Lada Kalina 1 and 2 alternator belt replacement with air conditioning

Soon, owners who purchased the domestic Lada Kalina model are faced with the question of replacing the belt that drives the on-board power generator. This is equally interesting to owners of both eight and 16-valve versions of the practical “Russian”. Due to the fact that Kalina motors are endowed with different design features, there are differences in replacing the specified consumable component. The service life of a belt is primarily influenced by factors such as the quality of the product itself and the intensity of use of the vehicle. And only after learning many details can you judge when the alternator belt needs to be replaced.

There are quite a lot of handwritten works on the network about replacing the generator assembly belt, but in our material we will try to explain as clearly as possible all the points that interest the owners. This will be clear even to inexperienced owners of their Lada Kalina, since the work will not require special equipment, expensive tools and “gigabytes” of experimental information. All actions can be carried out, as they say, “on your knees in the yard.”

Purpose of the belt

The generator is used to generate electricity, which powers the entire on-board network of the vehicle along with the current collectors while driving. This unit is also used to recharge the battery. Without these important features, the car can only function for a short time until the battery is completely discharged. This aspect prompts LADA Kalina owners to check the condition of the belt drive more frequently, so that its breakage, which suddenly occurs far from a populated area, does not cause a flurry of hysteria and frantic searches for the phone in order to call for help.

On-board computer for Grant

Experienced drivers here show their thriftiness when they take on board a new alternator belt, fortunately this consumable component has negligible weight and dimensions.

Our material is intended to help those owners who, due to lack of proper experience, silently shrug when asked about the purpose of the belt. In most modern engines, the generator unit is driven through such a transmission. The generator belt itself is in a tense state between the crankshaft pulleys and the LADA Kalina generator itself. With the start of rotation, electrical power is generated, which is sent through a rectifier device to all switched-on current collectors of the vehicle, including the battery.

Checking the tension of the generator belt

If there is a suspicion of a malfunction of the alternator belt, it is necessary to carry out appropriate diagnostics. To carry out diagnostics, you need to acquire a caliper or an ordinary metal ruler.

Diagnostics of the alternator belt is carried out as follows:

• You should press the belt with a certain force (about 3-4 kg);
• Next, use a ruler to measure the degree of bending.

If you have extensive experience, it is not necessary to use measuring devices - it is enough to determine the condition of the alternator belt by eye. In the case of normal tension, the maximum bend is 1cm. Otherwise, we can confidently say that it is too weakened. If you do not have enough experience to identify the problem by eye, follow the diagram and use measuring devices to get the most accurate result.

There is also a way to diagnose the alternator belt using a dynamometer. It consists of using a dynamometer to move the belt to the side, which should not bend more than 10-15 mm with a force of approximately 10 kgf.

Signs of need for replacement

Today, manufacturers are silent about the regulatory deadlines after which it is necessary to replace the alternator belt. Here you should be vigilant and acquire knowledge regarding some signs that allow the owner to understand the need for replacement.

These symptoms are identical for different types of engines used in LADA Kalina.

1. The appearance of a whistling effect when the engine is running, which is especially intensified when the electrical load on the generator set increases. When, after checking and tensioning, the indicated whistle does not disappear, then you can safely order a replacement for the belt.
2. The presence of cracks on the working, side and rear surfaces of the rubber product. This is explained by the aging of the material, and therefore, it can indicate that the resource of such a component is running out, and this is fraught with an unexpected impulse.
3. Belt deformation under the influence of external factors or in case of purchasing a counterfeit consumable.
4. An increase in noise associated with impact effects. This also indicates a violation of the integrity of the material structure of the belt, which suggests an early replacement. A lift is indispensable here!

Let us repeat, if the entire list of measures taken to tighten the belt does not lead to success and the presence of the indicated signs (or one of them) is present on the face, then there are no options for action other than replacement.

Preparing to repair or replace the alternator belt

First of all, it is necessary to service the generator itself, for example, clean the contacts of the voltage regulator. To do such things, you need to use a soft rag soaked in gasoline. It is advisable to clean some parts of the generator with compressor or pump compressed air. In addition, it is necessary to inspect the condition of the wires and connections of the generator to the motor.

A weakening belt manifests itself in the unstable functioning of the generator and the entire motor. By the way, you should also not allow excessive tension, since this accelerates wear on the alternator belt, which can cause it to break while driving. For this reason, you should not delay troubleshooting.

