Freewheel for Lima: Alternative to 1-speed

Hello.

On my return trip from a vacation abroad / on Sunday, the tensioner pulley for the timing belt broke the serpentine belt. There was bearing damage in the pulley / SKF, it seized up after 100,000 km of mileage. There were no prior signs of any issues.

Fortunately, a mechanic took pity on us, got into his car, and after 45 minutes, he had the correct belt and pulleys from Gates 1038 (for cars without air conditioning and with a manual transmission).

The original belt installed by the manufacturer is from Conti and has the part number 1045.

Okay, so the Gates belt is shorter, with a length of 1038, but it can still be installed.
It doesn't vibrate like the 1045, and the tensioner runs more smoothly and quietly.

After arriving in Munich, I bought a replacement tire, a Continental 1038, and put it in the car.
Since the breakdown, I've driven over 20,000 km with the shorter belt. The tension remains the same. Still using the original tensioner.

If this helps, please let me know.

Hi Jarek,

I only know of "Gates" as an alternative belt manufacturer.



I think that the "trick" of using a shorter belt only masks the wear on the tensioner element within its normal operating range.

In my opinion, the spacer element is a design flaw – that's probably why it was changed in the newer engines. It simply gets stuck due to constant vibration.

With a shorter belt, the vibration occurs in a different location and gets stuck there.

Conversely, the free-running clutch minimizes vibration because the alternator no longer pulls on the crankshaft and, consequently, on the tensioning element.

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

Hello Dieselmartin.

There's no question that free-range is the better option.
But I am also satisfied with this solution.

It was like installing brand new belts.

Therefore, I find the 1038 to be 100% better than the 1045.
The entire LIMa drive system operates very smoothly.

At least, that's how it is for me.

My suspension spring is still the original one, having covered 210,000 kilometers. I have replaced the shock absorbers twice, once after every 100,000 kilometers.
It seems that the bearing of the roller is simply not strong enough.

It happened purely by chance, because the Gates catalog doesn't even list belt number 1045.

Best regards, Jarek.

Hi,

This weekend, I was looking for a noise coming from the first cylinder (it turned out to be the air filter), and while doing that, I took another closer look at the tensioner pulley.

Mine is quite out of shape again after 3 years - it's flapping about 1-2 cm.

In my thoughts about your "trick" with the shorter belt, I've come to the conclusion that it is perfectly acceptable and will wear out the tensioner as a wear part evenly.

Here's my thought:
- By "tensioner," I actually mean the tensioning mechanism located at the "rear" of the tension arm.
- This consists of a coil spring and a friction element (similar to the wheel suspension system with its spring and shock absorber).
- The friction element dampens the vibration.
- Since the belt remains almost the same length, it always folds at the same point.
- here, the damping effect wears off -> it can start to vibrate.
- Depending on whether a longer or shorter strap is used, the tensioning element operates at a different location.
- This has even better braking/damping characteristics.
- it vibrates less.

Okay, please provide the German text you would like me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.

Due to a lack of time, I haven't provided any confirmation on my end yet.

Because I also tried the shorter 1038 belt a few years ago, and it lasted almost another year with my worn-out tensioner. Also, the frequency range of the resonant humming noise has shifted.

Last year, when my Trekker got a damaged timing belt with a worn freewheel, I immediately installed a new pulley, tensioner, and a Conti 1038 timing belt (I had already bought the 1038 at a good price beforehand). Since then, everything has been quiet. A quick note here: you can also just replace the bearing in the pulley.

So, if it starts making a humming noise, try the shorter belt first.
It should last for a while longer and is much cheaper than a complete replacement.
In my case, the humming problem was particularly pronounced due to the automatic transmission and the lack of a freewheel.

Best regards, Georg.