2013~2016 Belt Tensioner - Shouldn't this be a warranty item?

Fellas, I tried the Gates V tool pictured above (the red one). I’m not sure if any of those will work on the Mazda pulley. I don’t remember there being enough room to use my Gates tool. See post #53 for Yrweis reshare of my belt replacement post. The tool was too wide for the pulleys and I had to toss it aside. Another thing with these tools is you have to be sure they’ll work when turning the crank a certain way. The Mazda engine has to be turned in the opposite direction of most other cars I believe (clockwise vs counterclockwise).

I got the big zip ties from Harbor Freight and that did the trick.
 
Fellas, I tried the Gates V tool pictured above (the red one). I’m not sure if any of those will work on the Mazda pulley. I don’t remember there being enough room to use my Gates tool. See post #53 for Yrweis reshare of my belt replacement post. The tool was too wide for the pulleys and I had to toss it aside. Another thing with these tools is you have to be sure they’ll work when turning the crank a certain way. The Mazda engine has to be turned in the opposite direction of most other cars I believe (clockwise vs counterclockwise).

I got the big zip ties from Harbor Freight and that did the trick.

Thanks for the review! I was wondering which zip ties you used? I currently have stainless steel ties from Harbor Freight and they're extremely slim/low profile with a 115 lb working load. I figure I would use these instead of the plastic ones since they won't snap in half that easily and will retain their shape.

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12 In. Stainless Steel Cable Ties 25 Pk.
 
Not sure about you guys, but I think I'm most likely going to be purchasing the Lisle one since it has a magnet and the material definitely seems to be good for the price. If you buy it from O'reillys, they have a lifetime warranty but then again this tool will only be used once in a blue moon and it costs $6 more than Amazon.
Exactly! For us we need a cheapest tool but with good enough quality. Plastic ones should be fine as long as they can fit into the tight space we have installing the water pump belt. It should save us time and money to have a small and effective one.
 
Thanks for the review! I was wondering which zip ties you used? I currently have stainless steel ties from Harbor Freight and they're extremely slim/low profile with a 115 lb working load. I figure I would use these instead of the plastic ones since they won't snap in half that easily and will retain their shape.



12 In. Stainless Steel Cable Ties 25 Pk.

Yeah, those larger tools won't fit in there plus they are too wide to clamp on due to the "flying saucer" shape of our water pump pulley. And yes, you do rotate the crankshaft pulley clockwise which makes the 7:20-8 o'clock spot on the water pump pulley the critical spot for starting the belt onto the pulley. The magnetic one just might work. As far as the zip ties go, Dig I'd be leery of using metal ones as they might cut the belt. I would imagine that super-duty plastic would be better. Oh, and on the Harbor Freight site, the heavy duty plastic zip ties have a 175 lb working load! Go figure!
 
Yeah, those larger tools won't fit in there plus they are too wide to clamp on due to the "flying saucer" shape of our water pump pulley. And yes, you do rotate the crankshaft pulley clockwise which makes the 7:20-8 o'clock spot on the water pump pulley the critical spot for starting the belt onto the pulley. The magnetic one just might work. As far as the zip ties go, Dig I'd be leery of using metal ones as they might cut the belt. I would imagine that super-duty plastic would be better. Oh, and on the Harbor Freight site, the heavy duty plastic zip ties have a 175 lb working load! Go figure!

Good tips on the crankshaft. I'll probably try all of my tools out when the time comes and let you guys know the best method for me. I think I'm gonna try to use the old belts as a guinea pig so I don't mess up the new belts lol
 
Thanks for the review! I was wondering which zip ties you used? I currently have stainless steel ties from Harbor Freight and they're extremely slim/low profile with a 115 lb working load. I figure I would use these instead of the plastic ones since they won't snap in half that easily and will retain their shape.



12 In. Stainless Steel Cable Ties 25 Pk.
Yes, I agree with minnesotaart. Stainless steel cable tie could damage the stretch belt.
 
Yes, I agree with minnesotaart. Stainless steel cable tie could damage the stretch belt.
Also agree. Even the thick plastic zip ties nearly damaged my belt. Turned it a little too far during installation and it was definitely digging into the belt a little bit. I was able to snap the ziptie off before it did any damage.
 
Not sure about you guys, but I think I'm most likely going to be purchasing the Lisle one since it has a magnet and the material definitely seems to be good for the price. If you buy it from O'reillys, they have a lifetime warranty but then again this tool will only be used once in a blue moon and it costs $6 more than Amazon.

