (Only sorta kidding...) Will donate it to the club once BumperCar is back together. Then when it's needed after the next 168,000 miles, we will know where to find it.

[Minidave]

I had to rent a whole passle of tools to do Rose's Audi cambelt - I think to buy them would be well over $1K......I usually think buying tools is a good investment - but not in this case, I can't imagine ever doing this job again - and we think working on MINIs is tough!

[Race]

I just used a 3/8" drive ratchet to take the tension off of the belt tensioner arm and a bolt with a piece of wire attached to it to lock the tensioner arm in the slack position while replacing the belt. There is not a lot of space between the tensioner and the frame so a narrow rachet is a must, and the bolt with the wire attached helps to maneuver the bolt in place. It's too narrow for your fingers to get in there. It is outlined in the Haynes 2001-2005 MINI Workshop Manual.

Here is a YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8x4VHXzXAA

Instead of using the special tool as described put your 3/8" ratchet in that square hole out on the end of the belt tensioner and rotate counterclockwise.

[Minidave]

Wow, that vid really helps......I have a 3/8 breakover bar that would probably work perfectly, and if you bend up a rod out of piece of thick welding rod you should be good to go.

John, are you replacing the water pump while you're in there? Might be a good time - also check the idler wheel bearing on the tensioner and idler.

[ragtopday Johnna]

Tool is on the way and the resident mechanic is busy with his real job this week, so will wait for the tool but appreciate the video.

I don't think a water pump is in the plans. It has already been replaced once. Will ask on the other. The list of parts looked like a grocery list for a large family...

[ragtopday Johnna]

The tool has arrived! If anyone wants to see it in action, tomorrow is the big day.

Oh, how I miss my MINI. Hoping to have a car back soon, the kind with a retractable top and a transmission that doesn't require that pesky third pedal.

[MiniManiac]

The tool has arrived! If anyone wants to see it in action, tomorrow is the big day.

Oh, how I miss my MINI. Hoping to have a car back soon, the kind with a retractable top and a transmission that doesn't require that pesky third pedal.