matt:

rubber contracts as it heats up, while the metal engine expands as it gets
hot. therefore, there is a double whammy for increased tension when hot -
shorter belt with pulleys farther apart. minimum belt tension, just tight
enough to avoid slipping/squealing, will favor long pump life. i assume
tension specification is meant for cold engine.

dan

On Wed, 1 Sep 2004 14:10:13 -0400, Matt Sutton <msutts@EARTHLINK.NET>
wrote:

>Hi folks,
>    Well it looks like I may be a wasserboxer-ite, at least as a novice
>anyway. I swapped out my water pump this weekend, and it seemed to have
>settled in nicely. Boy, though, I don't want to do that job again any time
>soon!
>    I kept the belt, having less than 20k on it and having been replaced
>when the alternator seized last year. The guy who replaced it said VW
belts
>tighten as they heat up. Is this true? and if so should I tension the belt
>after the engine's been thoroughly warmed up? I'd like to keep this pump
>going as long as possible.
>    Also, thanks to everyone who gave tips on engine cleaning, it really
>made the water pump job easier.
>
>ciao,
>
>Matt Sutton
>88GL
>Brooklyn NY