The Lisle one looks promising.
 
The Lisle one looks promising.

It does but we'll see. Seems like every car has a different tool that it requires based on the amount of clearance required. Also, Advanced Auto Parts sells the tool as well and you can apply a 25% coupon to it if you guys wanna pick it up.
 
The Lisle one looks promising.
I think it looks promising too. The main thing is getting the belt on. We can always cut the old belt off. One person has to buy it and try it and report back. I would pay $19 dollars for it if it works good, even if I only use it 1 time :) Maybe the large zip ties are best since they are cheap and they worked for ruthrj. What gen CX-5 do you have Ruthrj?
 
I think it looks promising too. The main thing is getting the belt on. We can always cut the old belt off. One person has to buy it and try it and report back. I would pay $19 dollars for it if it works good, even if I only use it 1 time :) Maybe the large zip ties are best since they are cheap and they worked for ruthrj. What gen CX-5 do you have Ruthrj?
Gen1, ‘13 2.0L. I think that made the job a lot easier lol! The tensioner was easy to manipulate, and slipping the water pump belt on was quick.
 
Gen1, ‘13 2.0L. I think that made the job a lot easier lol! The tensioner was easy to manipulate, and slipping the water pump belt on was quick.
With a bit more space to work on belt tensioner and water pump belt on 2.0L seems to be one of many advantages over a SkyActiv-G 2.5L, in addition to more fuel efficient and smoother running without a heavy balance shaft!
 
Update 10/19 (Part 1/2): Removal Process (Part 1/5)

Alright guys, I decided to start the first part of the process today and it definitely takes a while because of a few reasons:
  1. Gathering up all of the tools
  2. Trying to work on the floor with the limited amount of space
  3. Trying to use the tool that's the most appropriate for the job
Tools Required:
  1. Eye Protection: I got shot in the eye with flying splash shield rivets/sand when trying to pry it off because a few of them had sand stuck inside or they just wouldn't come out. Luckily, I was wearing eye protection so I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND doing so.
  2. 4 lb. hammer: Used to hammer the bottom bolt loose using the 12 mm offset box wrench because my bolt was stuck on very tight and there seems to be a lot of debris/sand around the bolt. Definitely recommend using a hammer but the angle I was using a hammer had brake lines and the ABS wiring in the way so I would be very careful. I didn't want to apply brute force to the bolt using the wrench because I know it will eventually snap, having to go through that scenario in the past.
  3. 17 mm crow foot flare nut wrench: Used primarily to remove the water pump belt via the "Cast Hexagon".
  4. 12 mm crow foot flare nut wrench: Don't remember if I even used this at all.
  5. 8 mm socket: Used to remove the underbody bolts to remove the "splash guard/wheel well molding"
  6. 10 mm socket: Used to remove the underbody bolts to remove the "splash guard/wheel well molding"
  7. 21 mm socket: For Tires/Crankshaft Pulley
  8. 12 mm flare nut wrench: Used to remove the belt tensioner bolt.
  9. 12 mm ratcheting wrench: Used to loosen the top nut of the belt tensioner.
  10. 17 mm ratcheting wrench: You can use this instead of the 17 mm crow foot to apply tension to the "Cast Hexagon". Either one would work but the 17 mm ratcheting wrench may be easier to fit onto the Cast Hexagon.
  11. 12 mm box offset end wrench: I used in conjunction with the 12 mm flare nut wrench to remove the bottom bolt of the belt tensioner because this was the only thing that I could use that was long enough to apply force using a hammer. After the bottom bolt was loosened, I went back to using my flare nut wrench as I did not want to round the bolts.
  12. Long Reach Hose Grip Pliers (Not required but makes extracting the belt tensioner much easier)
  13. Metal/Plastic Rivet Removal Tool
  14. Magnet pickup tool: This will definitely make your life a lot easier if you want to take out the nut or if you want to place the nut back into the hole due to the extremely tight clearances.
  15. 1/4 In, 3/8 In. Drive Long Reach Dual Flex Head Ratchet: This was my primary go to tool the entire time. I opted to use this one instead of the "Serpentine Belt Removal Tool" instead because this was able to flex in the very tight crevices and it's about 14 inches long I believe. I noticed that some users purchased $70 - 120 wrenches on Amazon and I didn't want to go that route. In addition, I was able to use 10/12mm sockets inside of the engine bay compartment to access the nut from the top as well as accessing the "Cast Hexagon" to remove the water pump belt.
  16. 1/2 Ratchet: Used with 21 mm socket for water pump belt removal via crankshaft pulley.
Before you can even access the crankshaft/belts and whatnot, you will need to remove the below:
  1. Wheel splash shield
  2. Inner wheel splash shield
  3. Outer wheel side splash shield
I didn't even bother to count the amount of rivets anymore because there was so many. I think at least 15-25. If you don't remove the outer/wheel splash shield, you will probably at most be able to see visually 70-80% of the crankshaft pulley and the serpentine belts. I think you could probably get away with not doing it but it would make your job a lot harder.

