Chevrolet Niva alternator belt: how to check and replace the auxiliary drive belt

The accessory drive belt is more commonly known as the alternator belt. It is important to understand that this belt, in addition to the car’s generator itself, also powers the power steering, air conditioning, etc. It is quite obvious that if problems arise with the drive belt, malfunctions in the operation of the mounted units will also inevitably appear.

For this reason, the said alternator belt needs to be checked and replaced periodically. The belt needs to be changed both when necessary (for example, in case of premature wear) and according to regulations (based on time and mileage), depending on what comes first. In turn, the Niva Chevrolet alternator belt is no exception.

Next, we will look at when to change the Chevrolet Niva alternator belt, what signs indicate the need for replacement, and also how to replace the Chevrolet Niva alternator belt with your own hands.

How to tension the alternator belt on a Chevrolet Niva correctly

Most VAZ-Chevrolet SUVs were and are produced with the “2123” engine. The simplest operation on it is to adjust the belt tension. Here we will look at how to tighten the alternator belt on a Chevrolet Niva - this word means the belt of auxiliary units. A separate drive is provided for the air conditioner. But he won't bother us.

The part in question is shown in one video. Let's see.

Reasons for failure

• Entry of a foreign body. This is most likely evidenced by traces of impacts on the body and marks on the flat side of the belt.
• Incorrect belt tension adjustment - too strong or too weak. In this case, the tension indicator, tensioner cover or tensioner limiter breaks. This can be caused by incorrect tightening of bolts or incorrect sizing.
• Work in high temperature.
• Part misalignment. Because of this, belt marks can be seen on its surface.
• Mechanical damage from tools during installation.

Tension the generator belt

Check that the ignition is turned off. Having opened the hood, you need to remove the plastic trim, overcoming the resistance of the clamps (4 pcs.). Then, taking a screwdriver, loosen the clamp on the main air duct (photo 2).

A set of preliminary steps

Use a 10mm wrench to unscrew the fastening screw (photo 3). The screw is removed, and then the air duct must be removed from the filter housing. Preparations are complete.

What and how to regulate

Before tightening the alternator belt, three nuts are unscrewed on the Chevrolet Niva. You need to unscrew them 1-2 turns, but first you need to find each of them.

Adjustment unit fastening

The nuts are designed for a 13mm wrench:

• The first one is indicated by an arrow in photo 1;
• The second and third are located near the adjusting screw. They are shown in photo 2.

The screw itself in the first picture is located between points 2-3.

The adjustment process on a Chevrolet Niva

Using a 13mm spanner, you can unscrew the screw, thereby loosening the tension, or tighten it. Turn the key to the left - the tension is weakened (photo 2).

If the adjustment is performed correctly, pressing on the belt at point P (see drawing) causes a deflection of 1.1-1.2 cm. The pressing force should be 75 N.

Generator drive unit VAZ-2123

More precise adjustments can be made at a service station.

Installation Tips

Tighten the fastening nuts using a force of 21-27 N*m. For the screw holding the “sleeve”, the recommendation looks different: 20-25 N*m.

What are the signs to recognize a malfunction?

A number of signs indicate the need to replace old rollers with new ones. They appear both directly while driving, in the form of extraneous noise, and during visual inspection.

• mechanical damage on the surface of the rollers;
• noticeable play;
• grinding noises when turning. This is a clear sign that the car needs repairs;
• damaged bracket or bearing;
• leaking oil;
• high temperature during operation;
• strong vibration during operation;
• difficulty in turning the shaft.

It would also be a good idea to check the serviceability of the belt. It should not have cracks, cuts or delaminate. If it has defects, it must be replaced.

Why adjust the alternator belt?

A tightened belt makes a whistling sound during operation. In this case, the bearings wear out faster than expected. In addition, the belt overheats, which means it wears out quickly.

It would seem that the tension can be loosened, but an under-tightened belt wears out even faster. The reason is increased vibration.

Please note: the cooling system pump hangs on the alternator belt. These are the features of the VAZ-2123 internal combustion engine. Stopping the pump will not necessarily lead to overheating. But the engine cannot be operated without it.

Causes of whistling: incorrect adjustment, high degree of wear. Draw conclusions.

Source

Checking installed parts

After this, a final check of all mechanisms is carried out and the elements are collected in the reverse order.

If the belt is tight and the force is not enough to loosen or tighten it, there are several ways:

1. You can put the car in 4th gear, put the belt on the roller and push in the direction of rotation of the crankshaft. When it starts to turn, you need to pull the belt onto the generator pulley, and it will fall into place on its own.
2. In the same way, you can not push the car, but lift the wheel and spin it, or spin the generator itself.

This makes it easy and quick to replace the Chevrolet Niva generator belt rollers. You should regularly diagnose the moving parts of the car in order to prevent possible breakdowns in time and replace faulty parts.