A loose belt leads to a decrease in efficiency, resulting in overloads in the electrical network, which cause the car to slip on the pulleys.

Before you begin repair work, you need to prepare the following tools:

• Metal strip;
• Socket wrench 17;
• Ruler;
• Mounting and the like.

To achieve greater comfort during repairs, the machine must be placed on an inspection hole. Next, using a socket wrench, you should loosen the nut on the tension bar, since it secures the alternator belt. After this, while in the inspection hole, you need to loosen the fastening of the generator to the bracket. Before doing this, remove the engine mudguard.

Having completed the required actions, it is worth ensuring the necessary tension. To do this, use a pry bar to press the generator away from the engine. While the generator is in this position, the nut must be tightened again with sufficient force.

Tensioning the alternator belt is done in approximately the same way. It is worth noting that this is the best method available. However, individual drivers may well do as they please.

Replacement (8-valve unit)

The main question: how to change? After purchasing a new consumable component and preparing the necessary list of tools, we begin the process.

1. We turn off the 8 valve engine of the Lada Kalina and look under the hood.
2. We are looking for the location of the generator. We’ll give a hint to beginners: this unit is located on the right side, if you look at the car as it moves.
3. Now we “remove” the tension, for which we loosen the tightening torque of the screw on the adjusting rod of the tensioning device. Before this manipulation, we recommend checking the belt tension so that after installing the new component, you can ensure an approximately identical condition.
4. We arm ourselves with an “8” key and turn the threads of the adjusting rod to the full amount, which allows us to reduce the tension as much as possible.
5. Using a size 13 wrench, unscrew the lower fastening element.
6. Move the tensioner rod upward and remove the used generator belt from both pulleys.

As you can see, the dismantling operation on the 8-valve engine did not present any particular difficulties. Also, the installation procedure, performed in reverse order, is quite simple and quick. After the installation process, do not forget to check the tension level, whose correct “value” will eliminate the risk of the product jumping off when driving. Experts make a recommendation related to the need to re-check how the belt is tensioned. This is done after starting the Lada Kalina engine and running it for a short time.

How to change it yourself?

The complexity of replacing the alternator belt on Kalina does not depend on the number of valves or additional units on the engine.

Replacement on 8 valve engines without tensioner

Replacing the belt on such an engine is the simplest; the only tools you need are a 13 mm wrench and a short flat-blade screwdriver. Since the tension in such a drive scheme is quite strong, when changing it is necessary to use only a Gates 6PK823SF or Dayco 825 six-V belt with the additional marking POLY-V. The remaining straps are too rigid, quickly collapse and damage the bearing on the generator shaft.

Stages of work

To complete the task you need to do the following:

1. Unscrew the lower mounting bolt of the generator 2-3 turns.
2. Unscrew the nut of the upper fastening, use a screwdriver to push out the bolt and remove it completely.
3. Lower the generator down. The eye of the mechanism must pass through the gap between the radiator and the TV body.
4. Remove the old belt and replace it with a new one. If the strap does not fit easily onto the pulleys, you can carefully tighten it using a screwdriver.
5. Raise the generator up, ensuring the belt is tensioned.
6. Insert the upper mounting point bolt and tighten the nut.
7. Tighten the lower mounting point bolt.
8. Check the operation of the belt.

The repair process on such an engine is clearly shown in the video filmed by the author Ilgiz Magafurov.

Replacement on 8 valve engines with tensioner

Here, the procedure for installing a new alternator belt is very different from that presented above.

Required Tools

To replace the alternator belt yourself, you will need at least the following tools:

• regular or box wrench for 13, 17 and 19 mm nuts;
• a head with a ratchet for 8 mm nuts; if it is not available, an open-end or regular wrench of the same size will do;
• a screwdriver with a thin flat blade;
• thin needle;
• rags;
• white spirit or gasoline, approximately 0.5 liters;
• container and brush for washing;
• CV joint bearing lubricant.

Stages of work

To adjust the degree of belt tension on Kalina engines, a mechanical tensioner is used, in contrast to the timing drive, which uses a hydraulic tensioner. When changing an element, it is recommended to carry out preventive maintenance of the roller by adding fresh lubricant.

