alternator tension bracket snaped

[gtt dave j esprit]

it is a 1990 se chargcooler, the tension arm is made of nylon ?? i know on most other makes of cars i have looked at, these are normally metal.

prob is its half snaped and has wore air con belt which snaped. this is how we found out about the alt bracket half snaped and bent.

any ideas or helpful tips or even explaination to why lotus used nylon? sure not to save weight.

regads dave

Edited July 12, 2010 by gtt dave j esprit

[Simon350S]

Early cars were metal, my S3T was a nice substantial unit, now I've fitted the S4 engine its a nylon version...

I have no idea why, does yours have the bent metal washer that wraps around the nylon arm to stop it spreading when you tighten it up? If not that may be why it snapped? Who knows!!!

[andydclements]

There has been a similar thread on the Excel forum, it didn't snap but it did contact with the AC belt. Mike at Lotusbits advised the nylon (or whatever they are made of ) ones are to help with vibration.

That tensioner bar shouldn't have much compression force on it when everything is done correctly as the pinch bolt should take a lot of the force.