We recommend replacing the bearings and belt every 40 thousand kilometers.

Do-it-yourself replacement and tensioning of the alternator belt

Depending on the vehicle configuration, various schemes and drive options for auxiliary units may be used.

Belts may vary in size, since auxiliary units such as a power steering pump, generator, and air conditioning compressor may be from different manufacturers.

Therefore, before checking and replacing belts, you need to decide which option is right for you.

The size of the belts is indicated on the outside of the belts. You need to buy belts according to their size.

When replacing belts, be sure to check the condition of the tension and auxiliary rollers.

You should definitely carry spare belts with you, especially on a long trip. Let's look at some options and technology for replacing belts.

Insufficient belt tension impairs fluid circulation in the cooling system, which leads to engine overheating. In addition, recharging the battery worsens and the belt itself wears out more. If the tension is too strong, the bearings of the water pump and generator may fail.

Replacing rollers lada 2123 (vase 2123)

The alternator belt on a Chevrolet Niva performs a connecting function between the engine and the generator, helping the latter produce the necessary energy. However, there is a special roller between the crankshaft pulley and the generator pulley, which helps the belt to be in the required tension and not slip out of its place of fixation.

Over time, this connecting element may need to be replaced. This procedure is quite simple and you can do it yourself, without any help.

Why does the roller fail?

Before inspecting the roller for damage, you need to know why it breaks:

• A foreign body has entered - traces and marks on the roller body will indicate this.
• The belt adjustment is not performed correctly - this applies to both too weak and too strong belt tension.
• Entry of a foreign body. This is indicated by impact marks on the body and marks on the flat side of the belt.
• Incorrect belt tension - it is overtightened or weak. This negatively affects both the tension roller and the insufficient outgoing voltage from the generator.
• The part works in a skewed state - this will cause belt marks on the body.

How to identify a faulty belt tension roller?

The presence of extraneous noise or increased vibration may indicate that you should start replacing the rollers; first of all, they may appear during engine operation. Also, replacement will be necessary during a visual inspection if:

• Part backlash.
• Mechanical damage to the body.
• Damage to the bearing or bracket.
• There is difficulty when turning the shaft.

You should also inspect the belt for cracks, delamination, cuts and, if any are found, it must be replaced.

Step-by-step procedure for replacing a Niva Chevrolet

First of all, it is necessary to prepare all the tools so that dismantling is quick and easy. You must have keys for “10” and “17” on hand.

1. So, in order to dismantle the roller, you need to loosen and remove the belt. And to do this, you need to loosen the tension roller along with the landing pad, where you need to unscrew the three nuts to “10”. However, such work is not necessary, and if not necessary, you can only loosen its central bolt with a key set to “17”.
2. When the belt is “thrown off”, it is necessary to engage first gear, thereby blocking the crankshaft from turning.
3. Unscrew the nut on the roller and remove it along with the spring washer.
4. When starting to dismantle the generator roller itself, you must first remove its protective cap.
5. Then, using a wrench set to “17”, remove the central nut.
6. And after that we remove the spacer ring, which prevents the rollers and the motor housing from aligning.

Installation of new parts

1. Before installing a new, working roller, you must first mount the ring, then the roller itself.
2. Next, using a washer with a spring mechanism, tighten the bolt.
3. After this, put on the belt and tighten the tension roller so that the belt is pressed no more than 1 centimeter from its position.

Thanks to such a well-coordinated and precise procedure, it is possible to replace the alternator belt rollers on a Niva Chevrolet quickly and in the shortest possible time.

Such checks should be carried out every 30 thousand kilometers, thereby eliminating the possibility of new malfunctions.

In the Dimavto.com online store, any car enthusiast customer can choose and buy drive belt rollers for the Lada Chevrolet Niva with a 1.7-liter engine capacity from such manufacturers as INA, RUVILLE.

If you have questions, or they appeared during the selection process, and this prevents you from making a final decision, our support service will come to your aid.

This will help you choose the right parts that match your car model.

The success of finding the required part in our store is due to the widest range of spare parts supplied to us from manufacturers from different parts of the world.

Our store's policy is based on careful checking of the quality of the spare parts we sell and their compliance with the highest standards. All products sold by us are of original origin.

Each buyer buying drive belt rollers for Niva Chevrolet 2123 selects a spare part according to the search pattern from a huge catalog that suits him best.

Spare parts search options:

• By product code;
• By car manufacturer and model.
• With tips from a parts specialist.

The selected product can be immediately picked up in the cart on the website online, or you can call 096 258 29 80 or 093 630 27 55 and place an order in person.

Using the catalog, our customers can not only find the product they need, but also read its characteristics. Here you can see a detailed image of the product from photographs and videos. Our pricing policy is always transparent and accessible.