To complete the work you need to do the following:

1. Loosen the roller bolt. The thread on it is reversed.
2. Use a screwdriver to pry up the plastic plug on the roller and carefully remove it.
3. Unscrew the fixing nut on the tensioner rod a few turns.
4. Loosen the belt tension by rotating the rod nut clockwise. The nut must be unscrewed until the rod begins to move freely in the seat.
5. Unscrew the side bolt securing the rod end, located next to the tension roller.
6. Remove the tensioner and set it aside.
7. Proceed to dismantle the strap. The procedure must begin with the generator pulley, while overcoming the slight resistance of the belt.
8. Remove the element from the crankshaft pulley and remove it completely.
9. Unscrew the roller bolt and remove it.
10. Using a needle, carefully pry up and remove the protective caps on the bearing. Wash the bearing with white spirit or gasoline.
11. Refill with fresh grease and install protective rubber caps.
12. Assemble all the parts and mount the roller in place. When assembling, you must remember that the bushing is in the bearing on the side of the bracket.
13. Change the belt by installing it in the reverse order - from the crankshaft pulley to the generator pulley.
14. Install the tensioner and begin tightening the belt by turning the nut counterclockwise. The nut must be tightened until the resistance increases. A well-tensioned strap should be slightly pressed when pressed by hand.
15. Tighten the nut securing the tensioner rod.
16. Check the operation of the mechanism; if a whistle occurs, tighten the strap.

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Loosening the 17 mm left nut Removing the cover on the roller Disassembled tension roller Bearing with removed covers Cleaned roller Reassembling the unit Belt tension Tightening the control nut

Replacement on 16 valve engines

The difficulty of replacing the alternator drive belt on such Kalinas lies in the need to remove the front engine mount.

Required Tools

• head for hexagonal sprockets size 11 mm or TORX E14;
• two jacks;
• 17 mm socket or wrench;
• 8 mm ratchet head.

Replacement process

During the work process you need to perform the following actions:

1. Raise the car on a jack and remove the right wheel, as well as the protective wheel arch liner and the support boot.
2. Install a safety support under the bottom of the machine.
3. Remove the protective shield under the engine.
4. Raise the engine under the crankcase with a jack. A wooden stand must be placed between the lifting part of the jack and the engine oil sump.
5. Remove two TORX E14 bolts securing the power unit support to the bracket. If the screws are tight, you need to vary the position of the motor with a jack, achieving easy rotation.
6. Unscrew the three TORX E14 bolts securing the support to the side members of the car body.
7. To loosen the belt tension, to do this you need to unscrew the fixing nut.
8. Rotate the nut 8 mm clockwise until the belt is completely loosened. Then you need to remove the strap and thread a new element through the place where the support was removed.
9. If necessary, you can replace the grease in the tension roller. The scheme is completely identical to that described above.
10. Tension the belt by turning the nut 8 mm counterclockwise. The tension should be controlled by hand - the element should bend when pressed.
11. Secure the tension with a 19 mm nut.
12. Install all removed parts in reverse order.
13. Start the engine and check the operation of the drive. To do this, you need to load the belt as much as possible - turn on all electricity consumers and the air conditioner.
14. If a whistle occurs during operation, you must tighten the strap. To do this, with the engine running, you need to loosen the lock and carefully tighten the tensioner rod until the whistle disappears.
15. Tighten the lock nut.
16. If a whistling noise occurs during operation, the belt must be tightened further.

The engine mount is outlined in red. Loosening the tensioner. Arch locker and support boot. The engine mount is highlighted in red oval. Location of the five TORX E14 bolts. Place for support on the engine.

Replacement in 16-valve version

Such Lada Kalina engines are equipped with air conditioning, which makes the replacement procedure slightly different from that previously indicated for an 8-valve engine.

1. We remove the loosened and dismantled belt from the pulleys through the bottom of the engine compartment.
2. For this purpose, we release one of the engine mounts.
3. You will also need to lift the car and remove the right front wheel.
4. After these manipulations, we dismantle the fender liner on the corresponding side and the crankcase protection of the unit.
5. Now we remove the weakened support, after first lifting the engine sump with a jack (through a wooden or other gasket).
6. Then carefully lower the unit until it becomes possible to remove the belt.
7. We perform installation using the reverse algorithm.

Replacement cost

The cost of changing a belt on a Lada Kalina car depends on the type of engine, range of units and is:

• for a motor without a tensioner - from 300 rubles;
• engines with a tensioner without air conditioning - from 150 to 350 rubles;
• motors with tensioner and air conditioning - from 220 to 400 rubles;
• for unit 21127 - about 600 rubles.

