#3000GT TIMING BELT TENSIONER TOOL HOW TO#

In fact, my guess is that Firestone didn't know how to set up your tensioner, or didn't have the tool, and just winged it in the first place, which led to the problems you're having now. One of the guys here sells them - just do a search for 'tensioner tool.' No, wait, with the engine in the car I'd say it is impossible to tension it correctly without the tool. You see those two little holes in the tensioner pulley? Those holes are for two pins that come off a special little wrench without that, it is next to impossible to set the timing belt tension correctly in the first place. On top of which, you need a special little tool to set the tensioner correctly when you put the timing belt back on. If it were me I'd do it over with OEM parts (or at least known aftermarket if this is a car you don't want to spend a lot on) and be done with it. Again, unless you KNOW what parts Firestone bought I couldn't tell you if they're any good or not.

Most of us are picky about these critical parts and only use OEM, although some have had good luck with SOME of the aftermarket stuff. A new water pump is a good idea also, unless you like taking it all apart again next year when it starts leaking. Unless you KNOW you have a NEW tensioner, and NEW pulleys with that new belt you're headed for trouble. As many, many people here can tell you that's just not good enough. As far as spending the money om new parts, do you KNOW, for sure, what Firestone replaced? The manual only calls for the belt to be replaced and many shops only replace what's in the book. You would then have to re-check that everything is bolted down and torqued correctly because as Sublime said the pulley ain't going to hit the crank gear unless something came loose.

The only way to get to the bottom of this, or even just re-tension the belt, is to open it right up as if you were changing the belt.

3000gt timing belt tensioner tool