To make it easier for you to understand the features of spare parts Drive belt rollers and their compatibility with Niva Chevrolet 2123 by year of manufacture, modification and type of car, it is better to play it safe and clarify the nuances with our managers.

Before purchasing drive belt rollers (tensioner, bypass) for replacement, it is better to consult with specialists. Taking precautions will help you easily replace an old part with a new one the first time. To do this, our managers are guaranteed to help you with your choice and quickly complete your purchase with delivery.

Replacing the drive rollers of VAZ-2123 auxiliary units

The condition of the belt tension rollers should always be checked when removing or replacing the drive belt. When rocking and rotating the rollers by hand, there should be no play, jamming, or noise in the roller bearings.

• In many cases, noise when the roller bearing wears out is observed when the engine is running.
• We carry out the work on an inspection pit or on a lift.
• Remove the accessory drive belt. For this:
• Remove the mudguards from the engine compartment.

Installed a new Chinese generator on Shevik

As it turned out, the generator jammed and because of it the belt broke. Why did this happen? Most likely (my version) - when replacing the pump, the service center tightened the belt too much, because we couldn’t tighten the same one at all. As a result, during the hellish “tightening”, the old gene grunted; the bearings could not withstand such abuse. Therefore, it is better to do everything yourself or in a trusted service. Well, tighten it correctly, you could press the samples with your finger by 1 cm.

How did they even manage to tighten the 1885 belt? I can't imagine))

First I'll tell you about the generator

I took the old one, they completely disassembled it, looked at it and said that it had come to an end. The bearings were torn, and the rotor was worn out to such an extent that repairs would cost 2,500 rubles. And a new one costs 3100. It’s Chinese, but the warranty is 3 months, we checked it at the stand - everything works.

Therefore, it is better to take a native gene with the same width of the roller and with the correct number of rivulets (grooves). That’s why the belt is called a ripple belt, because the grooves must match, it turns out something like rails.

I wanted to buy a 100 Amp Pramo, but I couldn’t find it anywhere in the city; the original genes cost 4,000 rubles. So I decided to try Chinese))

How to remove a generator from a Chevrolet Niva

First you need to loosen the belt, which if tense, cannot be easily reset. So, our task is to loosen the tension roller; it is held in place by a platform with three nuts. You will need a 10mm wrench, it is very advisable to have a ratchet with the same head, preferably an elongated one, because the third nut is located directly under the belt and it is better to approach it from the side.

Sequence of work

The first step is to prepare the generator for the repair and replacement process. To do this, old parts are removed. To do this, you will need wrenches of diameter 10 and 17.

1. Removing faulty parts. The first step is to loosen the belt and remove it, otherwise you will not have access to the bearings themselves. To do this, you need to loosen the roller, which is held by a platform with nuts. There are three nuts, they require a 10mm wrench. Once they are all unscrewed, you need to unscrew the adjusting screw so that it moves up from the platform. This will allow the section with the rollers and belts to move freely up and down. In order to remove the belt, move the platform up. It is also worth noting that it is not necessary to remove the belt completely - just lower it from the faulty part.
2. The next step is to remove the faulty rollers:

• Place the car in first gear to prevent the crankshaft from turning;
• Unscrew the nut that secures the part
• Remove the spring washer and remove the part.

The process of removing generator rollers on a Niva Chevrolet is identical to any other car.

How to remove the generator.

To remove the generator you need to use a ten key, loosening the nut that holds the base with the tension roller, removing all the nuts from their seats. Then unscrew the adjusting screw, having first found it. After making sure that the screw moves freely, unscrew it to the top of the platform. In the photo you can see where all these bolts are located.

We fold the belt off the pulley and unscrew the bolts that hold the device, this can be done with a thirteen key, and on the other hand with a seventeen key. We disconnect the two wires that are connected to the back of the generator, one is connected to the head of the bolt, the other is plugged in, and we disconnect them. Then we remove it from the seat.

Source

When to change accessory drive

The manufacturer recommends installing a new gear every 50,000 km. Some items may go through more, so periodic inspection of the product is important. To check the technical condition of the rubber drive, you need to perform the following steps:

1. Mark the starting point of the inspection with chalk.
2. Set the gear selector to neutral position.
3. Brake the car with the parking brake.
4. Rotate the crankshaft and at the same time inspect the condition of the belt drive making a full revolution.
5. Rotate the shaft a few more times.
6. Check the outside of the part.

The belt must be replaced if:

• signs of wear;
• cuts;
• porosity;
• delamination;
• traces of oil;
• dishevelment.

In addition to external examination, manifestations of a malfunction in the form of an extraneous whistle are also possible when the electrical circuits are at maximum load or the warning light of the battery discharge comes on.