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

You mentioned “timing belt” a couple of times which confused me?

Woops, I seem to be infatuated with the timing belt. I edited them to reflect "water pump belt".

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? ;)
Thanks!!! I was thinking of doing it then I'm like, nah maybe I'll wait until the next 4,000 miles or so since it's just gear oil. I don't want to waste the stuff already in there because the last time the diff fluid was changed was around 42k and currently I'm at 65k now. I'll probably wait till 72k or after this Winter but who knows, I might get bored and do it for fun LOL
 
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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!

Yeah, I was looking at it then I was like WTF, that inner splash shield is so small and I saw videos of people removing more than that. Funny thing was I wasn't prepared to take the whole thing off but it was in my way so I guess it had to go :D

I'm not looking forward to it but hope I can get that dang water pump belt in place with the tool if it even helps.

Not sure what would cause the belt to have so many cuts but I would wager it would have something to do with the way I drive?
 
Would it make sense to apply some blue thread locker or anti-seize to the bolt for future removal purposes/anti-vibration? I mean there wasn't any from the factory but I was wondering if it would be worth my time to do so....

Also, does anyone know of any aftermarket rivets for the splash shield(s)? I broke like 2-4 trying to take them off.
 
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Thanks!!! I was thinking of doing it then I'm like, nah maybe I'll wait until the next 4,000 miles or so since it's just gear oil. I don't want to waste the stuff already in there because the last time the diff fluid was changed was around 42k and currently I'm at 65k now. I'll probably wait till 72k or after this Winter but who knows, I might get bored and do it for fun LOL
If I were you I would replace the gear lube with correct SG1 as soon as possible. I’d be worried running those with wrong type of gear lube.
 
If I were you I would replace the gear lube with correct SG1 as soon as possible. I’d be worried running those with wrong type of gear lube.

I was thinking about that thread. Didn't Mazda originally use the 80W-90 originally? If that's the case, I wouldn't say it's the wrong gear lube but maybe they just decided to upgrade the ingredients to better stuff. I mean I do have the (2) bottles of SG1 and the (4) crush washers and I'm ready to swap the fluid at any time but I'm not really convinced that my front transfer case/rear diff will be damaged or something unless there was a TSB out there that I missed...

Rear Diff and Transfer Case Fluid Change: Tools, Parts and Links

EDIT: 07-11-2016
MAZDA HAS CHANGED THE SPEC ON THESE FLUIDS FOR LATER YEAR MODELS. CHECK YOU OWN OWNER MANUAL FOR THE RECOMMENDED LUBE FOR YOUR CX-5.

EXAMPLE DIFF. BETWEEN 2013 AND 2016 YMs


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Guys,

Looks like there's a possible way to actually torque down the belt tensioner bolt/nut but I am not sure if it will work yet. I've asked around for suggestions and apparently, we'll need to use the formula that I've mentioned in post #162 or something along those lines.

Examples:
  1. Torque Wrench Adapter Torque Adapter
  2. https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
  3. https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)
Aside from calculating the magic number (a.k.a torque value), it needs to fit in the limited space and be long enough to reach the fasteners.
 
Great job. Does that belt install tool fit on the water pump pulley?

Thanks! It appears to fit on but I'm not sure if I'm placing it onto the water pump pulley incorrectly or what but the Lisle tool seems to be thicker than the pulley itself. I forgot to take pics.
 
First time visiting the forum in a while... I had to have my tensioner belt replaced on my 2016, back on 2/7/2020 at 45,624 miles. Total cost , at the Mazda dealer, was $377.00. The price for the part (PET2-15-980) was $214.00 . Don't know what the parameters for a recall are, but you think this would've met them.
 
Update 10/20 (Part 2/2): Installation Process (Part 1/3)

So what I've realized is that you don't even need any belt tensioner tools to help you for the removal/installation process of the belts. I think that since I opened the Lisle tool, they probably won't let me return it anymore. Anyways, it wasn't that difficult installing the water pump belt nor the serpentine belt. In fact, I think it was much easier installing everything, including belts than removing them.

The most difficult part of this whole job for me was putting back the rivets onto the wheel well/splash guards but luckily I recorded everything and took note of the way everything was connected. I broke a few but thankfully the rivets that I ordered from Amazon fit the entire wheel well/bottom of my oil filter cover perfectly.