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Replacing the roller will require an additional 250 rubles. The total amount required by the car owner to purchase spare parts, in the maximum version, will not exceed 850 rubles.

Replacing the belt and generator roller on an 8-valve Lada Kalina is very easy and simple. A wide range of product choices will not suit every consumer's taste. Moreover, even analogues of original parts are of fairly high quality. Diagnosing faults is easy and can be done by any motorist.

We change the alternator belt on an 8-valve Lada Kalina with our own hands: prices and belt size

Determining whether a belt needs to be changed is quite difficult, but some signs may indicate this:

• when the engine is running, the headlights become weak and dim;
• extraneous noises, whistling when starting the car.;
• After a mileage of 30 - 50 thousand on Kalina, it is worth checking the serviceability of the belt. It may have cracks, broken teeth, cuts, oiling or delamination of rubber, which can lead to belt breakage. In this case, it is better to replace it.

What is it needed for?

As mentioned above, any vehicle is equipped with such an important device as a generator. If it fails, the operation of the vehicle will be impossible. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the performance of all elements of the device, be it a Lada Kalina with a 16- or 8-cl. engine, with or without air conditioning. What is the component size? How is the roller strap adjusted and replaced? How to tighten up? You can find out the answers to these questions in the article.

Car Lada Kalina tuning

Before answering questions that interest Lad Kalin owners, you should understand why this component is needed. Not every motorist knows what role he plays in the functioning of the car.

In modern cars, this belt is the only element that allows you to transmit crankshaft rotation to the generator. When the crankshaft transmits rotation to the device pulley, energy appears in the vehicle's electrical network, thanks to which all electrical equipment operates.

Belt and roller selection

Several types of belts are used on Lada Kalina cars.

The type of element depends on the engine model and its equipment:

1. The motor version without air conditioning and tensioner has a belt length of 823 mm. Gates (number 6PK823) is standardly used, but such a part is not supplied as spare parts. To replace it, a slightly different strap is used - Gates 6PK823SF.
2. The version of the unit with a belt tensioner, but without air conditioning is 882-884 mm. Standard part manufactured by Gates (article 6PK882). In addition to it, straps are often used - Finwhale BP6883, Dayco 6PK888 or the cheapest Balakovo belt BRT882.
3. Engine with air conditioning and belt tensioner (motor 11183) - 1018 mm. Standard element manufactured by Gates (number 6PK1018). Alternative options are Dayco 6PK1018 or Continental 6PK1015.
4. The 21127 16-valve engine with air conditioning and tensioner uses a 995 mm belt. The Gates part (6PK995) is supplied from the factory, and it is also used as a spare.

Sometimes when replacing a belt it becomes necessary to install a new tensioner. It is the same for all motors, its article number is 2123–1041056.

Belt selection and price

If the generator design has a tensioner, then the belt length is 883 mm. In the vast majority of cases, Kalina has 8 valves. If the generator is like on Grant, the length is 823mm.

When choosing a manufacturer, you should take into account that the official supplier of these belts for AvtoVAZ is GATES, so preference should be given to its products. Belts are also produced by BTR (lots of bad reviews), Continental, Finwhale, and ANDYCAR. It is better to buy Dayco 825 (manufacturer GATES), elastic belts are marked Poly-V, if not, then the belt is rigid. The price of belts is approximately from 500 to 1000 rubles.

Required Tools

To replace the alternator belt yourself, you will need at least the following tools:

• regular or box wrench for 13, 17 and 19 mm nuts;
• a head with a ratchet for 8 mm nuts; if it is not available, an open-end or regular wrench of the same size will do;
• a screwdriver with a thin flat blade;
• thin needle;
• rags;
• white spirit or gasoline, approximately 0.5 liters;
• container and brush for washing;
• CV joint bearing lubricant.

When to change?

VAZ Lada Kalina vehicles use a belt drive for auxiliary units. On cars with air conditioning, the service life of such a belt is no more than 30 thousand km. On simple versions of cars, the strap can last longer, but most owners try to change it after the same 30 thousand kilometers traveled.

For various reasons, the belt may fail earlier, so it must be checked periodically during vehicle operation. There should be no cracks on the working track, and delamination on the outer part of the belt is unacceptable. If such defects are present, we immediately change the strap. Another signal to replace this element is a whistle or other noise when the unit is operating.

The process of replacing the belt on a Kalina with air conditioning (sixteen valves) is presented in a video from the user Alexander.