After a myriad of problems including my old belt falling off, then my new serpentine belt falling off, my old battery dying, and then my new battery dying, and then losing power while my car was moving, I've decided to change the belt tensioner.

However, the documentation in the mechanic book doesn't discuss the attached pneumatic cylinder. I looked on here, but didn't find any relevant discussion about how to swap the cylinder out, but I'm hoping someone on here can advise me.

In the attached pictures, you can see that:
1) the top of the bolt is a t30 bit.
2) the cylinder
3) having removed the pulley wheel, this is what the bottom of the bolt that holds the piston on looks like

I've stripped the t30 bolt trying to get the piston off. I took it in to AutoZone, and we tried using an impact screwdriver, to no avail. Anyways, how have you all taken this off and put it on your new belt tensioner?

 

My tensioner does not have the cylinder as some engines do and some don't. Maybe with a new tensioner, you don't need the cylinder. Try your new one without the cylinder.

James

PS since your tensioner has the cylinder, does the tensioner itself have a spring also?

 

It does have the spring, too. I'm not really sure the point of the cylinder. I was hoping someone could clear that up, too.

 

by the way - i have 6 speed manual. maybe the pneumatic piston is only for manuals as switching gears can be of greater shock on the belt?

 

The cylinder is called a damper, so it must further soften the jerking on the belt. My '04 NA has this cylinder. It seems rather superfluous to me.

 

Was your '04 a manual, Dave? I'm thinking the manuals had the damper....

 

Yes it was a 6 speed.