I was topping up my screenwash fluid today, and looked down and saw a build up of silvery bright crud/gunge just above the item marked 7 below, it looks like a big 24mm bolt or something ?




I managed to get get a couple of poor photos of it, does anyone know what it is, I can scrape it around, but probably need to get a mild jet wash in there to remove, but just concerned that it is a build up something that I should probably look into ASAP

Small red downward arrow points to it below

The swarf is building up around the nut ( Pulley Tensioner ) that I have highlighted in red on the photo below, seems a fair bit of it, so something seems off to me. I don't think its the pulley tensioner as I have had two new ones in the last two years

Does it pick up on a magnet? Could be a belt bearing breaking up though I would have thought it would be noisey.
Take the belt off and spin the nearby pulleys.
The tensioner can crack and could be grinding itself on the crack through flexing.

I've had two pulley tensioners replaced in the last two years, surely not another

No it is not picking up with a magnet, difficult to really get in there and access, but I managed to get a bit out, I thought it was some kind of silvery swarf, maybe from one of the ally pulleys !

no noises, and the pulleys all seem tight and going round properly when I turn on the engine, I notice a little movement from the middle pulley, so that's not good.

I am a bit stumped, I am taking it to my indie to look at, he said it should be OK to drive 5 miles to his place

Last edited by pcourtney on 19th Feb 2025 6:00pm. Edited 1 time in total

my TDV8 seems to have a history of continuous belt and pulley replacements in the last 30,000 miles and three and a half years it seems


All pulley belts changed by Gloucester LandRover MD on 1st June 2021


Nice Motors Newark ( Indie ) replaced the below on 4th Aug 2022
Supply & Fit Crankshaft Oil Seal and Supply & Fit Alternator Belt and Fan Belt


Empire Tuning Colchester replaced the below on 17th Nov 2022
LR022810 Bracket and Idler Wheel £250
https://www.advancedfactors.co.uk/lr022810-bracket-idler-wheel
LR022803 V Belt ( Primary Drive Belt ) Dayco 6PK2515 £14
https://www.advancedfactors.co.uk/lr022803...t-436542-p
LR022804 V Belt Optibelt (Secondary Drive Belt) £14
https://www.advancedfactors.co.uk/lr022804...-1580165-p
LR022809 Pulley Tensioner £41
https://www.advancedfactors.co.uk/lr022809...t-988110-p
LR022953 Pulley Idler Between Water Pump & Power Steering Pump £26
https://www.advancedfactors.co.uk/lr022953...r-988170-p
LR025988 Pulley Idler for Alternator £81
https://www.advancedfactors.co.uk/lr025988-idler-989844-p


Howe Engineering ( Land Rover Independent ) Buntingford 14th Dec 2023
Complete Primary & Secondary Belt / Pulleys Kit (Idlers/Tensioner) kit comprised of :
LR022803 Primary Belt (Dayco - Italy) £15
LR022804 Secondary Belt (Optibelt - Germany) £15
LR022809 Pulley-Tensioner £41
LR022953 Pulley-Idler between Water Pump & Power Steering Pump £26
LR025988 Pulley-Idler for Alternator £81


and now in Feb 2025 it looks like the front needs to come off and do it all again, I think there is something else causing this, seems to me that the last two shops have just bought the kit and replaced parts without getting to the main cause of why I am burning through so many belts and pulleys, the forces at play must be enormous, I hope that my new indie takes a more investigative approach and identifies ( possibly ) what the main problem is, surely this is not normal

Click image to enlarge

I ordered a genuine tensioner from Maltings and they sent a pattern one by mistake.
They sent me a genuine one and told me to keep the other one.
All I can say is there was night and day between the quality. The pattern one was all loose and the bearing was rubbish.
The genuine one was firm and the bearing felt 'sticky' to turn.