Link to Rivet: https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

Tips/Advice:
  1. Trust me, everything you need to know is in the service manual. I literally followed it step-by-step and it all worked out for me. I'm not saying there isn't other methods but this worked the best for me.
  2. The three things you need are (1) visibility, (2) leverage and the (3) right tool. You don't really need a lift for this job at all as most of the work will require the water pump belt/crankshaft pulley to be as close to you as possible so you can press the water pump belt into place onto the water pump pulley as you turn the crankshaft. You need to be very careful when you are putting your fingers near the water pump pulley while applying pressure but once you keep turning the crankshaft clockwise, you will start to feel it/see it go onto the water pump pulley. The water pump belt will probably be off slightly but just keep pressing the belt inwards and rotate the crankshaft pulley clockwise until it seats in all the way. That's it, there's nothing more to it.
  3. For the serpentine belt installation, this was by far the easiest because you will be working top to bottom. Meaning, you will insert the belt onto ribs of the (1) Generator Pulley first and then onto (2) Crankshaft pulley. Afterwards, you will need to apply tension to the "Cast Hexagon" counterclockwise, then push the belt onto the (3) Crankshaft Pulley and (4) A/C Compressor Pulley. Before you let go of the "Cast Hexagon," triple check to make sure that the belt is seated properly onto all of the pulleys and then slowly release the tension and that's it.
  4. When bleeding the belt tensioner, you will need to pull it counterclockwise and once you compress it all the way, you will definitely feel it stop moving and that is the point where you slowly let go. The key is to "go slow" so you don't damage anything.
  5. The best way to perform this whole entire process would be to have your feet facing the back of the vehicle and your head facing the front of the vehicle. This yields the maximum visibility and also the maximum leverage.
  6. To double check your work, turn the crankshaft pulley clockwise and visually look at the belt to see if it's still on the grooves. If it is, great job, you did it!!!
Observations:
  1. I think I noticed some cut/damage on my generator pulley which may explain the cuts on my serpentine belt. I'm not entirely sure but this may be the culprit.
  2. I snugged the belt tensioner bolt/nut slightly past the point where it stopped because there was no way to torque it. Hopefully it holds up over time
  3. I haven't really driven the vehicle yet but so far it appears to be quieter than before at least when I drove off my driveway.
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First time visiting the forum in a while... I had to have my tensioner belt replaced on my 2016, back on 2/7/2020 at 45,624 miles. Total cost , at the Mazda dealer, was $377.00. The price for the part (PET2-15-980) was $214.00 . Don't know what the parameters for a recall are, but you think this would've met them.

It's pretty hard to say, your best bet would be to get a glimpse of the serial number on the side of the belt tensioner. If you can somehow take a picture of it and post it here then we may be of assistance but if you go back and look at the previous posts, you'll find that there are many revisions of the same tensioner.
 
Your thoughts matched mine. I felt the most difficult part was jacking the car up, removing the wheel, and removing the shroud. After that it was fairly easy and straight forward.

Only caution I have is to the rotate the crank clockwise only. I honestly don’t know if damage can be caused by rotating counterclockwise, but I think I read somewhere not to do that.
 
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You thoughts matched mine. I felt the most difficult part was jacking the car up, removing the wheel, and removing the shroud. After that it was fairly easy and straight forward.

Only caution I have is to the rotate the crank clockwise only. I honestly don’t know if damage can be caused by rotating counterclockwise, but I read somewhere don’t do that.

Agreed. Once you get the hang of it through the removal process, it's basically the reverse for installation.

I went through and fixed my "check work" section that I mentioned. You're correct about turning the crankshaft clockwise and I haven't tried counterclockwise either so I wouldn't know. However, the Cast Hexagon needs to be turned counterclockwise.
 
Not sure what happened to my "Removal Process" pictures but they all seem to be corrupted for some reason. I submitted a report so hopefully the Admins can restore it. Anyways, I have a backup of this thread in PDF of my Removal/Installation if anyone requires it in the future or if the servers get wiped again. The below links are Google Drive backups:

Removal
2013_2016 - Belt Tensioner - Shouldn't this be a warranty item_ _ Page 10 _ Mazdas247

Installation
2013_2016 - Belt Tensioner - Shouldn't this be a warranty item_ _ Page 11 _ Mazdas247
 

Only caution I have is to the rotate the crank clockwise only. I honestly don’t know if damage can be caused by rotating counterclockwise, but I think I read somewhere not to do that.
Rotating crankshaft pulley counterclockwise should be fine on SkyActiv-G engines of course you don’t want to do it too much and too often or in the unlikely event jumping tooth on timing chain could happen which would be a disaster. Jumping tooth on timing-belt equipped engines is easier to happen if you turn the crank counterclockwise.
 
You turned the crank with your left hand and guided the belt with your right? I wonder why minnesotaart had so much trouble. Maybe he didn't take all of the wheel well pieces off?
 