Tips (You can skip the obvious stuff):
  1. Take your time, read the manual again until you're comfortable/confident. Have the manual open for reference. Everything you need to know is in there.
  2. Make sure the vehicle is jacked and stable because you will be directly underneath the wheel rotor and front of the vehicle itself so you don't want to have it falling on you.
  3. Have the hood open because you will need to reach in to remove the belt tensioner/serpentine belt. It will also allow some light to come in so you can see better.
  4. When removing the water pump belt, have the towel close to the crankshaft pulley and pull towards your direction when rotating it so the towel doesn't go underneath the belt (yes, that was the mistake I made). You will definitely need to apply some force.
  5. Have many different assortment of tools or reference my list for what worked for me because you don't want to keep driving back and forth.
Observations:
  1. The belt removal process isn't that hard at all, if you take your time it's actually very simple. The most difficult part is getting used to which direction to rotate the pulley or how much force to apply to the "Cast Hexagon" for it to move.
  2. The biggest problem you'll run into is definitely the belt tensioner but if you are patient, you will definitely get it out. Just don't give up. Also, the belt tensioner bolt has an opening where you can slide the bolt upwards and it will come out.
  3. You will not be able to use a a full size 1/2 or 3/8 ratchet inside the engine compartment unless it's the 1/4 In, 3/8 In. Drive Long Reach Dual Flex Head Ratchet that I am using due to the clearance. You can definitely use a 12 mm bolt on the nut if you approach it from the correct angle, which would require you to swing the socket top down and rotating it into place.
  4. All of the sockets that I used to remove the bolts were not impact-rated sockets but the chrome plated ones. The reason being that the impact sockets are wider/longer so it would not give you enough room to work.
  5. The serpentine belt has a lot of cuts in some areas and I'm not sure if I should be worried or not. However, the water pump belt seems to be fine with no visible cracks/cuts.
  6. The crankshaft pulley seems to have some cracks on the rubber/plastic area. When I read about this a while ago, the rubber/plastic appears to be used to dampen vibrations.
  7. You will definitely not be able to torque on the bolt/nut onto the belt tensioner (at least to my knowledge). I'm very certain that these have already been installed when the engine was out of the vehicle due to the limited clearance but I'll test that theory out tomorrow.
  8. I did not use the Lisle 59370 belt removal tool because I wasn't able to figure out how to use it and I did not seem to to need it. I had no issues with removing the belts.
  9. Looks like my belt tensioner ends in .10
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Outer wheel splash shield
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Wheel splash shield
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Part (2/5):

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Crankshaft with cracks
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Using my primary ratchet + flare nut crow foot to remove the serpentine belt.
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Serpentine Belt Removed


Belt Removed (Engine View from Above)
 
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Part (3/5):

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1/2 Ratchet + 21 mm socket: Water pump belt removal via Crankshaft Pulley + Towel

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Belt Tensioner/No belts installed
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Engine bay 12 mm socket with ratchet
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12 mm ratcheting wrench
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Part (4/5):

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12 mm flare nut wrench
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Belt Tensioner Extraction via engine bay area with long reach hose pliers
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I feel like I'm in one of those stuffed animal machines hooking a toy except it's this PITA thing... :ROFLMAO:

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Nice detailed write-up as usual! (y)

BTW, I thought you’re going to get rid of the wrong gear lube from your front transfer case and rear differential first? ;)
 
Update 10/19 (Part 1/2):

5. The serpentine belt has a lot of cuts in some areas and I'm not sure if I should be worried or not. However, the timing belt seems to be fine with no visible cracks/cuts.
You mentioned “timing belt” a couple of times which confused me?
 
Dang, you removed half the front end! :D

I only removed the one small splash guard. Looks like your serpentine belt had a rougher life than mine. Mine was perfectly fine, no cuts.

Now the fun starts! Good luck!
 
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