You turned the crank with your left hand and guided the belt with your right? I wonder why minnesotaart had so much trouble. Maybe he didn't take all of the wheel well pieces off?

For the Water Pump Belt:
Used my right hand to turn the ratchet and left hand to push the water pump belt onto the water pump pulley. Kept repeating the process until the belt was fully seated into place onto the pulley. Took a few attempts but if you keep going at it, you will eventually get it. The crankshaft is pretty stiff and hard to turn so if you're right hand dominant, then you shouldn't be using your left hand to do the turning.

For the Serpentine Belt:
I don't remember exactly what I did with what hand anymore but I think it was something along the lines of turning the cast hexagon using the ratchet with my right hand then holding it in place with my left hand while I attempt to pull the belt onto the two pulleys (A/C and Crankshaft) using my right hand. I kept applying more torque to the ratchet until I could fully seat the belt onto the pulleys and when everything checked out visually, I slowly let go of the cast hexagon so that everything was seated into place.

I was actually going back and re-reading his post and I think I can pinpoint where his issue was:

To understand why you need a lift to accomplish this task, try doing this little exercise. Seriously, try it to see what I mean. Lay on your back and put both hands over your head, up about a foot or so, as if you were working on the vehicle. The water pump pulley is on your right and the crank pulley is pretty much directly overhead. Now take you right hand and raise it with your fingers extended as if you were pushing up on the water pump belt and its pulley with plenty of force to keep the belt in the groove. Bear in mind that you are exerting this force while the back of your hand is facing the engine, not your palm, and you are trying to push it toward the engine. Now simultaneously take your left hand and pretend you are pulling down on the ratchet attached to the crank pulley right over your face to rotate the pulley. Bear in mind here that if the ratchet slips as you pull down against the engine compression it lands squarely on your face (ouch! Ask me how I know.). The contortions of this approach are horrible to say the least. You might be able to do it if you positioned your body completely under the vehicle so that your head and shoulders are the only thing in the wheel well and the hand functions were reversed, but I wasn't going to try that even with jack stands (call me a coward).

Now imagine you that have the vehicle up on a lift at the right height right in front of you. For this exercise, stand straight up with your hands comfortably over your head, maybe 2 feet or so this time so that your elbows are straighter than in the other exercise. Imagine your right hand is pulling down on the crank ratchet and your left hand, palm facing the engine, is now guiding the belt onto the pulley where you can use your fingers and your thumb to help. Much, much better body mechanics, no? You can easily see how you can apply much more force with both hands in this situation and that "stretch" water pump belt needs a lot of force. With a lift it's even possible to have a helper in there with you. So even though the clearance is exactly the same in both situations, your ability to apply the mechanical force needed is vastly different between the 2 approaches.

Your plan to only replace the tensioner and the belt is a good one. Wait for the other belt to get totally worn out and then find a lift (or a mechanic)!

Here's my analysis of the issue he was experiencing (my opinion):

So it seems that the issue minnesotaart was having was that he had his body in the reverse direction (foot facing the front of the vehicle and head facing the rear of the vehicle) or his body was vertically extended towards the passenger door area. Assuming that he's right hand dominant, this would not give him the maximum leverage that is required in order to push the water pump belt onto the water pump pulley so it would explain why he had a tough time with his attempt. In addition, it doesn't look like he was directly under the area where he could visually see 70-90% of the pulleys/belts so this would reduce the amount of leverage he had when performing the installation process.

I mean you could probably get away with just taking that inner splash shield off but there would be areas near the front that you can't see so well unless you put your entire head below the underbody to peek upwards since the splash shield is in the way. Now that I think about it, maybe it wasn't worth it to take apart all of the splash shields having done this whole process already since I wasted a lot of time prying the rivets off.

The best method when I was performing both the install/removal process was having my whole body FLAT underneath the wheel rotor/wheel well area where I can visually see 70-90% of the pulleys/belts with my head facing the front of the vehicle and foot facing the rear of the vehicle. You will definitely have a hard time if you don't have maximum leverage/visibility.

I think most people are using creepers with casters (rollers) but I am not. This would also affect your leverage as well. My way of going underneath the vehicle 100% of the time is using a "https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)" and this allows me to not only be flat against the floor but I also don't need to jack the vehicle that high to access anything.

My Body Position (Example)
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Inner/Outer Splash Shield + Wheel Splash Shield Removed
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Alright guys, I fully restored the photos from the removal process using the PDF I saved down. Thankfully there was a way to extract all of the photos. Hopefully it doesn't disappear again.
 
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